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Mister Freedom® mfsc “GYPSY BLUES” Fall 2017 recap.
Full collection (SS2017 & FW2017) available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World. Christophe Loiron
Gilet Gadjo, sienna brown 8.5 Oz. cotton moleskin. Our elegant-yet-rugged Gilet Gadjo, previously released in indigo cotton-linen HBT and stripe covert cloth, makes a come back this Fall! The pattern of our classic vest is inspired by 1910’s-1930’s French Gentlemen’ waistcoats. The shawl lapel, fine sateen back, cinch back strap and fancy lining make for a choice addition to the discerning gadjo‘s closet. We took the dandy vibe a notch down by donning our gilet a set of donut-shape metal buttons as front closure, hardware parts usually reserved for vintage utility garments. If black and navy blue are typical colors of old-school French workwear, brown and cream moleskin garments were quite popular with the Gardians of Camargue, the gritty Provençal cowboys dreamed-up by the legendary Old-West-obsessed Folco de Baroncelli in the early 1900’s. In the old days, these famed horsemen of the delta of the Rhone, Southern France, typically wore moleskine boot-cut riding pants, with the characteristic contrast piping running down the leg seam. A matching moleskin vest, flamboyant plaid or printed cotton shirt, low-crown western-style hat, and a pair of Camarguaises (local traditional rough-out leather boots) often completed these work outfits. Familiar to the European vintage clothing aficionado, French waistcoats from the 1920’s-30’s typically feature a stern shell (often black wool serge) and an unusual inner lining (fancy printed fabric probably left-over from a custom shirting project). It is not uncommon to come across such tailor-made vintage specimen with a formal appearance and an unusual inner lining. Digging through the archives, we found limited NOS yardages of forgotten textile goodness from past mfsc collections, and have used then as linings on all iterations of the Gilet Gadjo. The fancy off-white calico-print cotton sateen twill featured on the moleskin version was originally milled for our 2011 Les Apaches collection, but was never used. Indigo-dyed cotton poplin inner panels complete the lining. A classic amber brown cotton sateen back adds to the elegant vintage vibe. The Gilet Gadjo is designed in California by MISTER FREEDOM® and manufactured in Japan by SUGAR CANE Co. SPECS: DETAILS: SIZING/FIT: Please refer to chart to figure which size works for you. Take your favorite waistcoat, measure it laying flat (as the chart’s b/w photo suggests), and see which size/measurements combo most-closely matches.
CARE: Available raw/unwashed. Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World. Christophe Loiron  Young Gypsy (photo Lucien Clergue, 1959), courtesy Atelier Lucien Clergue ©1959  Cristóbal De La Marina Del Rey, with duende ©1966
 Caravans (Vincent Van Gogh, 1888)
Gilet Gadjo, indigo cotton/linen HBT & cotton covert stripe. The Romani term “gadjo” refers to folks of non-Romani origin. It is today quite a common colloquialism in Southern France, and is used to designate a male individual (as in ‘guy’ or ‘dude’). The pattern of the MF® GYPSY BLUES Gilet Gadjo is inspired by 1910’s-1930’s French Gentlemen’ waistcoats. The shawl lapel, fine sateen back, cinch back strap and fancy lining make for an elegant addition to the discerning gadjo‘s closet. We took the dandy vibe a notch down by donning our gilet a set of donut-shape metal buttons as front closure, hardware parts usually reserved for vintage workwear-type garments. The two fabric options were introduced with the release of our Veste Belleville. An indigo-dyed cotton/linen HBT (the same sturdy fabric of our Waterfront Coat, indigo-dyed to a dark and rich hue), a textile inspired by early French firemen uniform of the 1900’s, and a 100% cotton stripe covert fabric, a sort of heather charcoal grey salt & pepper with a subtle woven stripe pattern, developed from a vintage swatch of 1930’s French workwear NOS textile. Both fabrics were milled in Japan. Familiar to the EU vintage clothing aficionado, French waistcoats from the 1920’s-30’s typically feature a stern shell (often black wool serge) and an unusual inner lining (fancy printed fabric probably left-over from a custom shirting project). It is not uncommon to come across such tailor-made vintage specimen with a formal appearance and a flamboyant inner lining. Digging through the archives, we found limited NOS yardages of forgotten textile goodness from past mfsc collections, and decided to use that as linings on this project. Both indigo discharge calicoes are from our MEN of THE FRONTIER days, namely the Apache and Pueblo Trade Shirt. The Gilet Gadjo is designed in California by MISTER FREEDOM® and manufactured in Japan by SUGAR CANE Co. Credits: Lucien Clergue‘s 1959 photograph courtesy of Lucien Clergue Atelier. SPECS: DETAILS: SIZING/FIT: Please refer to chart to figure which size works for you. If still confused, email [email protected]
CARE: Covert stripe: Machine wash on delicate, cold water, minimal eco-friendly detergent. Line dry. DISCLAIMER: Use caution when laundering, as the metal buckle of the cinch strap has sharp prongs that could get snagged and damage this (or other) garment(s). Available raw/unwashed. Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World. Christophe Loiron
 He’s a natural  Notice the special gas cap model, designed by MI6 Quartermaster “Q” The “Continental Vest” Moving right along in our Continental trilogy, the latest grouping added to the Made in USA Mister Freedom® Sportsman catalog for Spring 2016, here is the Continental Vest. The third original pattern of our recently-released suiting effort complements the Continental Trousers and Continental Sportcoat. Our Continental Vest design is inspired by several vintage waist coats, and more specifically by an original 1950’s-60’s British-made specimen. Unlike previously-released Mister Freedom® waistcoats mostly taking from turn-of-the-Century to 1930’s models and featuring contrasting cotton sateen backs, the Continental Vest carries an early sixties tailor-made vibe with its matching fabric back design. This elegant six-button front garment features two slanted box-pleat patch pockets with flaps, and a full cinch back belt. In addition to the charcoal and slate grey cotton-linen twill fabric options offered with the Continental Sportcoat, we are also releasing the Continental Vest in Indigo Moss Blue. It is the same attractive denim-like fabric originally introduced with the Continental Trousers, a New Old Stock slubby 11 Oz. crosshatch twill, 70% cotton – 30% linen blend that got black ops spooks red with envy. The Fashion industry, on the other hand, does envy our “Indigo Moss Blue” terminology, which is indeed one of our proudest semantic achievement to date. Please note that said-Indigo Moss Blue option features the 1rst type Continental lining, an ivory white 100% cotton plain weave with a woven blue stripe. A slightly different NOS woven stripe fabric was used for both the charcoal and slate grey vests. To accommodate mixing and matching within the Continental family, this handsome new lining fabric is very similar in appearance to its original companion. The subtle variation typifies the perks associated with opting for limited New Old Stock fabric on full-fledged garment manufacturing projects. Speaking of H2O, our vest is washable. But be aware that the cotton-linen fabric will torque and shrink, and the stitching will pucker to a roping effect. This ‘wrinkled’ look is an acquired taste, and some might prefer a freshly pressed ‘clean’ look instead easily obtained with professional dry-cleaning. The Continental Vest is quite versatile and will adapt to the wearer’s own personal style, according to what it will be paired with. It can be dressed-up with Continental Trousers and vest, dressed-down with blue jeans or chinos, buttoned-up (don’t forget to leave the bottom button unbuttoned) or worn open, etc… Ultimately, and with such wardrobe must-haves as the Continental Trousers, Sportcoat and Vest, there will be no rest for the delusional on-the-go Int’l Man of Action, heading out on an impossible mission to get groceries.
The Continental Sportcoat is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in California by Mister Freedom® in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co. SPECS: PATTERNS: FABRICS: Lining: Two similar types of fancy New Old Stock 100% cotton fabrics, natural white with woven blue stripe. DETAILS: SIZING/FIT: Please note that it is the nature of cotton-linen blend textiles to wrinkle and slightly stretch back and forth with each laundry/wear cycle. For example, freshly laundered linen garments fit tighter in the morning than at the end of the day. If you prefer a clean, pressed look following the initial soaking process, the Continental Vest can be steamed or professionally pressed. I opted for a Size 38 in all options of the Continental Vest. This is my usual size in mfsc top garments. However, I have done a full rinse cycle with the Vests, and used a heat dryer for about five minutes to get the shrinkage that fitted my tastes. Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements. Soaked = 30mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry. Further shrinkage and creasing will be achieved with full wash cycle (on delicate) and a heat dryer cycle.
CARE: Available RAW/unwashed Retail $ 249.95 Available from www.misterfreedom.com, fine retailers around the World, and our Los Angeles ol’ pile o’ rags. Christophe Loiron
Our first MFSC Apaches Fall delivery is in! If you’ve missed the Spring pitch, here it is again (if you know it by heart, skip the skit and scroll down for the low down on the SPECS) The Paris of the Belle Époque (1900s) saw the emergence of a certain type of street outcasts. They lived in secret dens in the seedy and dimmed outskirts of the City of Lights, abhorred honest labor, hunted the Faubourgs and Quartier de Halles, and danced in local Guinguettes and dives, decked out in flamboyant outfits. They were called Les Apaches… Issued from the French lower working class, with a lack of education and absence of Future, they regrouped in loosely organized neighborhood gangs. Abiding by their own hoodlum code of honor, they woke up late, spoke the obscure slang Jare, and wore specific flashy clothes. Their dandy accoutrement combined with intimidating attitudes imposed both respect and fear from the Parisians and their police. For 30 years, Paris’ Apaches gangs marked their territories by terrorizing honest bourgeois citizens, committing petty larceny, pimping and street fighting their lives away. For those who had ducked the knife and the bullet that bared their name or the ravage of the “Grande Guerre” (WW1), it was the inevitable outcome of Biribi or the Bagne de Cayenne. In the 1920’s one a many high society dame was spotted mingling with charismatic Apache groups in local Java dance halls, letting her hair down in a famous Dance Apache, immortalized later by Hollywood (“Charlie Chan in Paris”, 1935) and several Broadway Shows. The French movie Casque d’Or (1953) relates a true story of a famous Apache event that took place in 1905. Bourgeois newspapers of the period and universal fascination with the underworld turned the reign of the Apaches into a mix of myth and imagery that will forever mark the Paris of the 1900s to 1930s… MFSC Fall 2011, APACHES Collection: Gilet de Ville métisse SPECS:  Gilet Métisse Sizing Chart Designed in California by MISTER FREEDOM®, manufactured in Japan by SUGAR CANE CO. Available RAW (unwashed) Call John or Jordan at (323) 653-2014 or Email [email protected] or [email protected] to get yours while they last. We ship internationally. |
