McGregor « CHRISTOPHELOIRON®

Mister Freedom® SECOYA Shirt (“McG” plaid heavy flannel) & DUDE RANCHER Western Snap Shirt (Indigo-covert plaid & Brown dobby stripe) FW2021 mfsc Surplus Catalog. Made in Japan.

: MF® Secoya McG plaid (Size Small)

: Vintage 1950s McGregor wool shirt, fabric inspiration for the MF® Secoya “McG”

: Vintage 1950s McGregor wool shirt.

Mister Freedom® SECOYA Shirt, “McG” plaid heavy flannel FW2021 edition.
mfsc Surplus Catalog.
Made in Japan.

The SECOYA pattern combines two vintage garments, a rare 1930’s pull-over chin-strap work chambray with no label, and a 1940’s STURDY OAK work chambray with elaborate “Double-Panel” construction.
The defunct STURDY OAK label, the workwear division of Sears, Roebuck & Co, produced its famous “Double-Back / Double-Shoulder Yoke / Double-Underarm” pattern, often complimented with “Ventilation Eyelets”. Other bygone mail-order catalog companies such as Montgomery Ward & Co, Spiegel or JCPenney also offered their versions in the 1940’s -50’s, all full open button front shirts. We thought of combining the fancy “Double-Panel” pattern with a pull-over type shirt, and the MF® SECOYA was born.
The term Secoya is Bad Hombre parlance for sequoia, a semantic nod to the vintage Sturdy Oak specimen that inspired this MF® pattern.

The “McG” is the third model of our SECOYA.
The original Mister Freedom® “SECOYA” pattern was introduced sometime during Spring 2019, and was initially released in a fine 3 Oz. indigo yarn “NTC” chambray, a fabric familiar to all mfsc OGs as it was the same indigo chambray used for the 2008 “Naval Clothing Tailor” Utility Shirt. That chambray fabric ages quite gracefully.

Well-worn MF® SECOYA Shirt, NCT chambray, 2019.

Inspired by “Big Mac” or “Five Bros” type heavy flannel work shirts, the follow-up model was the SECOYA “Winter King”, 8.25 Oz. indigo x red woven plaid, released during FW2020.

For FW2021, we pulled the fabric inspiration off a vintage 1950s McGregor wool shirt from our archives. If we wanted to closely replicate the unusual turquoise & red yarns combo of the original plaid pattern, we decided to replace the wool yarns by 100% cotton yarns. Our friends at Toyo Enterprises painstakingly milled this outstanding selvedge heavy flannel woven plaid for us in Japan. The SECOYA “McG” was born.

The “SECOYA” Double-Panel Ventilated Work Shirt, “McG” heavy flannel edition is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.

SPECS:

FABRIC:
Vintage-inspired 100% cotton classic woven plaid heavy flannel, turquoise & red dominant yarns, solid white selvedge ID, milled in Japan.

DETAILS:
* An original mfsc pattern, inspired by vintage 1930’s-1940’s classic American fancy chambray work shirts.
* Pull-over style.
* “Double-Back / Double-Shoulder Yoke / Double-Underarm” pattern.
* Stitched ventilation Eyelets on underarm and back panels, green thread.
* Selvedge side gussets.
* Chin strap.
* Natural poplin facing on front button placket/cuffs/chest pockets.
* White corozo wood “cat-eyes” buttons.
* Double chest pocketing, buttoned pockets.
* Concealed inside chest pocket, featuring the fabric selvedge.
* High-count 100% cotton tonal stitching, chainstitch construction.
* Original MF® mfsc “Surplus” woven rayon label.

SIZING/FIT:
The SECOYA “McG” heavy flannel Work Shirt comes raw/unwashed. It is cut so that the measurements match the labeling after an initial cold rinse/line dry.
We recommend this usual protocol before wear:

Cold soak for about 30-40mn with occasional hand agitation or one machine rinse cycle on delicate.
Washing machine spin dry.
Line dry. (No heat dryer)

We recommend wearing your usual mfsc shirting size, although I personally opted for a SMALL on the SECOYA heavy flannel. I am 5.7’’ approx. 150 Lbs.

Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/cold rinsed measurements. To reflect “real life” garment conditions, the shrink-tested shirts in the chart have been rinsed in a home washing machine, cold water, full spin cycle on delicate, and then line dried (no heat dryer.)

CARE:
Machine wash on DELICATE, cold water, mild eco-friendly detergent. Hang dry.
Do not use the washer’s heavy-duty cycle. Heat dryer is also not recommended and may result in excessive and irreversible shrinkage.

Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World.
Email sales@misterfreedom.com or call 323-653-2014 with any questions unanswered above.
Thank you for your support.

Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2021

: MF® Dude Rancher indigo covert (Size Small)

: MF® Dude Rancher brown dobby stripe (Size Small)

: Vintage 1940s French “Velour d’Amiens” jacket.

Mister Freedom® DUDE RANCHER Western Snap Shirt, indigo-covert plaid & brown dobby stripe FW2021 edition.
mfsc Surplus Catalog.
Made in Japan.

The all-original Mister Freedom® DUDE RANCHER is our spin on the traditional “western snap” shirt. The design features the expected western-style front and back curved yokes and arcuate panels. The playful “M” branding on the chest pockets is disguised as decorative stitching. The tricked-out forearm pattern and intricate one-piece elbow/cuff reinforcement diamond-shaped placket is quite a garment construction tour de force, for anyone who knows his/her way around a sewing machine.

The shirts buttons are painted metal snaps, reminiscent of 50’s Ranchcraft or Blue Bell shirts, initially featured on the 2013 MF® Sportsman printed flannel Camp Shirts. If pearl snap buttons are more-commonly associated with traditional western shirts, these metal snaps are a bit more subdued and utilitarian.

The DUDE RANCHER pattern has been previously released in black and white broadcloth (cotton poplin), 1930s-inspired printed shadow plaid, light indigo vat-dye chambray, “Joan” woven plaid, and “101” selvedge denim.

FW2021 sees the return of the DUDE RANCHER, with two new distinct fabric additions to this list.

First is a rare selvedge 100% cotton woven plaid, combining indigo yarns, covert yarns (a.k.a. salt & pepper), and black yarns, in a sturdy, dry hand, 9 Oz. fabric.
The inspiration for this unusual yarn combo came from the check lining of a vintage 1940s French corduroy coat (in Velour d’Amiens). The lining was just too good not to be replicated as-is, so we had the textile experts at Toyo Enterprises painstakingly mill a selvedge rendition of it in Japan, woven on vintage traditional machinery.

The second option is a 10.25 Oz. dark brown Dobby Stripes brushed fabric, with a soft hand and cosy, wintery feel. The stripe pattern is subtle, and noticeable in the textured Dobby weave rather than from a contrasting color.

The DUDE RANCHER western snap shirt “Indigo-Covert” and “Brown Dobby Stripes” are designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.

FABRIC:
Two options:
a) Indigo-Covert plaid: Dry 100% cotton woven plaid, 9 Oz., combining indigo, covert (salt & pepper), and black yarns. Solid white selvedge ID, milled in Japan.

b) Brown Dobby stripes: Soft hand brushed 100% cotton 10.25 Oz. dark brown Dobby Stripes fabric.

SPECS:
* An original mfsc pattern, inspired by traditional western-style shirts and 1950s-60s dude ranch outfits.
* Traditional western-wear arcuate front and back yokes.
* Attractive pointy pocket flaps, complementing the yoke pattern.
* 1950’s-style painted metal snaps (the paint will chip with age.)
* Tonal stitching.
* Original curvy “M” decorative stitching on pockets.
* Fancy diamond-shaped cuff/elbow reinforcement patch.
* Vintage style selvedge side gussets.
* Rounded shirt tails.
* 100% cotton hi-count stitching.
* Original MF® mfsc “TRUCK STOP” woven label.
* Made in Japan.

SIZING/FIT:
Both the “Indigo-Covert” and “Brown Dobby Stripes” DUDE RANCHER come RAW/unwashed. The shirt is cut so that the measurements match the labeling after an initial cold soak/line dry.
We recommend this usual protocol before wearing:

Cold soak for about 30-40mn, with occasional hand agitation.
Washing machine spin dry cycle.
Line dry. (No heat dryer)

We recommend wearing your usual mfsc shirting size, although I personally opted for a SMALL, for a trim, traditional western “cowboy” shirt fit, sizing down from my usual Medium in mfsc shirting. I am 5.7’’ approx. 150 Lbs.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements. Soaked = 30mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry.

CARE:
Machine wash on DELICATE, cold water, mild eco-friendly detergent. Hang dry.
Wash with similarly-colored garments.
Do not use the washer’s heavy-duty cycle. Heat dryer is also not recommended and may result in excessive shrinkage.

Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2021

Mister Freedom “BREEZER” Windbreaker Type 2, Indigo Blue Cotton-Linen Chambray & Red Cotton-Rayon Sateen-back, Spring 2018 mfsc Surplus Collection.

: You liked “Rebel Without a Cause”, you’ll love “Papy Without a Clue”.

Mister Freedom® “BREEZER” Windbreaker Type II, Indigo Blue Cotton-Linen Chambray & Red Cotton-Rayon Sateen-back.
Spring 2018 mfsc “SURPLUS” catalog.
Made in Japan.

If it took us a little while to get to officially introduce the “Breezer”, an original MF® jacket produced in 2010 but only documented in 2017, we figured we’d step on it a bit for the release of the Breezer Type II on this blog.

Our 2010 Breezer jackets, originally available in four fabric options, were part of the motorcycle-inspired “Speedsafe Clothing For Modern Riders” mfsc collection, out of which the Mulholland Master was to become a classic highlight. The Breezer Type II is now part of our on-going SURPLUS collection, our selection of designed-in-USA and made-in-Japan classics.

Borrowing its puny moniker from the famous “Scottish Drizzler”, our “Breezer” combines several vintage styles of windbreakers. The “Drizzler” was the classic zipper jacket introduced in 1947 by sportswear specialist McGregor®, an iconic label with a genius design team, familiar to all vintage clothing aficionados. Departing from purely replicating the past, our Breezer blends 50’s swing tops, 40’s US Navy/USMC summer flight jackets (type M-421A), 60’s British vibes, into a casual classic-looking jacket.
The SS2018 Breezer Type II is a “simplified” version of its SS2010 forerunner. We removed the inner and rear pockets, the elbow diamond patch and underarm gussets, but tricked-out the two front patch pockets into a double layer hand-warming pocket pattern. We added narrow cinch tabs to the waist and wrists, as a 50’s sportswear reference.

The Type II comes in two distinct fabric options, both exclusively milled for mfsc in Japan.
The first is a fine indigo selvedge chambray, a slubby tightly-woven and crispy blend of 85% cotton and 15% linen. This blue chambray fabric is quite reminiscent of the 1950’s French Marine Nationale utility uniform fabric that had inspired our Sea Hunt Spring 2014 Crew Pants (see original blog post here), but features a darker and more reddish indigo hue, a denser weave, and a selvedge with white/red stripe ID. It was recently introduced with the release of our SS2018 Naval Chinos.

The second fabric option is a subtle nod to vintage Hollywood, more specifically “Rebel Without A Cause” from 1955. In the second half of the movie, Jim Stark drops slacks and tweed sportcoat, proper 1950’s High School attire, and gears-up in a red jacket, white Tshirt, Lee® 101-Z blue jeans and a pair of mean-looking engineer boots, laying down style rules for future generations of teenage rebels. The iconic red zip-up nylon windbreaker was apparently produced by the “Bud Berma” label, although some believe the movie jacket was a cherry red McGregor Anti-Freeze model…

: Original 1955 “Rebel Without a Cause” wardrobe jacket, estimated at $600,000.00 (Courtesy Palm Beach Modern Auctions)

Our Breezer pattern is obviously not a lift of that jacket, but we did borrow the Technicolor® red from the movie. The fabric of the red Breezer is the same as that of our original Breezer, a double-face woven textile, cotton face and rayon reverse aka cotton-back sateen, inspired by vintage 1950’s ‘weatherproof’ McGregor® Scottish Drizzlers. Our Breezer is cut cotton side-out, with the sateen rayon twill side visible from the unlined reverse side. The fabric face is rather matte, contrasting with the rayon sateen luxurious sheen.

Back in 2010, we had borrowed the design idea of the contrast tartan accents from the G9, a classic golf jacket introduced in 1937 under the British Baracuta label, “Aristocrat of Tailored Rainwear”. Our Type II Breezer features a “Dress Steward” woven plaid cotton/linen fabric, a selvedge New Old Stock textile from the MF® vault. It is displayed on the facing of the front panels, stand collar lining, and front pockets.

The MF® BREEZER Windbreaker Type II is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.

August 24, 2023 EVO fabric update, after intermittent wear and a few washes:

FABRIC OPTIONS:
a) Fine, tightly-woven and crispy blend of 85% cotton and 15% linen indigo chambray, slubby texture, white/red stripe selvedge ID, milled Japan.
Partial lining: NOS woven tartan, cotton/linen blend.

b) Tightly woven blend of 50% cotton (matte face) and 50% rayon twill sateen (shinny reverse), aka cotton-back sateen, milled in Japan.
Partial lining: NOS woven tartan, cotton/linen blend.

SPECS:
* An original MF® design blending 1950’s swing tops, vintage British windproof jackets and 1940’s summer issue US Navy/USMC pilot jackets. This Type II is a modified version of our 2010 Breezer Jacket.
* Unlined body.
* “Dress Steward” tartan woven plaid accents, cut from NOS selvedge fabric, featured on front panel facing, stand collar and pocket lining.
* Two front patch pockets, doubling-up as hand-warmer pockets.
* Stand collar, double snap closure.
* 1950’s-style “TALON” metal zipper, cotton tape.
* Narrow cinch tabs for waist and wrists.
* Mfsc “Surplus” woven rayon label.
* Made in Japan.

SIZING/FIT:
The MF® Breezer Type II comes raw/unwashed, and we recommend an initial cold soak, spin dry and line dry. Both fabric options will shrink to approximately the same tagged size.

I opted for a size 38 in both models. I did use a heat dryer for a few minutes, for both fabrics, to maximize shrinkage and add puckering to the seams. If the fit on both fabric options is similar, the chambray Breezer feels a bit roomier than the red cotton/rayon model. This is mostly due to the very different drape of both textiles.
Please refer to sizing chart for cold soak/spin dry/line dry approximate measurements.

CARE:
Wash separately on delicate, cold water, mild eco-friendly detergent. Line dry.

Available raw (un-washed)
Sizes
Small (36)
Medium (38)
Large (40)
X-Large (42)
XX-Large (44)

Retail: $469.95

Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles HQ, and fine retailers around the World.
Email sales@misterfreedom.com or call 323-653-2014 with any questions unanswered above.
Thank you for your support.

Mister Freedom® “BREEZER” Windbreaker, “Speedsafe Clothing For Modern Riders” mfsc Collection, Spring 2010

Mister Freedom® “BREEZER” Windbreaker, Cotton/Rayon.
Speedsafe mfsc collection, Spring 2010.
Made in Japan.

So much for chronology on this blog…
With all the distractions that Sunny California provides, getting to officially introduce a 2010 garment in the middle of summer 2017 should come as no surprise. So there it is, our long-overdue MF® BREEZER, not a moment too soon.
The Spring 2010 “Breezer” Windbreaker was part of a motorcycle-based mfsc story, namely “Speedsafe Clothing For Modern Riders”, an early capsule collection from which our Mulholland Master was to become a classic highlight.
Borrowing its puny moniker from the famous McGregor® “Drizzler”, familiar to all vintage clothing aficionados, the MF® “Breezer” combines several vintage styles of windbreakers, old-school low-tech outdoor fabrics, and military summer flight jacket designs, into a cool sixties-vibe McQueenish jacket.
The expert Sugar Cane fabric mills re-created our version of the famed McGregor® magical windproof fabric, the one that always feels fresh! A double-face textile, one side cotton and one side rayon. The rayon twill side has a slight sheen, while the cotton side is rather ‘flat’. The Breezer is cut cotton side-out, while the rayon twill side is visible from the unlined reverse side, creating pleasant interaction with the skin while performing the Crane, which, if do good, no can defense.

The mfsc BREEZER Windbreaker is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.

FABRIC:
A tightly woven blend of 50% cotton (flat face) and 50% rayon twill (shinny reverse), milled in Japan.
Three color options: Cream, Royal Blue, Black.
Partial lining: NOS woven tartan, red/indigo, 100% cotton.

Note: A fourth version of the Breezer was issued in 100% cotton “midnight” denim twill, indigo warp x black weft, 10 Oz.

SPECS:
* Inspired by vintage windproof casual jackets and USN/USMC pilot jacket designs.
* NOS red/indigo tartan partial lining.
* Three patch pockets (including unusual rear panel pocket).
* Concealed chest pocket.
* Tartan-lined snap stand collar and pocket flaps.
* 1950’s-style “Conmatic” metal zipper, with leather pull.
* Diamond-shaped elbow patches, M-421a style.
* Underarm expansion gussets.
* Fancy “Fiocchi” snaps, a-made in a-Italy.
* Woven “MF S/C Speedsafe” woven label.
* Made in Japan. (back in 2010)

SIZING/FIT:
The cotton/rayon MF® Breezers are true to size, with a slim silhouette. I wear a Medium, my usual size in mfsc jackets.
Please refer to chart for measurements (unwashed).

CHART

CARE:
We recommend DRY CLEANING only for these, at your local professional eco-friendly facility. The Breezer can alternately be delicately hand-washed, cold water/hang-dry, but BEWARE, some lining color bleeding might occur on the Cream version.

Available raw (un-washed)
Sizes
Small (36)
Medium (38)
Large (40)
X-Large (42)

Retail: $425.95

A few NOS specimens still available from www.misterfreedom.com, and the MF® Los Angeles brick & mortar store.
Email sales@misterfreedom.com or call 323-653-2014 with any questions unanswered above.
Thank you for your support.