melton wool « CHRISTOPHELOIRON®

Mister Freedom® MF51 Field Shirt, navy blue & indigo blue melton wool, mfsc FW2020 “Waterfront Surplus”. Made in Japan.

Mister Freedom® MF51 Field Shirt, melton wool.

Mister Freedom® MF51 Field Shirt, melton wool.
mfsc FW2020 “WATERFRONT SURPLUS”, SURPLUS catalog.
Made in Japan.

The main inspiration behind the MF51 is the Government-Issued “SHIRTS, MAN’S, FIELD, WOOL/NY” (DA-36-030-QM-8549), a Korean War era US military cold weather staple. We combined the classic OD wool overshirt pattern with the vibe of vintage USN and civvy CPO shirts.

Vintage US Army Field Shirt, 1954 pattern, issued in 1956.

US Army M-1951 Cold-Wet/Dry Clothing System.

What stands out of the original design is the angled shoulder yoke pattern with its characteristic “X” rear panels intricate construction, and the two utilitarian large chest pockets matched with the wide open collar.
For a custom military tailor look à la MF®, we spiced-up the inside of the shirt with OD bias tape panels, and a concealed olive twill smart phone pocket. The left pocket flap features a pen slot, with an inner pen sleeve noticeable from the contrast stitching on the inside of the shirt.

If the originals were issued in an olive green shade #108 wool/nylon blend, we opted instead for a soft-hand navy blue melton wool, blending with our “Waterfront Surplus” theme and its many nautical-related garments. We are also releasing an indigo-dyed melton wool version of the MF51, which looks very similar to its navy blue mate, but with the added appeal of future indigo fading and natural evolution from wear.

We played around with the milspecs/instructions triple military labeling. The MF51 harbors our new 2020 original “MFSC Naval Clothing Tailor” woven rayon label (the two nautical pennants representing Mike and Foxtrot, and not the flag of Scotland), along with two white quartermaster-style cheesecloth tags, a branding combo visible on the outside from the unusual uninterrupted stitch.

The two darts of the lower back panel were initially intended to be easily unstitched by the wearer to add width to the shirt. If we kept this detail and the broad shoulder cut, we adjusted the fit to a more contemporary silhouette, as the vintage specimen are quite ill-fitting. Still, our MF51s are considered overshirts and are cut accordingly to accommodate layering.

The Mister Freedom® mfsc MF51 FIELD SHIRT is designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.

FABRIC:
10 Oz. Melton wool, soft-hand, milled in Japan.
Color options:
a) Navy blue Melton wool.
b) Indigo-dyed Melton wool.

SPECS:
* Pattern inspired by 1950’s US Army Field Shirts and vintage CPO shirts.
* Open collar.
* Angled shoulder yoke pattern and “X” rear panel construction.
* Olive green contrast stitching.
* Cotton bias tape front panel facing.
* Two large utilitarian chest pockets.
* Inner smart phone pocket.
* Pen slot/pocket.
* Lower back panel cinching darts.
* Olive green corozo buttons.
* Original mfsc triple labeling.
* Made in Japan.

SIZING:
The Mister Freedom® mfsc MF51 FIELD SHIRT comes ready-to-wear and requires no soaking or processing. This shirt style is considered an overshirt and the garment is cut accordingly to accommodate layering.
I opted to size down to a SMALL for a trimmer silhouette for my frame (5’7/150 Lbs), considering our Southern California climate often limits the need for heavy layering. The small MF51 feels quite snug, more like a fitted CPO than an overshirt, but the medium was much too roomy for my own taste. The size that will work for you depends on your own proportions and desired silhouette.

Please refer to sizing chart and compare measurement with a similar garment that fits you well to chose the proper size.

CHART

CARE:
Dry clean only.

SIZES: S, M, L, XL, XXL

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.

Mister Freedom® “HUDSON” Jacket, 36 Oz. midnight blue melton wool, mfsc Surplus Fall 2018, Made in Japan.

Mister Freedom® HUDSON Jacket, 36 Oz. midnight blue Melton wool.
FW2018 mfsc Surplus collection.
Made in Japan.

We are adding a new vintage classic to the “Surplus” mfsc catalog this season, the Mister Freedom® “HUDSON” jacket, a design inspired by an obscure 1930’s unlined wool coat made by the H.W. Carter & Sons label (Est. 1859, read the history and some legal tidbits here) and cut from a genuine Hudson’s Bay point blanket.

We’d saved this vintage outdoor garment in our archives for quite some time, waiting for the right twist to put on it. The spark came as we were working on releasing a type of US Naval Academy Midshipmen wool hooded jacket. We thought of combining both designs… and there it was, the MF® HUDSON!
Our jacket pattern has a modern, elaborate and elegant feel to it, but is a lift of what was essentially a well-thought and functioning outdoor garment. While working in the field, the double-breasted top-half of the jacket buttons-up to keep the chest and neck protected from wind and cold, while the bottom-half zips up and down to allow access to the pockets of an inner (denim or else) jacket. The split-pattern hood, when not worn to scare the neighbors, unzips to lay flat as an extra layer to protect the shoulders, but also folds in half and snaps-up to the shape of a somewhat regular open collar. You can style this thing in about as many fashions as you can tie the MF® skipper paréo.

We opted for a 36 Oz. midnight blue Melton wool fabric (the weight of a vintage USN Peacoat), secured from our friend Buzz Rickson’s own coveted stash of vintage mil-specs US Navy trims and textile replicas. Because of the unlined construction of our HUDSON jacket, we resorted to taped inside seams, a reference to 1930’s sportswear and outdoor jackets, and a nod to early manufacturing savoir-faire. Because we know your inner beauty matters, we graced the seams with indigo-dyed cotton tape of a desirable narrow width, as seen on 1930’s unlined specimen.
The detail-oriented will also notice that the adjustable wrist cinch tabs are backed with black cotton sateen fabric, a common feature of vintage CPO shirts and old wool garments. Concerned about your comfort, we also kindly lined part of the collar (the portion in contact with the neck) with a soft-hand NOS cotton sateen fabric. It’s tonal, so you can hardly see it, but those sensitive to wool will appreciate.

The MF® HUDSON jacket is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co and the expert Toyo Enterprise team.

SPECS:

FABRIC:
Soft-hand midnight blue 36 Oz. Melton wool, fabric-dyed, vintage mil-specs US Navy type cloth, milled in Japan.

DETAILS:
* An original mfsc pattern, inspired by vintage 1930’s unlined outdoor sportcoats and 1960’s USNA Midshipmen jackets.
* Unlined body construction featuring attractive taped inside seams, with 1930’s-style narrow-width indigo-dyed cotton tape.
* Double-breasted button-up top block and zip-up lower half.
* Tonal corozo wood buttons.
* Versatile collar pattern design: lays flats on shoulders, zip-up as a hood, folds in half and snaps-up to the shape of a regular open collar.
* Vintage NOS cotton-tape “Talon” metal zipper, oxidized black.
* Neck collar area partly-lined with soft tonal NOS cotton sateen fabric.
* Adjustable cinch tabs on wrists, backed with black cotton sateen fabric.
* Woven mfsc Surplus label.
* Made in Japan.

SIZING/FIT:
The MF® HUDSON jacket is ready-to-wear, and does not require any special process before use. It is true-to-size, and somewhat intended as a top layer. I opted for a size Medium, my usual size in mfsc jackets, for a comfortable fit that will allow wearing a denim (or the like) jacket underneath.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate measurements, to figure which size will work for you.

CARE:
Professional dry-clean only, from your local eco-friendly facility.
Do not wash.

Available un-issued.
Sizes
36 Small
38 Medium
40 Large
42 X-Large
44 XX-Large

Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our funky-fresh 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.