Mister Freedom® ROADSTEADER Cap, NOS selvedge WHEAT denim edition, Fall 2018, made in USA.

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Photo courtesy Tadashi Tawarayama (Seven Bros Pictures Inc.)

 

Mister Freedom® ROADSTEADER Cap
NOS selvedge Wheat denim edition
FW2018
 Sportsman catalog
Made in USA

The Mister Freedom® ROADSTEADER Cap is the latest addition to our Couvre-Chef Department, consisting of a selection of vintage-inspired headwear, revisited à-la MF®.
The line-up already includes our classic Casquette “La Deffe” and ”Scuttler” Cap, both regularly issued in an assortment of vintage New Old Stock fabrics. The full released range of these two popular models are available from our Los Angeles HQ and webstore.

The MF® Roadsteader was initially released in a handsome New Old Stock selvedge indigo blue denim during Spring 2018. For Fall 2018, we are introducing a version in a elegant NOS selvedge wheat denim twill.

For the R&D and design story behind this original hat, along with a compelling Sirtaki tutorial, please refer to the MF® Roadsteader’s original blog post. This wheat versions shares the same specs and inspiration as its indigo blue denim predecessor.
The black cowhide leather of the visor is “tea core”, i.e. surface-dyed black with a contrasting ‘natural’ light brown on the flesh side, guaranteeing a nice vintage patina overtime.

The MF® Roasteader Cap is designed and manufactured in California, USA, by Mister Freedom®.

SPECS:
An original MF® pattern, inspired by an assortment of vintage nautical covers and 1900’s french traditional working-class hats.
FABRIC:
Shell: NOS 3/1 selvedge wheat denim twill, about 12 Oz.
Lining: Vintage NOS glazed 100% cotton fabric, silkscreen with an original MF® graphic.
Leather trims: black “tea core” cowhide headband and visor, with genuine kangaroo hide headband lining.

DETAILS:
* Fancy old-school construction.
* Unstructured crown. (no plastic frame)
* Fully lined with NOS black glazed cotton, featuring original MF® silkscreened label.
* Black “tea core” cowhide leather headband.
* Unlined black “tea core” cowhide leather visor with indigo HBT tape piping.
* Genuine kangaroo hide headband facing, with traditional red/white/blue bow.
* Traditional chinstrap was replaced by a riveted strap, featuring concealed denim selvedge ID.
* Made in USA.

SIZING:
The headband size in measured in centimeters. The headband will not stretch altogether, but the kangaroo lining will soften with wear and ‘loosen-up’ the fit a bit.
Size 58 (cm) roughly equates to a 7 ¼ hat size.
Size 60 (cm) roughly equates to a 7 ½ hat size.
Note that the crown of the Roadsteader is unstructured (no plastic frame) so that it will ‘slouch’ naturally with wear. We recommend cocking it to one side, and a bit to the back, for the old-salt vibe.

CARE:
Do not attempt to machine wash/dry the MF® Roadsteader Cap. Professional spot-cleaning only, if needed. With normal repeat wear, this cap will start to ‘slouch’ and the denim fabric begin to drape naturally.
We do not recommend trying to artificially hasten the normal aging process. Just wear and enjoy.
NOTE: I personally opted to initially cold-soak my wheat Roadsteader briefly, spin dry, shape the cap to the desired “old salt” slouch, and then let dry overnight. The resulting hat, with a slightly wrinkled denim fabric, is featured on the photos above.
Beware that some color bleeding from the cognac brown leather sweatband on the wheat denim might occur when opting to rinse the Roadsteader.

Available Raw/unwashed.
SIZES: 
Size 58 (cm) (approx. 7 ¼)
Size 60 (cm) (approx. 7 ½)

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® 2018

Mister Freedom® x Sugar Cane msfc FW2018 collection preview

Mister Freedom® x Sugar Cane mfsc FW2018 collection PREVIEW.

Dear Friends,

There it is.
Our Fall Winter 2018 collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.
Each item’s story, design background, fabric specs and ethical manufacturing journey will be documented on this blog as released.
All garments manufactured either in USA (MF® “Sportsman” mfsc catalog) or Japan (MF® “Surplus” mfsc catalog).
Drop dates will start sometime during August 2018.
The entire collection will be available from the MF® HQ (our Los Angeles brick & mortar store), on www.misterfreedom.com, and some select pieces from 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®
©2018

Mister Freedom® ROADSTEADER Cap, NOS selvedge denim, Spring 2018, made in USA.

 

Apache dancers, circa 1925
(Photo Boris Lipnitzki © Roger Viollet)

Mister Freedom® ROADSTEADER Cap
NOS selvedge denim edition
SS2018 Sportsman catalog
Made in USA

The Mister Freedom® ROADSTEADER Cap is the latest addition to our Couvre-Chef Department, consisting of a selection of vintage-inspired headwear, revisited à-la MF®.
The line-up already includes our classic Casquette “La Deffe” and ”Scuttler” Cap, both regularly issued in an assortment of vintage New Old Stock fabrics. The full released range of these two popular models can be seen at our Los Angeles HQ, and some can be spotted atop Jack Sparrow’s head.

Looking at photos of our new pattern, one will notice that the MF® ROADSTEADER is not a vintage replica, but rather a combo of old-school styles, a mix bag of references to bygone fashions and Costume History, all blending into an irresistible piece of accoutrement for the 21st Century snappy dresser!
We drew pointers from the early fashion of the Apaches of the Belle Époque, the flamboyant ruffians who had inspired a Mister Freedom® collection back in 2011. Late 1870’s illustrations of the infamous Parisian gangsters invariably depict their trademark hat, the Casquette Desfoux, aka ‘deffe. Originally a black wool or silk cap with a leather visor (casquette à pont), the style was allegedly borrowed from the Maquignons, livestock traders with a reputation for unscrupulous practices. During the 1880’s, bands of Apaches of the Ville des Lumières also seem to have adopted the Maquignons’ traditional pleated indigo blouse (the biaude or blaude, familiar today to the finest hunters of antique European textiles), along with the wide-wale corduroy trousers favored by wood-workers and farmers.

It may sound quite ironic that, considering how much these french OGs loathed physical work, rather favoring absinthe, pander and larceny, they opted for vestimentary styles so associated with the working class… Might-this have been an underworld well-thought strategy however, one that would facilitate blending in the crowd when chased by a squadron of grippe-coquin (literally “grab-rascal”), aka Gendarmes? Another case for Inspector Clouseau. On a side note for the traveller, don’t go around today addressing a Gendarme as “Monsieur grippe-coquin”, things might get out of hand, and holidays cut short.

All these fine threads could conveniently be stolen from boutiques on the crowded rue Mouffetard (5th arrondissement of Paris), retail destinations such as “Maison Panet”, workwear outfitters and novelty goods purveyors since 1829. On that same street, at number 65, stood another fine establishment belonging to a certain Auguste Bénard, local tailor and… ’inventor’ of the original fashion flares! The flared-bottom trousers that he designed in the 1870’s (“pantalon à pattes” or “pattes d’eph” -literally elephant leg- narrow at the knee with bell-shaped leg opening) were a big hit with the Apaches of the early days, as featured on Théophile Steinlen‘s amazing period illustrations. Speaking of inspiring graphics, check this vintage sheet music blog.

Today, for an older french generation who has no idea who Pikachu is, the street slang term “bénard” stills designates a pair of pants, and “deffe” a generic casquette.

Besides this colorful Parisian influence, our Roadsteader design obviously borrows from the traditional Greek fisherman’s cap, and recreational ‘captain’ hat styles, in-turn inspired by military naval covers. This external blog post is a fun illustrated read if you’re into nautical headgear history.

The design process to nail the pattern and construction of our Roadsteader Cap has been quite challenging for our in-house atelier, as attest the many prototypes made. Panels size, seams, stitching, dimensions, leather grade, trims, …, were endlessly tweaked during R&D. Our aim was not to rival with mil-specs hat makers Bancroft Cap Company, or traditional yachting cap specialist Lancaster Hat Co , but we still wanted a hat worthy of being featured in the ever-growing Mister Freedom® Sportsman catalog…
The MF® Roadsteader eventually passed the final exam and survived field-testing.
So there it is.


The MF® Roasteader Cap is designed and manufactured in California, USA, by Mister Freedom®.

SPECS:
An original MF® pattern, inspired by an assortment of vintage nautical covers and 1900’s french traditional working-class hats.
FABRIC:
Shell: NOS 2/1 indigo selvedge denim, about 8 Oz. (for reference, similar to the weight of a classic lightweight western denim snap shirt or vintage US Army barrack bag, as opposed to the 12~15 Oz. weight of traditional 3/1 denim 5-pocket jeans.)
Lining: Vintage NOS glazed 100% cotton fabric, silkscreen.
Leather trims: cowhide headband and visor, with genuine kangaroo hide headband lining.

DETAILS:
* Fancy old-school construction.
* Unstructured crown. (no plastic frame)
* Fully lined with NOS black glazed cotton, featuring original MF® silkscreened label.
* Cowhide leather headband.
* Unlined cowhide leather visor with indigo HBT tape piping.
* Genuine kangaroo hide headband facing, with red/white/blue bow.
* Traditional chinstrap was replaced by a riveted strap, featuring concealed denim selvedge ID.
* Made in USA.

SIZING:
The headband size in measured in centimeters. The headband will not stretch altogether, but the kangaroo lining will soften with wear and ‘loosen-up’ the fit a bit.
Size 58 (cm) roughly equates to a 7 ¼ hat size.
Size 60 (cm) roughly equates to a 7 ½ hat size.
Note that the crown of the Roadsteader is unstructured (no plastic frame) so that it will ‘slouch’ naturally with wear. We recommend cocking it to one side, and a bit to the back, for the old-salt vibe.

CARE:
Do not attempt to wash/dry the MF® Roadsteader Cap. Professional spot-cleaning only, if needed. With normal repeat wear, this cap will start to ‘slouch’ and the denim fabric begin to drape naturally. Both the indigo denim twill and leather will acquire a natural patina overtime.
We do not recommend trying to artificially hasten the normal aging process. Just wear and enjoy.

Available Raw/unwashed.
SIZES: 
Size 58 (cm) (approx. 7 ¼)
Size 60 (cm) (approx. 7 ½)

Retail $249.95

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® 2018

Mister Freedom® x Sugar Cane msfc SS2018 collection preview

“Sixties Ivy” mfsc SS2018

“Classic Workwear” mfsc SS2018

“Biribi Resort” mfsc SS2018

mfsc SS2018

 

 

Mister Freedom® x Sugar Cane mfsc SS2018 collection PREVIEW.

This SS2018 line-up consists of three main groupings with cross-over items, designed to blend together. They are regrouped above by concept rather than Country of Origin:
* “Sixties Ivy”.
* “Classic workwear”.
* “Biribi Resort”.
All garments manufactured either in USA (MF® “Sportsman” mfsc catalog) or Japan (MF® “Surplus” mfsc catalog).
The “Biribi” Rock’n’Roll Shirt is a collaboration with Toyo Enterprises “Sun Surf” label.

All items will be released as-completed during Spring 2018, published on this blog, and made available through the Mister Freedom® Los Angeles brick & mortar HQ, from www.misterfreedom.com, and fine retailers around the World.
Email sales@misterfreedom.com or call 323-653-2014 with questions.

Thank you for your support.

Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2017