Mister Freedom® Skivvy Tee, Brown 436. Sportsman catalog. Made in USA.
We are introducing a new color in our SKIVVY T-shirt selection this season, the classic “Brown 436” familiar to many as the specific shade of brown of 1980s US Army undershirts, the government-issued “Undershirt, man’s, quarter sleeve, type I, class 3, brown 436”. This color addition completes the vintage military-inspired palette of our SKIVVIES: white, sage green, navy blue and brown.
The STANLEYS and their looser jersey knit are still available in white, black, jungle green, royal blue, red and gold, with a full recent restock on all colors.
Please refer to the original MF® blog posts for specificities of both Skivvy and Stanley T-shirts, specs/sizing/fit/care instructions.
Our SKIVVY and STANLEY tubular T-Shirts are also available as a Two-Pack option. Individually priced at $69.95 per shirt, a two-pack can be purchased at a substantial saving for $124.95. The packaging consists of a simple lightweight cardboard box, reminiscent of old military stenciled ammo metal boxes. Each two-pack box contains two identical solid T-shirts (sorry, no style/color/size combination or substitution.)
Mister Freedom® Original ‘Stanley’ Shop Tees Made & Silkscreened in USA
This is an updated version of the initial MF® Shop Tees blogpost, originally published May 21st, 2017).
From stitching appliqués or spray-painting hand-cut stenciled motifs on an assortment of vintage bodies in a small garage in the late 1990’s, to silkscreening our own T-shirts (the USA-made Mister Freedom® Stanley) in the heat of our 7161 Beverly sweatshop, playing with original graphics has always been a fun creative hobby for us.
The journey from hand-doodled graphic to final printed garment is not a dull one. We like having things done in a specific way, so we keep the process in-house, running small batches, scheduling frantic printing sessions in between water-sports activities. Save from having the screens burnt in a small Downtown LA specialized workshop, the whole silkscreening operation is handled at the MF® HQ.
Please note that we are definitely not a professional silkscreening service, and we are not claiming any expertise on the subject. Having said that, here are a few random behind-the-scene bits of intel on the Mister Freedom® way to do it:
* We are using a four-screen rotary printing press, custom jerry-rigged to our needs and available work space. No fancy automatic machinery, this single-operator device pumps them out one shirt at a time.
* Mixing our own colors without formulas results in color variations within each batch. We even mix our own color black, to get a ‘vintage’ black when the shirt starts fading.
* The old-school bleed-through effect (the faint negative of the print on the reverse side of the knit) depends on the squeegee pressure, number of passes, fluidity of the ink, weather, and will therefore fluctuates.
* For multi-colored prints, gaps between colors will vary from one batch to another, as we always eyeball screen registration during set-up (quite a lengthy process with four colors). This random off-set registration is also a cool trait of vintage 50’s-60’s logo T-shirts.
* Four color printing requires unleashing the four-headed dragon, our favorite. Everyone runs for cover, and a full workday will produce endless cursing and about a dozen and a half finished shirts, minus the ink spills and mistakes. A four color graphic takes about four times longer to silkscreen than a single color one, a reason why our finer-than-frog-hair “MF Ranch” Tees are like hen’s teeth.
* Just like the rest of our garments, our T-shirts are not distressed with chemical washes. The prints are not artificially aged either. We chose to not digitally alter the original artwork by adding random scratches or rubbed-off areas to stimulate the ‘vintage look’, a mall favorite.
* Our graphics are not generated on Adobe Illustrator, but actually sketched old-school with a pencil and paper, and it is at that initial drawing stage that we try to capture the ‘vintage vibe’. On that note, out of respect for graphic artists, we tend to not cut & paste their artwork on our T-Shirts.
* For a soft-hand print that will gradually chip and fade overtime with repeat washing/drying, we exclusively use water-based ink.
The base colors of our shirts (see currently-stocked colors here) are also quite light-sensitive and will fade naturally with repeat sun exposure.
Due to both technical challenges (with water-based ink, silkscreening dark on light is much easier than light on dark), and aesthetic considerations, specific graphics are only available in the color combination released.
The MF® Shop Tees share their specs with the Stanley T-Shirts. Initially released in the summer of 2015, our Stanleys (still available without prints) are made in USA and feature a vintage-style tubular 100% cotton slubby jersey with the MF® original signature flatlock & coverstitch combo construction. Our Skivvy T-Shirt (our heavier gage knit with a Mil-Specs vibe, available in White, Navy Blue, and Sage Green) will remain a solid-only undershirt option.
For current availability, check out the Mister Freedom® Stanley Shop Tees section of our webstore, periodically updated with latest graphics, colors, and stock of freshly-printed batches.
Painstakingly hand-printing each shirt one at-a-time guarantees the uniqueness of every MF® Stanley Shop Tee. No two printed shirts are 100% identical. Imperfections, inconsistencies and subtle ink smudges are part of our commitment to vintage silkscreening techniques and overall appreciation of wabi-sabi aesthetics.
The Stanley Shop Tees are designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in the USA. All shirts are silkscreened in-house in Los Angeles, CA., USA, featuring all original MF® artwork.
FABRIC: 100% cotton light-weight slubby tubular jersey knit, milled in the USA. This fabric twists and torques. This natural yarn distortion is expected and not a default. COLORS (2018): * White * Black * Jungle Green (Olive)
TEES SPECS: * Original Mister Freedom® “Stanley” pattern, inspired by vintage 1940′s-50′s cotton T-shaped undershirts. * Vintage style ¼ sleeve length (= approx. 6 ½ inches) * Tubular knit (no side seams) * Cover stitch self-fabric neckband. * Normal mechanical stretch and fabric memory. * Combination of flatlock and cover stitch construction, inspired by 1940′s USMC Government issued undershirts. * 100% cotton thread, for natural roping on seams. * Original MF® “The Sportsman” black woven rayon label on neck band.
* Made in USA. PRINT SPECS:
* All original MF® artwork. * Hand silkscreened with water-based ink, for a soft hand and vintage look.
* Silkscreened in small limited batches, each with unique characteristics. * Will fade like a vintage T-shirt. * Printed in USA.
SIZING/FIT: The MF® Stanley Shop Tees come pre-washed (pre-shrunk). The MF® Stanley fits like the MF® Skivvy does, but due to the nature of its stretchy jersey, the Stanley will feel looser. I wear Medium (38) on most MFSC garments, but sized down to a Small for both MF® Stanley and Skivvy, just personal taste. According to your built and silhouette preference, get your normal size or size down for a slimmer/shorter old school fit. This is how we size our garments. Tip: The best way to figure out which Mister Freedom® T-shirt size will work for you is to take your favorite T-shirt (your idea of a perfect fit), lay it flat without wrinkles, measure Chest (from arm pit to arm pit), Shoulder (from top shoulder seam to top shoulder seam), Sleeves (from top shoulder seam to end) and Length (from top of back collar band to bottom hem), and then find a close match in the Stanley size chart. Again, keep in mind that the Stanley’s knit jersey has mechanical stretch. Refer to sizing chart below for Washed/Dried (we use a heat dryer) approximate measurements (measured flat, without pulling/stretching):
CARE: Low-maintenance as a T-Shirt should be, just throw your Stanley Shop Tee in the washer/dryer when needed. Cold water, delicate cycle, minimal eco-friendly detergent. No bleach. Keep colors separate to avoid potential color transfer when doing laundry. Gradual chipping of the ink and natural fading of the printed graphic is expected and considered a normal evolution.
Available rinsed (pre-shrunk) Sizes (Limited sizing available per graphic) Small Medium Large X-Large
Retail: Solid Stanley (no print, all colors, White/Black/Navy/Gold…): $69.95 Shop Tee Stanley (with single or double-screen print, Gypsy/Sig/Rocket/Knuckles/Skipper/Surplus/Treedom/Sailor MrFrdm/The Champ…): $89.95
Shop Tee Stanley (with three or four-screen print, MF Ranch): $149.95
Mister Freedom® Skivvy T-shirts / Stanley T-shirts, Two-Pack Edition. SS2018 Sportsman catalog. Made in USA.
Popular staples of the MF® Sportsman catalog (our on-going production of all made-in-USA originals), are the classic SKIVVY and STANLEY tubular T-Shirts. Their simplicity, old school fit, vintage demeanor, CoO, …, have appealed to many of our patrons, from bonafide USMC Devil Dogs to Hollywood celebrities.
Skivvies and Stanleys have become second skins for some, worn as undershirts or summer classics, so we are now releasing a Two-Pack option. Our friend Paul Rizzo, who could sell a tank out of an Upstate NY car lot, would call that a “package deal.” Individually priced at $69.95 per shirt, a two-pack is now available for $124.95, a substantial saving indeed. And no, Frank, we’re not throwing in the boonie hat.
For the packaging, we wanted to stay away from plastic/PVC, as there’s already enough of it in our oceans. We went instead for lightweight cardboard boxes, each hand-customized and reminiscent of old military stenciled ammo metal boxes. Please re-use or recycle.
Refer to the original MF® blog posts for specificities of both Skivvy and Stanley T-shirts, specs/sizing/fit/care instructions.
Each box will contain two identical solid T-shirts (no style/color/size mix).
Available options of the Tw0-Pack release are as follows:
* Two-Pack SKIVVY T-shirts (XS, S, M, L, or XL):
White.
Navy Blue.
Sage Green.
* Two-Pack STANLEY T-shirts (XS, S, M, L, or XL):
White.
Heather Grey.
Jungle Green (olive)
Retail: $124.95 (two identical T-shirts only, no substitution. Does not include a boonie hat.)
Mister Freedom® Original ‘Stanley’ Shop Tees Made & Silkscreened in USA
From stitching appliqués or spray-painting hand-cut stenciled motifs on an assortment of vintage bodies in a small garage in the late 1990’s, to silkscreening our own T-shirts (the USA-made Mister Freedom® Stanley) in the heat of our 7161 Beverly sweatshop, playing with original graphics has always been a fun creative hobby for us.
The journey from hand-doodled graphic to final printed garment is not a dull one. We like having things done in a specific way, so we keep the process in-house, running small batches, scheduling frantic printing sessions in between water-sports activities. Save from having the screens burnt in a small Downtown LA specialized workshop, the whole silkscreening operation is handled at the MF® HQ.
Please note that we are definitely not a professional silkscreening service, and we are not claiming any expertise on the subject. Having said that, here are a few random behind-the-scene bits of intel on the Mister Freedom® way to do it:
* We are using a four-screen rotary printing press, custom jerry-rigged to our needs and available work space. No fancy automatic machinery, this single-operator device pumps them out one shirt at a time.
* Mixing our own colors without formulas results in color variations within each batch. We even mix our own color black, to get a ‘vintage’ black when the shirt starts fading.
* The old-school bleed-through effect (the faint negative of the print on the reverse side of the knit) depends on the squeegee pressure, number of passes, fluidity of the ink, weather, and will therefore fluctuates.
* For multi-colored prints, gaps between colors will vary from one batch to another, as we always eyeball screen registration during set-up (quite a lengthy process with four colors). This random off-set registration is also a cool trait of vintage 50’s-60’s logo T-shirts.
* Four color printing requires unleashing the four-headed dragon, our favorite. Everyone runs for cover, and a full workday will produce endless cursing and about a dozen and a half finished shirts, minus the ink spills and mistakes. A four color graphic takes about four times longer to silkscreen than a single color one, a reason why our finer-than-frog-hair “MF Ranch” Tees are like hen’s teeth.
* Just like the rest of our garments, our T-shirts are not distressed with chemical washes. The prints are not artificially aged either. We chose to not digitally alter the original artwork by adding random scratches or rubbed-off areas to stimulate the ‘vintage look’, a mall favorite.
* Our graphics are not generated on Adobe Illustrator, but actually sketched old-school with a pencil and paper, and it is at that initial drawing stage that we try to capture the ‘vintage vibe’. On that note, out of respect for graphic artists, we tend to not cut & paste their artwork on our T-Shirts.
* For a soft-hand print that will gradually chip and fade overtime with repeat washing/drying, we exclusively use water-based ink.
All this makes for the uniqueness of each MF® Stanley Shop Tee. No two shirts are 100% identical.
The base colors of our shirts (Black, Gold, Jungle Green, Deep Sea Blue) are also quite light-sensitive and will fade naturally with repeat sun exposure.
Due to both technical challenges (with water-based ink, silkscreening dark on light is much easier than light on dark), and aesthetic considerations, specific graphics are only available in the color combination released.
The MF® Shop Tees share their specs with the Stanley T-Shirts. Initially released in the summer of 2015, our Stanleys (still available without prints) are made in USA and feature a vintage-style tubular 100% cotton slubby jersey with the MF® original signature flatlock & coverstitch combo construction. Our Skivvy T-Shirt (our heavier gage knit with a Mil-Specs vibe, available in White, Navy Blue, and Sage Green) will remain a solid-only undershirt option.
We are launching a Mister Freedom® Stanley Shop Tees section on the webstore, periodically updated with latest graphics, colors, and stock of freshly-printed batches.
The Stanley Shop Tees are designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in the USA. All shirts are silkscreened in-house in Los Angeles, CA., USA, featuring all original MF® artwork.
FABRIC: 100% cotton light-weight slubby tubular jersey knit, milled in the USA. This fabric twists and torques. This natural yarn distortion is expected and not a default. COLORS: * Fabulous new colors for 2017 to be announced… * White * Black * Gold (Yellow) * Jungle Green (Olive) * Deep-sea (Blue) * Heather Grey
TEES SPECS: * Original Mister Freedom® “Stanley” pattern, inspired by vintage 1940′s-50′s cotton T-shaped undershirts. * Vintage style ¼ sleeve length (= approx. 6 ½ inches) * Tubular knit (no side seams) * Cover stitch self-fabric neckband. * Normal mechanical stretch and fabric memory. * Combination of flatlock and cover stitch construction, inspired by 1940′s USMC Government issued undershirts. * 100% cotton thread, for natural roping on seams. * Original MF® “The Sportsman” black woven rayon label on neck band.
* Made in USA. PRINT SPECS:
* All original MF® artwork. * Hand silkscreened with water-based ink, for a soft hand and vintage look.
* Silkscreened in small limited batches, each with unique characteristics. * Will fade like a vintage T-shirt. * Printed in USA.
SIZING/FIT: The MF® Stanley Shop Tees come pre-washed (pre-shrunk). The MF® Stanley fits like the MF® Skivvy does, but due to the nature of its stretchy jersey, the Stanley will feel looser. I wear Medium (38) on most MFSC garments, but sized down to a Small for both MF® Stanley and Skivvy, just personal taste. According to your built and silhouette preference, get your normal size or size down for a slimmer/shorter old school fit. This is how we size our garments. Tip: The best way to figure out which Mister Freedom® T-shirt size will work for you is to take your favorite T-shirt (your idea of a perfect fit), lay it flat without wrinkles, measure Chest (from arm pit to arm pit), Shoulder (from top shoulder seam to top shoulder seam), Sleeves (from top shoulder seam to end) and Length (from top of back collar band to bottom hem), and then find a close match in the Stanley size chart. Again, keep in mind that the Stanley’s knit jersey has mechanical stretch. Refer to sizing chart below for Washed/Dried (we use a heat dryer) approximate measurements (measured flat, without pulling/stretching):
CARE: Low-maintenance as a T-Shirt should be, just throw your Stanley Shop Tee in the washer/dryer when needed. Cold water, delicate cycle, minimal eco-friendly detergent. No bleach. Keep colors separate to avoid potential color transfer when doing laundry. Gradual chipping of the ink and natural fading of the printed graphic is expected and considered a normal evolution.
Available rinsed (pre-shrunk) Sizes (Limited sizing available per graphic) Small Medium Large X-Large
Retail: Solid Stanley (no print, all colors, White/Black/Navy/Gold…): $69.95 Shop Tee Stanley (with single or double-screen print, Gypsy/Sig/Rocket/Knuckles/Skipper/Surplus/Treedom…): $89.95
Shop Tee Stanley (with three or four-screen print, MF Ranch): $149.95
MF® Cowboy Jacket (2015 edition) and Lot.74 (SS2015 model)
The “Fletcher” T-Shirt, made in USA Sportsman catalog Spring 2016
We will keep this one brief, so that we can all go back to waterskiing.
The “Fletcher” is a new addition to The Sportsman catalog and is simply a long sleeve version of our popular MF® Stanley T-Shirt. Here is how we originally introduced Stanley, in June 2015:
“… Meet Stanley, Skivvy‘s little brother. Both Skivvy and Stanley bodies share the same T-shape design, construction and pattern specs, originally inspired by a vintage 1940’s USMC sage green undershirt, as outline when we originally released the Skivvy T-Shirt in 2013. We are still using tubular knit, flatlock seams, roping collar and fitfies-style 1/4 sleeves. And still making it in the USA. For the Stanley T-Shirt however, I wanted a lighter gauge fabric. Our inspiration this time was more ‘old souvenir shop’ or vintage ‘PX merchandise’ than Mil-Specs. We were lucky to score a very special slubby and light-weight 100% cotton jersey, milled in the USA. Those partial to modern, oversized, heavy-weight T-Shirts might consider our Stanley fabric a bit ‘cheap’ and thin… But that’s exactly what we wanted, there’s plenty of the Beefy-T kind around.
Those familiar with vintage clothing, will notice that this specific fabric is quite reminiscent of 1960’s-70’s tourist T’s and rock T’s (often imports from Pakistan at that time). For the collector, that family of vintage T’s stands out for its loosely knitted stretchy jersey, heavy twist and distortion of the fabric, and dreadful shrinkage that often turned tourists shirts into unwearable cropped tops after the first hot wash. We decided to get smart and conducted extensive shrink tests to make our Stanley T-Shirt actually fit after laundry. The Stanley fits pretty much like our Skivvy, although featuring much more mechanical stretch due to the looser weave. The Stanley all-cotton jersey has a ‘memory’ and reverts to its intended fit after stretch. As was the case with the Skivvy however, it is normal for a T-Shirt to feel snugger when first slipped on in the morning than at the end of the day…“
Now, our Fletcher fella. If the name reference can be found on the HMS Bounty’s roster, the style doesn’t need much pitching. We just… extended the sleeve length. The sleeves fall just on or above the wrist. This relatively shorter length detail is lifted from military and workwear-type undershirts. It prevents the undershirt from sticking out of the top garment, and guarantees that no extra fabric gets snagged in machinery/gear. Specs and fit are otherwise the same as the Stanley‘s.
The “Fletcher” does not really have a utilitarian/military vibe however, and is intended as a practical and comfortable piece for layering. It can be worn oyaji-style (ie tucked-in), or untucked. We also opted for simple folded cuffs for the sleeves, as opposed to the traditional tighter ribbed knit type cuffs. This gives the Fletcher T-Shirt its casual vibe.
Due to the specific lightweight slubby cotton knit jersey, the garment stretches with wear, as much as the Stanley does.
About the color options…
In between waterski runs on the LA river, we figured we’d indigo dye a few Fletcher T-Shirts. The availability of the indigo version will be very limited, but we will try to do a batch once in a while. Our expertise in indigo dyeing is in par with our competence in brain surgery and quantum mechanics, so results will vary, both in color intensity and uniformity (without of course falling into the dreaded tie-dye family).
At MF®, we tend to take wabi-sabi to the next level ?, so in general, for professionally and evenly-dyed indigo fashion garments, Japan is the ticket.
Having said that, I’m happily endorsing our in-house Mickey Mouse indigo operation. I’ve been fully comfortable wearing the indigo dyed garments coming out of our back lot for years, from one-of-a-kind vintage pieces to the Campus Cardigan… We have now been experimenting with our vats for a some time, and the results are quite satisfying. Just don’t ask our team of rocket surgeons how they pull it off!
Also, one of the target colors, the lighter “pastel” indigo blue featured on one of the photos, has proved very challenging to duplicate in significant quantities past the sample-making stage, so we’ll put that one on the back burner for now. Email [email protected] for status on the pastel indigo. At this time, we are only offering the medium dark indigo shade range featured on the photos. Please note that our purdy MF® “The Sportsman” woven labels are painstakingly sewn in after the dyeing process, to avoid the quite unappealing and ‘cheap’ over-dyed-garment look, a personal preference.
The MF® team of rocket surgeons, Indigo-Dyeing Department.
Color inconsistency is purdy purdy
It’s wabi-sabi…
And he waki-waki…
The Stanley T-Shirt is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in the USA.
SPECS: FABRIC:
100% cotton light-weight slubby tubular jersey knit, milled in the USA. This fabric twists and torques. This natural yarn distortion is expected and is not a default.
COLORS: * White
* Indigo blue, medium dark.
DETAILS:
* Original Mister Freedom® T-Shirt pattern, inspired by vintage 1940′s-50′s cotton T-shaped undershirts.
* Long sleeve, wrist or just above wrist length.
* Folded wrist cuff, no rib knit cuffs.
* Tubular knit (no side seams)
* Cover stitch self-fabric neckband.
* Normal mechanical stretch and fabric memory.
* Combination of flatlock and cover stitch construction, inspired by 1940′s USMC Government issued undershirts.
* 100% cotton thread, for natural roping on seams.
* Original MF® “The Sportsman” black woven rayon label on neck band.
* Made in USA.
SIZING/FIT:
The white Fletcher T-Shirt comes unwashed and will shrink to the desired tagged size after an initial wash/dry cycle. The indigo version has already shrunk to the desired size.
The Fletcher fits like the Stanley does. Remember that, due to the nature of the stretchy jersey, the Fletcher/Stanley might feel looser at first than its Skivvy predecessor.
I wear Medium (38) on most MFSC garments, but sized down to a Small for all of our MF® T-Shirt styles (Fletcher, Stanley and Skivvy), just personal taste. According to your built and silhouette preference, get your normal size or size down for a slimmer/shorter old school fit.
Refer to sizing chart below for washed/machine dried approximate measurements (measured flat, without pulling/stretching). Please note that my shirts on the fit picture were just freshly laundered and machine dried, ie. at their tightest/shortest, which accounts for the Nureyev vibe ?.
CARE:
Low-maintenance as a T-Shirt should be, just throw your Stanley in the washer/dryer, cold or hot water, delicate cycle. No bleach. Keep colors separate to avoid potential color transfer when doing laundry.
SIZES: Small Medium Large XLarge
RETAIL:
White Fletcher: $69.95
Indigo Fletcher: $129.95
