utility jacket « CHRISTOPHELOIRON®

Mister Freedom® UTILITY Jacket, OG-107 cotton sateen, FW2023 msfc “Survival School”, made in Japan.

Mister Freedom® x Sugar Cane Co UTILITY Jacket OG-107 sateen.
FW2023 mfsc “Survival School”
Made in Japan.

Full credits to the folks at the “Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot” for coming up with this garment pattern circa 1941!
The design was adapted from civilian denim workwear styles popular at the time, and would briefly become the new US Army work/field jacket during the early years of WW2. The M-1941 jacket was issued in olive green HBT, under the moniker “Jacket, Herringbone Twill, Specification No. PQD 45.”
Incorporating commercial fashion designs in US military uniforms had become a thing in the late 1930s, as it was thought a “new look” would help boost morale for the troops, and instill “pride in uniform.”
The resulting modernized design of the M-1941 Utility Jacket proved fancier-than-needed in the field, not fully-practical in the front lines, and costly to manufacture. Additionally, intricate patterns and overly complicated tech-packs limited the amount of contractors able to deliver regulation uniforms on time, not an ideal situation during wartime production.
Read here for interesting specifics on WW2 military field uniforms.

: Well-worn vintage HBT M1941 MF® Archives ©2023

: Eclectic US Army field jacket line-up (1943) (M1941 on right)

: GI Mule Skinners (1944) Courtesy Sam Cox

For us, that pattern was a perfect candidate to play with for one of our “might have been” MF® garments.
After updating the fit and tweaking a few things, we released a 2×1 denim version in 2015 (blog post), followed by a Melton wool/indigo twill CDO model.
For our Survival School venture, we thought of a matching top to the Mechanic Trousers, and the UTILITY Jacket pattern was selected as the companion of choice for a smashing OG-107 tuxedo! Right on time for the Holidays.
The fabric is a 9 Oz. vintage Mil-Specs cotton-back sateen, in that classic military shade of Olive Green we all love. Milled in 2024 as close as it gets to its 1952 GI ancestor (and I don’t mean the contemporary overly-slubby commercial renditions), our OG-107 cotton sateen is bound to age as gracefully as that of vintage fatigues.

The MF® UTILITY Jacket, OG-107 cotton sateen 2023 edition, is designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and manufactured in Japan in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co. Fabric milled in Japan.

SPECS:
PATTERN:
Revisited pattern of the US Army Spec No. PQD 45 M-1941 UTILITY Jacket.

FABRIC:
100% cotton, vintage Mil-Specs cotton-back sateen, OG-107 color, 9 Oz., milled in Japan.

DETAILS:
* Revisited pattern of the classic US Army Spec No. PQD 45 M-1941 UTILITY jacket.
* Unlined, all clean seams.
* Elegant curved notch lapel.
* Waist length, complimenting one’s natural waist.
* Side cinch straps, mil-specs metal sliders.
* ‘Bat sleeve’ pattern with gusset for arm hole comfort.
* Double chest pockets, expanding box pleats.
* Back panel expansion pleats.
* Large inner chest pocket, locked in panel construction.
* ‘Burst of Glory’ type metal tack buttons, black. Color will chip with wear.
* Adjustable cuffs, fancy shirt-sleeve style.
* Chainstitch construction, 100% cotton thread, tonal.
* Woven rayon label “MFSC NAVAL CLOTHING TAILOR” on the inside waistband, stamped sizing on neck.
* Made in Japan.

SIZING/FIT:

The Mister Freedom® UTILITY Jacket OG-107 comes UN-WASHED, cut so that actual measurements match the labeling after the initial cold soak/line dry shrinking process. Recommended protocol:

Cold soak for about 30-40mn, with occasional hand agitation.

Machine spin dry cycle, and line dry.

This jacket is considered true-to-size.
At 5’7 ~145 lbs., I opted for a SMALL, my usual current size in mfsc jackets, with enough room for a Medalist sweatshirt.
The size that will work best for you depends on your body type and how you like your clothes to fit. Measure a jacket of a similar style you own and compare to our size chart, reflecting rinsed measurements.
This is how we measure.

CARE:
Launder when needed.
Turn garment inside out to avoid marbling during laundering. Machine wash, cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.
Excessive and irreversible shrinkage may result from using hot water and heat dryer.

Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World.
Email [email protected] or call 323-653-2014 with any questions unanswered above.

Thank you for your support, and Happy Holidays!

Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2023

Mess of Blues: Mister Freedom® mfsc Utility Jacket, Garrison Shirts, CPO Shirt 189AC (indigo evo)

Utility Jacket, 10 Oz selvedge denim (Saigon Cowboy SS2015)

Garrison Shirt, midnight twill (Saigon Cowboy FW2015)

Garrison Shirt, indigo Flannelette (mfsc 10th Anniversary FW2016)

CPO Shirt 189ac, indigo canvas (mfsc 10th Anniversary FW2016)

Mister Freedom® Mess of Blues.

Because we don’t offer factory-distressed garments, for environmental reasons, ethical concerns and plain common sense, we often get asked “How soon can I expect a worn-in patina?”…
There is no easy answer besides “Just wear and find out”. Frequency of wear, type of activities, fit, … all play a major role in how denim garments evolve and fade, a role often more decisive than the specific fabric itself. Our denim twills and indigo canvases will fade overtime. Just enjoy the journey and don’t watch the water boil.

We have never been about fast fashion, and the Mister Freedom® denim catalog is not about instant gratification. But we believe there is an instant reward in knowing you are investing in ethically-made garments.

Post-laundry photos above are featuring the following MF® garments:
* Utility Jacket, 10 Oz. selvedge denim (Saigon Cowboy mfsc collection SS2015)
* Garrison Shirt, indigo midnight twill (Saigon Cowboy mfsc collection FW2015)
* Garrison Shirt, indigo Flannelette (10th Anniversary mfsc collection FW2016)
* CPO Shirt 189ac, indigo canvas (10th Anniversary mfsc collection FW2016)

(All items worn intermittently since their release date, regular laundry. First wash for the Utility Jacket, following occasional wear.)

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

Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2017

Utility Jacket, Denim. “Saigon Cowboy” mfsc spring 2015

Utility Jacket, Denim.
“Saigon Cowboy” mfsc Spring 2015

I must fully credit the US Army for the design on this number. The overall pattern of the MF® ‘Utility Jacket, Denim‘ is lifted from a first issue HBT M1941 utility jacket. In 1941, this olive drab HBT short work jacket had replaced the blue denim work uniform. It appears the R&D labs had picked up a bit of influence from civvy work clothes with this specific GI garment, very much resembling a pair of mechanic coveralls chopped in half.
We pretty much stuck to the original pattern, but what we didn’t lift is the awkward oversized original army fit. Some of you who have tried on vintage ones will relate. The HBT M1941 jacket was to be worn as an outer protective layer while on chore duty, rendering it about as flattering as a pair of coveralls. Unless you’re Veronica Lake.
Speaking of curves, some of my favorite features on this jacket are the attractive lapel line curve, and the armpit gusset construction. I don’t often take photo of my armpits, but next time I do, I’m wearing this jacket.

Veronica Lake in M1938 coveralls (1943)

There is a well-documented mention in the “United States Marine Corps. Uniforms, Insignia and Personal Items of World War II” book (ISBN:0-7643-2264-8) of a custom theater-made USMC jacket based on that M1941 pattern, cut from a recycled frogskin shelter half:

” …some enterprising Seabee might have set up shop and sold/traded such camo sets to anyone who so wanted one, that is, as long as materials lasted!”

Such historical anecdotes (or plausible story in this case) tend to spark all kinds of ideas when designing clothes, which beats staring at what the other guys are doing for “inspiration“.
Now the fabric… If the Army went from blue denim to OD HBT as the cloth of choice for their utilities sometime in the late 1930’s, we figured we’d go back to denim for our jacket. I always had a thing for the lightweight 2×1 denim of the 40’s-50’s US Army barrack bags. Who doesn’t like those old stenciled WW2 beat up ones. Some 10 years ago, I was lucky to come across a stack of about 80, gathering dust in an old military surplus storage, outside Paris, France. Talk about custom markings inspiration.
Through our Sugar Cane Co friends, we managed to have some selvedge denim woven to the specs of an original un-issued bag part of that loot that we had kept in the archives. The Japanese mills did a great job. Spot on NOS military denim color face and reverse, slight nep (woven ‘imperfections’ in the form of tiny whitish cotton balls), stiff, dry and crispy. Perfect for our lightweight jacket.

: GI Mule Skinners (1944) Courtesy Sam Cox

: Eclectic US Army field jacket line-up (1943) (M1941 on right)

For the geographic requirement of our “Saigon Cowboy” collection, we took Mr. Glenn‘s Seabee bit from the Canal to the ‘Nam.
We had mentioned CISO declassified true story in a previous post, its logistics role in the Vietnam war and how custom gear was manufactured on Okinawa in the 1960’s to outfit US personnel en route to Vietnamese jungles or other across the fence places…

Our experimental camouflage Utility Trousers, the Evac Jak, and now the ‘Utility Jacket, Denim‘ are extrapolations of these pages of History, stretched out at will à la MF®. Nothing literal, just plausible fiction.

As a ‘work’ garment, our jacket looks quite subtle from the outside. We opted for black-painted ‘burst of Glory’ type metal buttons, black color cotton thread tonal stitching, and a skillfully orchestrated selvedge galore on the inside… That’s if you can take your eyes off the attractive armpits.

The “Utility Jacket, Denim” is (re)designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.

SPECS

FABRIC:
10 Oz. indigo-dyed 2×1 denim, solid white ID selvedge. Milled in Japan.

DETAILS:
* Revisited pattern of the US Army M1941 Utility jacket.
* Waist length.
* Side cinch straps, mil-specs metal sliders.
* Selvedge waistband, chest pocket fold and inner pocket.
* ‘Bat sleeve’ pattern with gusset for arm hole comfort.
* Expanding box pleat chest pockets.
* Inner chest pocket.
* ‘Burst of Glory’ type metal buttons, painted black.
* Adjustable cuffs.
* Chainstitch construction, black 100% cotton thread.
* mfsc ‘tailleur‘ woven label on the inside waistband.
* Made in Japan.

SIZING/FIT:
Our “Utility Jacket, Denim” comes raw/un-rinsed and will shrink to tagged size after a rinse/dry process.
We recommend an initial cold soak, spin dry and line dry.
I had to SIZE DOWN on this one, and opted for a SMALL, preferring the fit on me over a MEDIUM that looked too big.

Please refer to sizing chart for measurements reflecting a 30mn cold soak, no agitation, light machine dry.

CARE:
Launder when hygiene dictates and common sense prevails.
Machine wash. Cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry. We recommend turning indigo blue/denim garments inside out to avoid marbling when washing.
Patina will develop according to activities and frequency of wear.

Available RAW/unwashed
SIZES:
Small
Medium
Large
X-Large
XX-Large

RETAIL $369.95

Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World.
Email [email protected] or call 323-653-2014 with any questions unanswered above, such as where does Sam Cox find all this stuff?
Thank you for your support 🙂