 “See, I believe that large piece of metal right there is called the motor”.  “See, there must be more to life than wearing ridiculously good-looking jackets. I just don’t know what that is.” 
 “The Lords of Flatbush” meets “The Office”.
Mister Freedom® “Black BALOO” Jacket, black veg-tan ’Tea-Core” cowhide leather & sheepskin.
Fall 2019 mfsc Sportsman catalog.
Made in USA.
The MF® BALOO Jacket pattern is our take of the famous vintage “Grizzly” style, a popular garment of 1930’s working America, combining mouton fur and leather in one handsome waist-length fashionable coat. Originally designed with ease of movement in mind for outdoor activities in cold temperatures, the Grizzly style soon replaced the more cumbersome full-fur coats of the late 1800’s – early 1900’s.
Surviving vintage specimen are today highly-collectible, but often too dried-out for wear, most original 1930’s Grizzly jackets ending-up as wall display.
Our BALOO is not a straight-up replica of these early outdoor jackets, rather the morphing of a MF® Campus into a “Bear Jacket”, as Grizzlys are sometimes referred to. The resulting garment is a contemporary piece, easier to pull-off these days than a buffalo coat, yet retaining its vintage appeal.
We spent some time last year developing a black “tea-core” leather, and unveiled the “STALLION” last week, a Fall 2019 black version of our staple Campus Jacket. We are also adding a “Black BALOO” to the Mister Freedom® mfsc Sportsman catalog this season. A small batch of jackets using the same black tea-core leather with matching sheepskin panels was produced.
As previously mentioned, “tea-core” leather refers to an old-school tannery dyeing method, distinct from the more commun dip-dyed method. “Tea-core” dyeing results in the skin side color being different from the flesh side color. Traditionally, to achieve this, hides are first dip-dyed in a light brown color. This is followed by spraying the skin side with a darker color top-coating. Japanese industry experts refer to this type of leather as Cha-Shin (茶芯), Cha meaning brown, and Shin meaning core. It is a sought-after characteristic of vintage engineer boots and older leather jackets.
Starting with our MF® signature natural ‘pink’ veg-tan cowhide introduced in 2013 with the 1930’s style “Campus Jacket”, we worked with a tannery willing and patient enough to comply with our demands and high expectations, and added our twist on black tea-core leather. The idea was simply to combine the patina potential of veg-tan natural leather (a sun-tanning/wearing/conditioning journey mastered and well-documented by our friend USMC MGySgt John “VEB”) with a solid black appearance.
The BALOO being fully lined, the “tea-core” is initially only noticeable to the keen eye, on the edges of the side cinch straps, key-hole button holes, and arrow-head pocket stops. As the Black BALOO gets some mileage and naturally ages, normal abrasion of the thin black topcoat from wear will reveal the natural ‘pink’ underside, in turn evolving into a rich golden tone. With patience, regular wear, with the expected nicks, scratches, water spills, natural sun-exposure and occasional conditioning with products such as Pecard Leather Dressing, an attractive patina is likely to develop.
Anyone is free to experiment with his/her own method for a natural patina, understanding that actual wear and patience will always beat dragging the jacket behind a truck. I am not making this up.
The MF® “Black BALOO” Jacket in black veg-tan ’Tea-core” cowhide leather and matching sheepskin panels is designed and made in California by Mister Freedom®.
SPECS:
PATTERN: An original pattern inspired by 1930’s sportswear ‘Cossack’ type unlined leather jackets, 1930’s “Grizzly” type leather jackets, and other vintage sportswear and outdoor garments.
LEATHER:
* Black vegetable-tanned “Tea-Core” full grain cow hide leather, black topcoat with natural-color flesh side, milled and supple, about 2-3 Oz weight. Exclusively developed for MF®.
* Soft-hand genuine sheepskin panels.
Lining: 100% cotton brushed flannel with a 1940’s-50’s-inspired vibrant plaid pattern, discharge-printed. Fabric milled in Japan.
NOTE: The Mister Freedom® Black BALOO Jacket is made of genuine leather. We use full-grain, and not top-grain leather (aka corrected or buffed leather, sanded to level surface inconsistencies). No two hides are alike and each panel may feature variations in texture along with natural imperfections.
DETAILS:
* Vintage 1930’s style, inspired by our Cossack-style MF® Campus Jacket and Grizzly-style American sportswear jackets.
* Fully lined with a soft cotton brushed flannel featuring a vintage style discharge-printed plaid pattern.
* Single panel sheepskin back.
* Slash pockets with arrow-head pocket stops.
* Side gussets with adjustable side straps (NOS metal slide buckles)
* Keyhole button holes.
* Corozo ‘Cat Eyes’ wood buttons, backed by genuine bone buttons.
* Mister Freedom® woven “Sportsman” label.
* Made in USA.
SIZING:
The MF® BALOO Jacket is ready-to-wear and true to size.
The fit could be quite snug, depending on one’s body type. If planning on layering, with a heavy cable knit wool sweater and a denim jacket for instance, considered sizing up for a comfortable fit.
I am usually a 38 in mfsc jackets and opted for a 38 in the Black BALOO, with enough room for a lightweight layer underneath.
Refer to sizing chart below for approximate measurements. Please consider the thickness of the sheepskin when trying to match your chest measurements and the jacket’s measurements. Please contact sales@misterfreedom.com if in doubt about sizing.
CHART
CARE:
No specific initial conditioning or pre-treatment is required. Just wear and enjoy the slow patina evolution.
According to frequency of wear and exposure to the elements, some conditioning might be applied to the sleeves if the leather feels dry, using products similar to Pecard Antique Leather Care. Be aware that conditioning should be applied with care and expertise.
* Do not use heavily-oily products designed for footwear, such as neatsfoot oil.
* Do not attempt to condition the sheepskin panels…
* Do not dry clean. Even professional leather cleaning facilities might not be competent on how to treat the specific BALOO jacket veg-tan leather/sheepskin/cotton lining combo.
* Should parts of your jacket get accidentally stained from normal wear, consider this a normal stage of the evolution of a garment made for the outdoors.
Embrace the fact that the black “Tea-Core” leather is prone to get nicked and scratched, revealing the natural color under-layer, unavoidably showing signs of wear. Occasional conditioning when needed (according to actual frequency of wear) will contribute to an attractive warm tone natural patina, and a healthy-looking leather.
Available Sizes:
34 (X-Small)
36 (Small)
38 (Medium)
40 (Large)
42 (XLarge)
44 (XXLarge)
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®
©2019
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2010 LOT.54 (W32), 2013 LOT.64 (W30), 2019 LOT.54BB (W32)
Mister Freedom® Californian LOT.54BB
NOS Cone Mills 13 Oz. Selvedge Denim.
mfsc Sportman catalog FW2019.
Made in USA.
Sometime in 2010, we released our first-born “Californian” into the wild. This was the MF® Californian LOT.54 blue jeans, all made in USA, cut from a New Old Stock Cone Mills 12 Oz. selvedge denim. If our initial contribution to the crowded world of the classic five-pocket jeans had absolutely zero impact on the Xintang denim industry, it is always a treat for us to spot one of our “M” and pocket patch in a crowd. Many thanks to everyone who adopted the “Californian” over the years, we know there are many options out there.
After the LOT.54’s success, followed a “spectacular plethora” (dixit our friend Daniel) of releases and fits, in a timeline outlined here.
For Fall 2019, we dusted-off that old LOT.54 pattern and paired it with another NOS Cone Mills goodie, a handsome 13Oz. denim twill with an old-school indigo blue hue warp, and a white/red line selvedge ID.
We borrowed the buckle-back cinch of the LOT.44, slapped it on there, and are calling this release the LOT.54BB. We tricked-out the rear by incorporating our classic Buckaroos printed cloth patch under the back cinch strap, traditionally stitching the label on top of the waistband/back-yoke but under the center belt loop.
Another cosmetic detail is the addition of an inside blank “name tag” attached to the pocket bag, opposite of the traditional coin pocket, for no other reason than finding the outside display of yellow/orange/white contrast stitching quite attractive. We’re vain like that.
The pocket bags of this 2019 edition are cut from a sturdy NOS cotton canvas, in a complementing warm rusty red color.
The fit of the Californian LOT.54BB is similar to the original LOT.54, with a roomy leg, generous waist and high rise, for those into a fuller 40’s-50’s period silhouette. If after a slimmer leg, but still with a vintage vibe, please see our more tapered Californians LOT.64, LOT.74 and LOT.674.
The Mister Freedom® Californian LOT.54BB are designed and manufactured in California by Mister Freedom®, in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS:
FABRIC:
New Old Stock Cone Mills (Greensboro, N.C., USA) 13 Oz. indigo twill denim, white/red line selvedge ID, with a traditional indigo blue hue warp.
Pocket Bags: NOS 100% cotton canvas, rusty red color.
DETAILS:
* Classic vintage five-pocket pattern.
* Button fly.
* Traditional selvedge leg outseam.
* Buckle-back cinch strap, with concealed denim selvedge.
* New Old Stock cotton canvas pocket bags, rusty red color.
* MF® original white “M” stitch design on rear pockets.
* Hand-debossed natural veg-tan cowhide leather MF® patch on rear pocket.
* “Buckaroos” printed cloth label stitched under cinch and rear belt loop.
* Inside “name tag” cloth label.
* Twelve types of 100% cotton threads (gauge and color combination) used for construction. Main colors are yellow and orange, with white accents.
* Selvedge button hole fly placket.
* Hidden back pocket reinforcement rivets, with top pocket reinforcement zig-zag stitching.
* Unlined rear pockets.
* Original silver-color ‘oxidized’ MF® metal cast waist/fly shank buttons.
* Unmarked copper riveting for pocket opening reinforcement.
* Original MF® yellow paper pocket flasher.
* Made in USA
SIZING/FIT:
The Californian LOT.54BB comes UN-WASHED and is cut so that the measurements match the labeling AFTER an initial cold soak/line dry. For instance, a tagged W32 x L34 will shrink to approximately 32 inches x 34 inches after a soak/dry process.
We recommend the usual protocol before wearing:
* Cold soak for about 30-40mn.
* Spin dry and line dry.
* Wear briefly before fully-dry to set creases, then hang until fully dry.
This specific 13 Oz. Cone Mills denim twill is considered sanforized (= pre-shrunk at the milling stage), so our usual recommended pre-soak procedure will not have much impact on the jeans other than a bit of puckering and roping due to the all-cotton stitching, the soaking also revealing a slightly more vibrant blue denim color.
The LOT.54BB pattern features a high rise and a full leg, with somewhat of a vintage 40’s-50’s period silhouette. For slimmer legs, please see our more tapered Californians LOT.64, LOT.74 and LOT.674.
On the boys-band fit photo, left to right, Peter is sporting a pristine original 2010 edition LOT.54 (Waist 32), Daniel is looking spectacular in his 2013 edition LOT.64 (Waist 30), and I’m breaking-in a fully cinched LOT.54BB early sample (W32, will probably size down to W31 with production.)
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements.(Soaked = 30-40mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry.)
CHART
 Mister Freedom® 2010 Californian LOT.54 (W32), 2013 LOT.64 (W30), 2019 LOT.54BB (W32) CARE:
Wash your jeans when needed and necessary. Before washing, turn the jeans inside-out to avoid indigo color marbling. Machine wash in cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent. Line dry.
Patina will develop according to activities and frequency of wear.
Available RAW/unwashed ONLY.
Sizes
W28 x L32
W29 x L32
W30 x L32
W31 x L32
W32 x L34
W33 x L34
W34 x L34
W36 x L36
W38 x L36
Available from our 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 any questions unanswered above.
Thank you for your support,
Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2019
 USN sailors circa 1943, wearing a mix bag of Type I & II N-1 Deck Jackets. (©Mister Freedom® vintage archives.)  Mister Freedom® mfsc Type N-1H Deck Jackets evolution (©2008 – ©2019) 
Mister Freedom® Type N-1H Deck Jacket, “Burnt Umber” jungle cloth edition.
FW2019 mfsc “Surplus” Collection
This release will be the sixth Mister Freedom® x Sugar Cane spin on the iconic Government-issued naval N-1 foul weather “Deck Jacket” pattern, familiar to all vintage clothing collectors.
First, a bit of rambling about fashion, timeline, etc…
This might sound like a no-brainer in well-informed heritage fashion circles today, but there was some confusion following the release of our ‘fictional’ Type N-1H (H was for hook front): our deck jacket interpretation, not intended as a replica, never existed as a USN-issued garment. It hit the US market during Fall 2008, as part of the “Naval Clothing Tailor” mfsc collection.
We had not reinvented the helm (see what i did there), simply blended genuine post-1943 USN N-1 models, combining features and periods, fully embracing all the new ‘toys’ recently made-available to us by our friends at Buzz Rickson’s. This all morphed into a somewhat original “might-have-been” jacket. That first edition 2008 N-1H featured navy blue jungle cloth, knit collar and cuffs, teardrop “D” pockets, hook-front wind flap and front zipper closure, draw string bottom, navy blanket lining. MF® OGs will remember it as the ‘noisy one’, because of the crinkly inner organdy windproof layer. This jacket is barely documented on this blog, and even missing from our online store.
For those into that kind of stuff, some efforts at a chronological MF® mfsc archive are being made here, at the phenomenal rate of about three entries every four years.
We followed-up with a “Troy” blanket-lined modified version during Fall 2010, the Type N-1H md, merely updating the USN wool blanket lining to a civvy wool striped workwear classic. For the anecdote, if Troy blankets were to become all the rage in heritage fashion a few years later, vintage USN deck coats were already so popular that J.Crew, then under Mickey Drexler‘s vision and branding make-over, picked up some of our inventory to spice-up their menswear catalog. I believe that Todd Snyder, then head of Men’s Design at J.Crew, and one of MF®’s earliest corporate repeat customer, harking back to early days of yours truly schlepping old rags at the Rosebowl circa 1995, was the instigator of that connection. Cheers Todd.
In 2014, the “Sea Hunt” collection featured yet another twist on the Deck Jacket pattern, the Blouson de Quart, in mil-specs khaki jungle cloth, our first time using vintage-style USN alpaca lining and round style collar. The original Fall 2014 blog post features some old French Marine Nationale photos that inspired this version. The Blouson de Quart is somewhat of a MF® N-1H Type II.
During Fall 2016, an indigo-dyed jungle cloth version of the Blouson de Quart, along with a black jungle cloth version of the N-1H Type I pattern were released, celebrating ten years of driving the talented folks at Sugar Cane Co (Toyo Enterprise, Japan) berserk.
For Fall 2019, our N-1H Deck jacket pattern makes a come back in a new Type I hybrid rendition. We thought of calling back on deck the classic color of our original mfsc Mulholland Master, a warm shade of brown we’re naming “Burnt Umber“, because it sounds fabulous. The collar style is reverted to the original 1940’s USN Deck Jacket knit type. The fluffy chocolate brown alpaca lining should keep your upper body toasty in most of Antartica. The jacket’s timeless style should keep you cool for most of the 21st Century.
The FW2019 mfsc N-1H Deck Jacket is designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS
FABRIC:
* Shell: Tight weave 14 Oz. “Jungle Cloth”, 100% cotton grosgrain, period mil-specs, original mfsc umber brown color, milled in Japan.
* Lining: Warm, non-itchy, soft-touch wool pile alpaca full lining, chocolate brown color, vintage mil-specs.
DETAILS:
* An original MF® hybrid design, freely inspired by 1940’s-1960’s vintage US Navy and French Marine Nationale foul weather Type N-1 Deck Jackets, issued to embarked enlisted personnel.
* Double front closure featuring both a 1950’s-type TALON “bell” zipper, and a wind flap secured by 1940’s-type clip hooks.
* Full lining, vintage USN-style chocolate brown wool pile alpaca.
* 1940’s type collar style, 100% wool knit collar and cuffs, contrast navy blue color.
* Drawstring cinch bottom.
* Original teardrop hand-warmer “D” pockets, lined with golden brown cotton corduroy.
* Tonal poly-cotton thread hi-count stitching.
* No outside “military” markings/ornements.
* “MFSC Naval Clothing Tailor” woven rayon label, 2008 style.
* Made in Japan.
SIZING/FIT:
The FW2019 N-1H Deck Jacket is ready-to-go as-is. It is a dry-cleaning ONLY garment and does not require any pre-soaking.
This jacket is considered true-to-size. I opted for a size 38, my usual size in mfsc N-1H and most other mfsc jackets, with enough room for a thick shirt of heavy sweater underneath. Like most ready-to-wear garments not made from stretch fabric or cut as a poncho pattern, our N-1H might not satisfy everyone’s body type configurations. In general, the consensus is to go with your usual size in mfsc jackets for our N-1H models.
We have taken the measurements to the best of our abilities. Refer to the sizing chart and remember that measurements are taken from the outside of the fabric. The lining is about ¼ inch thick, which reduces the inside room by that much. Please consider this when sizing from the charts measurements.
CARE:
Professional dry-clean only, in your local eco-friendly dry-cleaning facility. For dirt or minor water-based stain, spot clean with a clean, damp sponge.
Please DO NOT attempt to machine-wash this jacket in a home washing machine, as this specific N-1H weighs like a dead mule when wet. You risk ruining both machine and jacket, the metal hooks will get snagged, the jungle cloth shell will get marbling marks etc…
Available RAW (un-rinsed)
Sizes
36 Small
38 Medium
40 Large
42 X-Large
44 XX-Large
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®
©2019
 
Mister Freedom® “STALLION” Campus Jacket, black veg-tan ’Tea-Core” cowhide leather.
Fall 2019 mfsc Sportsman catalog.
Made in USA.
We have been working on this project for quite some time now, and are quite thrilled to announce that… it’s a wrap, the MF® Campus is, not only back in black, but “tea-core” black!
A term today familiar to vintage leather jackets/boots collectors and heritage fashion aficionados, “tea-core” leather refers to an old-school tannery dyeing method, distinct from the more commun dip-dyed method. “Tea-core” dyeing results in the skin side color being different from the flesh side color. Traditionally, to achieve this, hides are first dip-dyed in a light brown color. This is followed by spraying the skin side with a darker color top-coating. Japanese industry experts refer to this type of leather as Cha-Shin (茶芯), Cha meaning brown, and Shin meaning core. It is a sought-after characteristic of vintage engineer boots and older leather jackets.
This dyeing method is often considered undesirable by major brands (from car seat manufacturers to garment makers), as tea-core leather offers poor ‘colorfastness’. The thin topcoat wears-off overtime, gradually exposing the lighter tone of the under layer. If the fast-aging quality of “tea-core” leather is considered a defect by some, it contributes to a rewarding and desirable patina for others.
Sourcing black-dyed leather in the market in not difficult, but, ever in the front row of the soup sandwich line, the MF® Design Dept wanted something a bit more ‘special’ for this black iteration of our traditional “Campus Jacket”. Initially introduced in 2013 in the MF® signature natural ‘pink’ veg-tan cowhide, the mission this time was to combine the patina potential of veg-tan natural leather (a sun-tanning/wearing/conditioning journey mastered and well-documented by our friend USMC MGySgt John “VEB”) with a solid black appearance. We developed this special exclusive leather with a tannery that was willing and patient enough to comply with our demands and high expectations.
After months of costly R&D, there it is!
As the jacket gets some mileage and naturally ages, normal abrasion of the black topcoat from wear will reveal the natural ‘pink’ underside, in turn evolving into a rich golden tone. With regular wear, with the expected nicks, scratches, water spills, natural sun-exposure and occasional conditioning with products such as Pecard Leather Dressing, the patina of your well-worn MF® STALLION Campus jacket should be nothing short of “spectacular”, as our friend Daniel likes to put it.
This specific gratifying feature of our Campus jacket not only makes this garment retain a high resale value, but might also someday qualify it as a rare desirable family heirloom, should Made-in-USA wearables become a thing of the past, once small independent labels all get leveled by Fast-Fashion giants and the norms that consumerism dictates.
The MF® “STALLION” Campus Jacket in black veg-tan ’Tea-core” cowhide leather is designed and made in California by Mister Freedom®.
SPECS:
PATTERN: An original pattern inspired by 1930’s sportswear ‘Cossack’ type unlined leather jackets.
LEATHER: Black vegetable-tanned “Tea-Core” full grain cow hide leather, black topcoat with natural-color flesh side, milled and supple, about 2-3 Oz weight. Exclusively developed for MF®.
NOTE: The Mister Freedom® Black CAMPUS Jacket is made of genuine leather. We use full-grain, and not top-grain leather (aka corrected or buffed leather, sanded to level surface inconsistencies). No two hides are alike and each panel may feature variations in texture along with natural imperfections.
DETAILS:
* 1930’s silhouette.
* One piece back.
* Fully unlined, clean seams inside & out.
* Black outside color, ‘pink’ inside, for an attractive over time ’vintage’ patina.
* Cotton corduroy collar and wrist cuff facing.
* Slash pockets with arrowhead-shaped edges.
* Side gussets with adjustable side straps (NOS metal slide buckles.)
* Keyhole button holes.
* Dark brown ‘Cat-Eyes’ corozo wood buttons (aka ivory nut), backed by contrasting ivory-color corozo support buttons.
* Underarm venting eyelets.
* Mister Freedom® ‘The Sportsman’ woven label behind the slash pocket, right front panel.
* Sturdy poly-cotton thread stitching.
* Made in California, USA.
SIZING/FIT:
The MF® “STALLION” Campus Jacket does not require any type of pre-treatment or conditioning and is ready to wear as-is. This garment is cut quite slim but is considered true-to-size.
Keep in mind that we are referring to a classic old-school type fit, not a contemporary streetwear silhouette.
I wear a size 38 in the “STALLION” Campus Jacket, my consistent size in all Campus jackets iterations, and my usual size in mfsc jackets.
Please refer to flat measurements in chart below.
CHART
CARE:
Embrace the fact that the “Tea-Core” leather is prone to get nicked and scratched, revealing the natural color under-layer, unavoidably showing signs of wear. Occasional conditioning when needed (according to actual frequency of wear) will contribute to an attractive warm tone natural patina, and a healthy-looking leather.
We recommend Pecard Leather Dressing, following this method.
Do not use overly-greasy neatsfoot oil or leather conditioners specific to footwear. Do not try to hasten the ‘vintage look’ by excessively conditioning the leather, as this will only result in the garment looking ‘wet’.
Note: Some shedding of the leather ‘flesh’ side may occur temporarily and leave (brush-able) flecks visible on dark shirts. This light shedding will eventually subside with normal wear.
Available Sizes:
36 (Small)
38 (Medium)
40 (Large)
42 (XLarge)
44 (XXLarge)
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®
©2019
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