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Mister Freedom® CALIFORNIAN LOT.64-JC, indigo-dyed 14 Oz. Jungle Cloth edition. Alert the media, the MF® Californian is back, and this time in non-selvedge fabric! “Jungle Cloth” is a trade name for heavy warp-faced corded fabric, in which the cords run in the warp (vertical) direction. This all-cotton grosgrain fabric of the corduroy family is high density, rugged, water-repellent and windproof, and has roots in 1920s civilian flight gear. It is commonly associated with US Navy foul weather deck personnel clothing, with the iconic N-1 and its many iterations in Heritage fashion. Why it was called “Jungle Cloth” remains a mystery to me, and the earliest mention of the fabric I could find is in a 1914 book titled “Hunting in the Arctic and Alaska”, in a chapter listing the author’s personal outfit of choice for a cruise in the Arctic:
Jungle Cloth is described as “Modified Bedford Cords” in a volume of “Standard Commodity Classification” from 1945. Its US production ramped up during WW2 due to large US Government contracts for the US Navy. The Crompton-Shenandoah Plant in Virginia handled a large chunk of the wartime production, having adapted its long-established velveteen-milling machinery to meet the mil-specs Jungle Cloth demand.  Excerpt from US Senate hearings on Trade Agreements, 1955. This interesting 1955 “Trade Agreements” US Senate official document discusses the struggle of the American fabric milling industry, overwhelmed by cheaper labor competition from Italian and Japanese factories at the time. During the hearings, a Crompton-Shenandoah representative mentions “the average hourly earnings in the cotton textile industry are about $1.35 (in the US) , the Italian textile hourly average wage is 24 cents, the Japanese 13 cents… The best Japanese velveteen, and it is good, is for sale in New York, duty paid, at 21 cents per yard lower than our manufacturing cost…” Our premium Jungle Cloth is milled in Japan and indigo-dyed by Japanese experts to a dark shade of indigo blue. This vintage mil-specs fabric initially developed by Buzz Rickson’s is an old MF® favorite. It has been previously featured on our Riders, N-1Z Deck Pants, M-17 Parka, and Mulholland Master. It ages beautifully and the patina of indigo-dyed Jungle Cloth is quite impressive. For pocketing, we opted for some older NOS olive green HBT. To keep a low profile, we went for tonal stitching and, due to the Jungle Cloth heavy ounce, chose cotton-wrap poly thread for sturdy construction and seam resistance. The Californian LOT.64-JC blue jeans “Indigo Jungle Cloth” edition are designed and manufactured in California by Mister Freedom®, in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co. SPECS: DETAILS: SIZING/FIT:
I went with a W31, for a snug top block and straight leg silhouette. I am about 5’7, 150 lbs. This fabric hardly stretches but softens with wear, and is very comfortable. Disclaimer: Color crocking (temporarily bleeding onto other lighter-colored textiles) is to be expected and will temporarily ‘stain’ light color garments worn as under layers. Indigo rub-off should wash-off eventually. However, expect blue legs for a while. CARE: Do not use a heat dryer, hang dry instead. Patina will develop according to activities and frequency of wear. Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles red brick HQ, and fine retailers around the World. Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom® RANCH BLOUSE and CALIFORNIAN Lot.64 “OUTLAW” model, 13 Oz. black sulfur-dyed selvedge denim edition. For Fall 2021, we are releasing our classic Ranch Blouse and Californian Lot.64 in a special solid black denim twill, developed and milled in Japan by Sugarcane Co. This premium mid-weight 13 Oz. selvedge denim combines a black sulfur-dyed warp yarn (fabric face) with a black sulfur-dyed weft (fabric reverse), and is produced on traditional shuttle looms. The contrasting selvedge (white with red line) adds a fancy touch to the solid black denim twill. Sulfur dyes are notorious for their lower colorfastness (resistance to fading), when compared to other dyeing methods, such as pigment dyes for instance. Sulfur-dyed fabric tends to naturally fade “faster”. Over time, with extensive wear and normal laundry routine, the black yarns will fade to dark/medium/light grey (eventually to white). The resulting attractive patina is reminiscent of well-worn traditional indigo-dyed denim, “whiskers” and all. See some faded Sugar Cane’s sulfur-dyed specimen here. For Fall 2021, our original Ranch blouse design remains pretty much unchanged from its 2010 inception, A-1 style collar, unique slanted pockets on lower chest with single pocket flap, “M” stitching on pockets, pleated front with signature arrowhead darts stitching, 30s-style buckle back etc… For the matching Californians, we opted for our popular Lot.64 cut – slightly tapered leg, mid rise, traditional silhouette – but decided to spice up the traditional five-pocket pattern by introducing a western-wear modification. The Lot.64-OTL features “frogmouth” type pocket openings, sometimes referred-to as western pockets, a detail often seen on early riding apparel. We have played around with this style in the past, with mfsc oldies such as the MF® Vaqueros, Buckaroos, Conductor Slacks, and most recently the Deputy Britches, from which the pocket opening pattern was borrowed and adapted to our new Californian “Outlaw”. Worn as a matching set, paired with indigo-dyed denim tops and bottoms, vintage pieces or contemporary heritage-style sportswear, this black denim ensemble is pretty versatile and easy to incorporate into a classic wardrobe. The black sulfur-dyed selvedge denim Ranch Blouse and Californian LOT.64-OTL (available separately) are designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and manufactured in USA in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co, from denim fabric milled in Japan. SPECS FACING (collar lining, pocket flap, pocket bags): FW2021 RANCH BLOUSE, black sulfur-dyed denim edition: SIZING FIT:
I wear my usual Ranch Blouse size in this black sulfur-dyed edition, a cold-soaked 38. I’m about 5’7 , 145 lbs. FW2021 CALIFORNIAN “Outlaw” Lot.64-OTL, black sulfur-dyed denim edition: SIZING/FIT:
The size that will work best for you depends on how you like your jeans to fit. I opted for a W31 with this model (my current waist size in MF® Californians), for a classic silhouette with a snug waist, comfortable top block and straight leg. I’m about 5’7 , 145 lbs. Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles red brick HQ, and fine retailers around the World. Christophe Loiron
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