   
 
 Mister Freedom® “Lawrence” Jacket, Caravan A.  Mister Freedom® “Lawrence” Jacket, Caravan B.  Mister Freedom® “Lawrence” Jacket, Caravan C.  Mister Freedom® “Lawrence” Jacket, Caravan D.  Mister Freedom® “Lawrence” Jacket, Caravan E.  Mister Freedom® “Lawrence” Jacket, Caravan F.  Mister Freedom® “Lawrence” Jacket, Caravan G.  Mister Freedom® “Lawrence” Jacket, Caravan H.
Mister Freedom® “LAWRENCE” Jacket, up-cycled antique Kilim rugs/blankets.
FW2018 Limited Edition.
Made in USA.
For this glorious season, we concocted a special one-of-a-kind rendition of the Mister Freedom® Baloo jacket, the furry little number we had introduced last Fall. The Baloo, our interpretation of the popular 1930’s “grizzly” type leather coats, and a bear necessity for the classic leather jacket connoisseur today, got back to the drafting table for a new wacky spin à la MF®.
We are calling this Fall 2018 garment the “LAWRENCE”, a reference to the wild Arabian adventures of famed British archeologist, camel-riding diplomat, khanjar-toting gentleman, gone-native Army Captain, Thomas Edward Lawrence.
Having watched Lawrence of Arabia‘s exciting silver screen saga one-time-too-many (cue-in Maurice Jarre’s haunting score), someone at the office had the balmy idea of spicing-up the ol’ MF® Baloo pattern with a dash of exotic oriental flavors!
Taking the usual MF® liberties with geography, cultural authenticity, historical accuracy and common sense, it was decided to blend antique oriental textiles with our classic leather jacket. By incorporating into our USA-made Baloo pattern a mixed bag of vintage rugs or blankets out of the “Rug Belt” (think bygone Persian and Ottoman Empires, the Middle East and South Asia), our plan was to deliver a somewhat plausible local souvenir that ‘Aurens could have brought home from his tumultuous epic travels, a custom-made jacket to go ride his Brough Superior around, Bedouin-style, back in the peaceful English countryside.
Now, this one is for the social media… The following exchange allegedly took place on a distant shore of the Red Sea, sometime in 1917, as reported by a reliable source claiming to be present at the time. This bizarre bazaar encounter is not a well-documented episode, and although its accuracy will fiercely be debated on 4chan in the coming years, historians we consulted have all confirmed it with an eye roll. So, do quote us on it, and remember where you heard it here first. This is how it was relayed to the MF® Editorial Dept., verbatim:
Souk merchant: “Yalla, English! I have nice jacket for you, souvenir from Aqaba! Has your name written on it, wallah!”
T.E. Lawrence: “Nothing is written, my good lad. Oh… wait… dude! That’s one funky fresh jacket!!”
Souk merchant: “Shukran ‘Aurens, I knew you’d dig it, habib! Toldja, mektoub! Now, paper or plastic?”
(?)
 “Yep, that’s pretty much how it happened.” Words unpronounced by T.E. Lawrence & Lowell Thomas, London, 1918 (Image ©Marist College) Above photo of “T.E. Lawrence & Lowell Thomas sit in London session portraits” 1918 courtesy of ©Marist Archives, in accurate historical context here.
In regards to style, the following statement might make anthropology textile experts cringe (they probably already left this page realizing we’re about to chop-off collectibles to turn them into “fashion” items anyways), but an amateur might point out visual similarity between certain Kilim traditional patterns and some of their hand-woven Native American counterparts. For the profane (that’s us), geometric symbolism such as tribal stripes, the famous Eye-Dazzler pattern, diamonds, stars, running water, or multicolor Anatolian Manastir motifs, do bring to mind works of early and contemporary Navajo or Pueblo weavers, and other skilled loom artists who contributed to the production of rugs and blankets of the American Southwest. The commun thread, we believe, is that commercially-produced traditional crafts of a specific ethnic group will inevitably evolve with outside demand, bartering, raw material and dye imports, foreign tastes and eventual cultural assimilation. Similar designs and symbols appear along trade routes, distant styles end-up overlapping, making cultural authenticity somewhat of a subjective concept with artisanal handicraft. So, expect an occasional “awesome Indian blanket jacket, dude!” comment, while sporting your MF® Lawrence.
After this colorful ouverture, and rather than sharing an uneducated opinion on current Arab affairs and oil barrel prices, here are a few highlights of our own saga with the MF® “Lawrence” production, for the insomniac few.
As often with USA-made projects we embark on, comes the moment we all look at each others at the HQ, with the same puzzling question: “Who the *%$#&* thought that was a good idea?” Even our intrepid MF® R&D Department expressed doubts during manufacturing…
First, we had to source the full grain veg-tan leather hides, all inspected one by one for grain, overall quality and feel. This is the same grade of leather we have been using since 2013 for the MF® Campus, and its Baloo successor. The hides are very light sensitive and initially almost ivory white, until exposed to natural daylight. The leather gradually sun-tans to a pinkish hue, eventually developing attractive golden tones.
Then, Hut, Hut, Hut, off we went on a hunting safari for vintage rugs!
We found a local Ali baba’s cave, the vault of a Pakistan-born textile expert, a gentleman specialized in legally-imported, well-documented antique oriental rugs. Going through dozens and dozens of stacked-up specimen, we focused on flat-woven Kilim rugs of the non-pile (flat weave) and non-slit family (no “openings” in the weave.) We carefully selected candidates from the first half of the 20th Century that aesthetically and technically qualified for the project. Each rug was hand-picked for its attractive geometric motifs, vintage appeal, fine color combination, unique hand-woven imperfections, occasional period hand-repairs and overall natural patina. These are woven from wool and cotton yarns, dyed in unstable, non-colorfast natural dyes, often leading to subtle color runs. This is part of their wabi-sabi charm, and the uniqueness separates them from Ikea’s versions. The kilim expert mentioned that, back home, these rugs served as wall-hanging decoration, blankets, home carpets, camel saddle covers…
Considering the latter, we took our loot to a professional cleaning facility specialized in antique rugs, an impressive old-school operation established in Los Angeles in 1926, a recommendation from our friend Channon at In The Field. We had each rug thoroughly hand-brushed, hand-washed and sun-dried, without the use of machines, quite a costly procedure, almost doubling the cost of each vintage piece!
Came the time to unroll the freshly-clean rugs back in our atelier, and figure-out how to turn them into front panels of jackets… To strategically cut according to each rug design, while trying to envision each finished jacket with well-balanced panels, we thought of making our pattern paper out of clear PVC.
It soon hit us that there is nothing remotely symmetrical in a nomadic tribal rug, hand-woven on an horizontal floor loom, somewhere in a remote mountainous region of Pakistan, some 80 years ago. Eye-balling seems to be the golden rule in metrology for the Rug Belt artisans.
After a few hours of deliberation, positioning and repositioning the pattern markers, we traced panels on each rug, combining sizes and grain direction. We then painstakingly fused the panels with high-quality woven cotton fusing, using an industrial steam iron. We, of course, chose to do this during the hottest months of summer, to fully embrace the benefits of facial steaming.
Each panel was then cut using electric shears, somewhat of a liberating experience, and carefully overlocked to avoid later fraying of the edges.
After completing this portion of the hands-on production, we resumed our water-skiing activities and badminton tournaments. The MF® atelier’s contribution was temporarily over! The jackets themselves, however, still had to get made…
We happily passed the hot potato to a local facility, who, in-turn, couldn’t wait to throw it back at us. The factory’s expert craftsmen had never worked on such a “fun” project, involving new leather and eclectic vintage textiles. Most places would have turned us down, so we are indebted to our small manufacturing source for accepting the challenge. After a few months of intricate and complicated assembly work, production management headaches and anxious back-and-forth, our Lawrence Jackets were ready! Ready, that is, for the final touch back at the MF® HQ: hand-sewing hundreds of corozo double buttons, which gets old after about five.
We are, many months later, proud to announce our one-of-a-kind and once-in-a-lifetime MF® “LAWRENCE” jackets! We hope you enjoy the finished product as much as we got our kicks during the manufacturing fantasia!
 The Mister Freedom® “Lawrence” Jacket saga ©2018 As one will guess from the making-of collage, the yield (number of panels per rug), selection of sizes cut per rug, and geometric design variations per panel within each rug, all got out of control pretty quick. We had realized early-on that no-two jackets were going to be the same, making the MF® Product Photography Department quiver in anticipation of this post.
For inventory purposes, we have regrouped the MF® Lawrence jackets in eight families (called them caravans), according to the specific vintage Kilim rug they were cut from (Caravan A, B, C, D, E, F, G, or H). Not every rug yielded a full size scale, and availability of the MF® Lawrence jacket will be limited to this FW2018 batch.
DISCLAIMER:
* VEG-TAN LEATHER: The Mister Freedom® Lawrence Jacket is cut from 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.
* The occasional nicks and marks on the hides we select are characteristic of pasture-raised cattle, with the implication of natural scarring from roaming and being in contact with other animals. Considering the obvious perks of outside grazing for the cattle, vs. confined indoors or in pens as required for the production of some luxury leather goods, we find these natural imperfections to be perfectly acceptable, if not a desirable trait of a Mister Freedom® leather garment. These “life” marks are inherent to full grain leather, and will blend into a natural patina when our jacket is worn, conditioned and lived-in.
* Early signs of tanning of panels may, at times, be visible on a finished garment, as we pay premium to have our leather goods produced in a pleasant, well-lit, clean and ethically-run California facility. We’ll leave the dark, un-safe, regulation-evading basements where less-fortunate workers toil, to less-regarding fast-fashion labels catering to the modern consumer’s insatiable appetite for “affordable” disposable goods. In other words, we do not consider a new jacket with partially-suntanned panels a defective garment.
* RECYCLED KILIM RUGS: The front panels feature genuine vintage kilim rugs/blankets that are about 70 to 90 years old. These can show signs of wear and natural patina, color fading and crocking, woven imperfections and unevenness, design pattern asymmetry and occasional rugged hand repairs. Due to Mister Freedom®’s background in vintage clothing, we consider these imperfections desirable. These natural flaws are inherent to up-cycling projects, such as turning antique textiles into new unique garments, still fit as wearables for next generations.
Thank you for your understanding.
The MF® LAWRENCE Jacket is designed by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in USA, from USA-sourced hides and up-cycled genuine vintage Oriental rugs of the Kilim family.
SPECS:
PATTERN:
Inspired by 1930’s “Grizzly” type leather jackets, and other vintage American sportswear and outdoor garments, and somewhat by the 1962 film “Lawrence of Arabia”.
The original MF® Lawrence jacket pattern is adapted from our MF® Baloo jacket pattern, in turn adapted from the MF® Campus jacket.
MATERIALS:
* Shell: Vegetable tanned leather, full grain cowhide, milled and supple, natural finish and color, about 2-3 Oz weight, sourced in USA.
* Front panels: Up-cycled vintage Oriental rugs of the Kilim family, with a probable provenance in Pakistan and surrounding regions.
* Lining: 100% cotton brushed flannel with a 1940’s-50’s-inspired vibrant plaid pattern, discharge-printed. Fabric milled in Japan.
DETAILS:
* Vintage 1930’s style, inspired by cossack-type and Grizzly-type panel leather jackets.
* Fully lined with a soft cotton brushed flannel featuring a vintage style discharge-printed plaid pattern.
* Front panels cut from a vintage genuine Oriental Kilim rug.
* Full single panel veg-tan leather 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 vintage-style corozo wood “cat-eyes” buttons.
* Mister Freedom® woven “Sportsman” label.
* American-sourced hides.
* Limited Edition. Each jacket is a one-of-a-kind collectible.
* Made in USA.
SIZING:
The MF® LAWRENCE Jacket is true to size. I am usually a 38 in mfsc jackets and opted for a 38 in the MF® LAWRENCE, with enough room for a lightweight layer underneath.
The fit is relatively snug, so we do not advise sizing-down on this garment if you are in-between sizes. If planning on layering with heavy cable knit wool sweaters, consider sizing up in order to be able to comfortably button-up the jacket.
Refer to sizing chart below for approximate measurements. Please consider the thickness of the leather/Kilim/lining when trying to match your chest measurements and the jacket’s measurements. If still in doubt, please contact sales@misterfreedom.com with your specifics for recommendations.
CHART
CARE:
We recommend wearing the jacket as-is. No specific initial conditioning or pre-treatment is required. Just wear and enjoy witnessing the natural ageing and patina evolution.
According to frequency of wear and exposure to the elements, some light conditioning might be applied to the sleeves after months of continuous wear, using products similar to Pecard Antique Leather Care. Be aware that conditioning will darken the leather, and should only be applied with care and expertise.
* Do not dry clean. Even professional leather cleaning facilities might not be competent on how to treat the specific LAWRENCE jacket veg-tan leather/woolen woven rug/cotton lining combo.
* Do not use heavily-oily products designed for footwear, such as neatsfoot oil.
* Do not attempt to “wash” the Kilim woven panels. Use a dry, plastic bristle brush for cleaning if needed.
* Should leather parts of your jacket get accidentally stained from normal wear, consider this a normal stage of the evolution of an outdoor garment. As often witnessed on well-worn vintage leather jackets, wear, stains and scratches will eventually blend-in into the most attractive and unique patinas.
Available NATURAL.
Sizes
36 (Small)
38 (Medium)
40 (Large)
42 (XLarge)
44 (XXLarge)
Front panel styles/patterns: regrouped in eight kilim families/caravans: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, or H.
Not every rug yielded a full size scale, and size/style/pattern availability is limited to this FW2018 batch.
Not all jackets were photographed, but each caravan grouping is representative of the available selection.
Note on inventory: Each jacket is numbered on the collar loop (example 38G1). The letter in the code does indicate the specific rug, but, due to the similarity in some of the woven designs, some jackets have been attributed to the wrong kilim rug during the numbering. For instance, the Lawrence jacket 40F3 is actually cut from Kilim D and should have been marked 40D3. Its photo file was renamed 40F3d, but the jacket itself was not re-branded on the collar loop.
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
 McQueen being McQueen, 1961 (photo Larry Barbier Jr., courtesy of Getty Images) Mister Freedom® “JOHNNY” Campus jacket, cognac suede cattlehide.
Fall 2018 mfsc Sportsman catalog.
Made in USA.
Our popular MF® Campus pattern is back this Fall, this time in a vibrant suede cow-split leather.
For those who wonder, the name is a quaint reference to the 1991 flick “Johnny Suede”, which I watched some twenty-five years ago, and can’t remember the first thing about, besides the catchy title and Brad Pitt’s big hair.
While out shopping for hides from local suppliers, we selected this particular leather not just for its convincing vintage orange-brown color, a rich cognac tone reminiscent of classic 40’s-50’s suede sportswear jackets, but also because of its durable quality feel, as this is a leather grade used to make western riding chaps. For those eagerly awaiting Mister Freedom® leather chaps, the wait is not yet over.
As its veg-tan cowhide Campus predecessor, initially introduced in 2013 and still produced today in the USA, the MF® “JOHNNY” is unlined. Not a way to save on lining fabric, but rather a nod to unlined “Cossack” leather sports coat models popular in the 1930’s, and a real challenge construction-wise when striving to keep clean seams inside & out.
If the Veg-tan cowhide MF® Campus really takes on a new dimension and beautifies over time (according to the owner’s activity, leather expertise, frequency of wear, conditioning choices and patina preference), the JOHNNY is good-to-go from the get-go.
We do not recommend any initial special spraying or conditioning to make the garment weather-proof or stain-repellent. We have not tested anything really convincing on suede, most treatments will result in an irreversible darkening of the suede leather, and shoe products should definitely not be used on a sport jacket… The old standard practice of dubbing roughout service boots in the military (see tips from our friend Mosquito_Boat) doesn’t apply here.
We believe that our “JOHNNY” Campus has its own dress-up feel, and will benefit from being kept ‘clean’ to age gracefully. The desirable rugged attitude of its Veg-Tan cowhide counterpart properly-worn and conditioned (see the amazing results on Vintage_Engineer_Boots‘ own Campus jacket, with the whole process detailed here) may not work with this suede leather release.
We might be proven wrong and come across a beat-up “JOHNNY” specimen with killer natural patina in a few years (keep an eye on the ultra-talented artist Mark Maggiori‘s IG), but until then, understand that it’s the nature of a casual suede leather sport jacket to be vulnerable to the elements, and Ketchup®. Please wear and feast accordingly.
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The rugged MF® Veg-Tan Campus jacket initially released in 2013.
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Perso Campus jacket, after 1.5 year of intermittent wear
The MF® “JOHNNY” Campus in suede cattlehide is designed and made in California by Mister Freedom®.
SPECS:
PATTERN: An original pattern inspired by 1930’s sportswear type lightweight and unlined leather jackets.
LEATHER: Durable and supple suede cattlehide with a soft nap, aka cow-split leather, a grade used to make western riding chaps. Cognac color.
DETAILS:
* 1930’s silhouette
* One piece back
* Fully unlined, clean seams inside & out.
* 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.
* 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.
* High stitch-count, sturdy poly-cotton thread stitching.
* Made in California, USA.
SIZING/FIT:
The MF® “JOHNNY” 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.
I wear a slim-fitting size 38 in the “JOHNNY” Campus Jacket, my usual size in mfsc jackets. Keep in mind that we are referring to a classic old-school type fit, not a contemporary streetwear silhouette.
Please refer to approximate measurement in chart below.
CHART
CARE:
This is quite a delicate jacket, not intended to be worn while working in the field but rather as a dress-up garment.
It does not require any type of pre-treatment and is ready to wear as-is. Cleaning should be left-up to your local professional leather cleaning environmentally-friendly facility.
DISCLAIMER: Due to the unlined quality of this jacket, some staining of a garment worn under or over might occur. Please consider that color transfer on a light color shirt might be challenging to remove with regular laundry methods.
Available sizes:
36 (Small)
38 (Medium)
40 (Large)
42 (XLarge)
44 (XXLarge)
Available from www.misterfreedom.com , from our funky brick and mortar store in Hollywood, CA., and from a few selected fine boutiques around the World.
Please call 323-653-2014 or email sales@misterfreedom.com with any questions not answered above. And no, it doesn’t come in black.
Thank you for your support.
Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2018
 Unworn MF® Baloo Jackets. “Out-of-the-bag” vs. organically sun-tanned. 
 
 Unworn MF® Baloo, unworn and sun-tanned MF® Baloo, and well-worn MF® Campus.  
Mister Freedom® BALOO Jacket, veg-tan cowhide & sheepskin.
Sportsman catalog Fall 2017.
Made in USA.
The MF® BALOO Jacket 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 at the local grocery store than a buffalo coat, yet retaining its vintage appeal.
Yes, the MF® Baloo jacket is a bear necessity for the Man o’ Style.
The road from Campus to Baloo has been a pleasant walk in the jungle…
Renewed R&D, updated patterns, painstaking leather hide sourcing and challenging sample-making, occupied us for some time. Production was achieved in many perilous stages, each involving skilled craftsmen tightrope-walking their way through unforgiving tasks, while manipulating expensive material. As-in, you don’t stitch leather twice…
During the final steps of this fun manufacturing journey, everyone ran for cover when the responsibility of buttonhole-making arose. This would prove enough of a pain to give the most experienced Reece 101 operator cold sweats and permanent insomnia.
With all that behind us, and until the next batch, we would like to thank all involved for their professionalism and savoir-faire. We, at Mister Freedom®, are glad and sincerely appreciative that this level of Garment Industry excellence is still available in the USA.
The sheepskin hides we selected were sourced from a US tannery, each hide featuring a soft hand and golden brown finish, with subtle color variations. In “Grizzly” style fashion, we used sheepskin for the two front panels, and the large single-piece back panel. The size of the back panel made hide selection even more challenging. We also opted for a sheepskin collar, which can be turned up in cold weather to protect the throat, and keep your voice during flu season as fine as JD McPherson‘s.
For the arms and other selected panels, the leather we used is the same grade featured on our classic Campus Jacket, a milled vegetable-tanned (veg-tan) full grain cowhide, with an untreated natural finish. Each hide was carefully selected by hand, one by one. Within the same leather grade, there are no two hides alike, resulting in each jacket having its own character, specificity, feel and natural ‘imperfections’. Wabi-sabi, baby.
Our veg-tan leather is quite light sensitive, and the natural-color hide will soon start ‘tanning’ when exposed to the sunlight. Originally of a pinkish white color, the leather will turn to an attractive and warmer orange tone when worn outside. Leaving the jacket in the sun for a few days, on a bust form, will hasten this tanning process. Make sure you move the garment around a bit, so tan lines of the folds are not too sharp and un-natural. And watch-out for large birds. ?
As soon as you start wearing the MF® Baloo Jacket, expect stains, water marks, natural grease, scratches, patina and creases to pop. All this adds to the character of any worn-in rugged leather garment.
Besides a few sun-tanned specimen available solely from the MF® HQ (aimed at the movie industry/stylists) we are only offering the Baloo in its pure new/unworn condition, not ‘factory distressed’. The jacket’s journey will be yours and each nick a memory.
For a well-documented visual account of the natural ageing of a MF® Campus Jacket, visit the evo section of our friend, and expert leather craftsman, USMC MGySgt John V.’s VEB website. John took the time to detail his own Campus Jacket’s journey and conditioning choices, and shares some great photos of the process.
We also opted to fully line the Fall 2017 Baloo Jacket with a soft-hand 100% cotton brushed flannel featuring a 1940’s-50’s-inspired vibrant plaid pattern, discharge-printed. This fabric is an old mfsc favorite we originally introduced with the Camp Flannel Shirt.
NOTES:
* We strongly advise to NOT rinse the Baloo Jacket, as some (moi?) have done with their Campus Jacket. This will only ruin your investment, and result in an unwearable piece of cardboard. If eager for cool patina, just wear the jacket during normal activities, don’t leave it in the closet for fear of soiling it, be patient and don’t watch the water boil.
* Some of the above photos feature an example of potential evolution of the MF® Baloo Jacket, showing the “out-of-the-bag” stage, the naturally sun-tanned stage, and the well-worn stage. For that ultimate stage, we are showing an old beat-up Campus Jacket, as our California weather has prevented the Mister Freedom® Prototype Field-Testing Dept. from naturally ageing a Baloo specimen yet. These evolution photos featuring different stages are for reference only, results will depend on how you wear your Baloo Jacket, how often, and the type of activities.
The MF® BALOO Jacket is designed by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in USA, from USA-sourced hides.
SPECS:
PATTERN:
Inspired by 1930’s “Grizzly” type leather jackets, and other vintage sportswear and outdoor garments.
MATERIALS:
Shell panels are a combination of:
* Vegetable tanned leather, full grain cowhide, milled and supple, natural finish and color, about 2-3 Oz weight, sourced in USA.
* Soft-hand sheepskin, warm golden brown finish with subtle color variations.
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® 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 French NOS genuine 1920’s glass buttons.
* Mister Freedom® woven “Sportsman” label. (Sizing tab is sandwiched on lining side seam)
* American-sourced hides.
* Made in USA.
SIZING:
The MF® Baloo Jacket is true to size. The fit is quite snug, according to your eating habits. Do not size down on this garment. If planning on layering with heavy cable knit wool sweaters, refer to sizing chart and considered sizing up in order to be able to comfortably button-up the jacket.
I am usually a 38 in mfsc jackets and opted for a 38 in the Baloo, with enough room for a single lightweight layer underneath (namely a Tricot Marin).
FYI, I had eventually opted for a size 40 in the Campus Jacket (featured in the photos), as the 38 proved too snug after the soaking processed. Again, DO NOT immerse the Baloo Jacket in water!
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 with precise questions when in doubt.
CARE:
We recommend wearing the jacket as-is. No specific initial conditioning or pre-treatment is required. Just wear and enjoy witnessing the natural ageing and patina evolution.
According to frequency of wear and exposure to the elements, some light conditioning might be applied to the sleeves eventually down the line, using products similar to Pecard Antique Leather Care. Be aware that conditioning will darken the leather, and should only 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 an outdoor garment. As often witnessed on well-worn vintage leather jackets, wear, stains and scratches will eventually blend-in into the most attractive and unique patinas.
Available NATURAL.
Sizes
34 (X-Small)
36 (Small)
38 (Medium)
40 (Large)
42 (XLarge)
44 (XXLarge)
Retail $1,395.95
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®
©2017
   
 Poppy Delevingne and Pedro Pascal star in Twentieth Century Fox’s “Kingsman: The Golden Circle.”
Mister Freedom® “Statesman” Jacket.
Special Edition “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” for MR PORTER.
Made in USA.
We were honored to be considered for outfitting one of the characters of Matthew Vaughn’s latest action movie, “Kingman: The Golden Circle”.
We collaborated with Oscar-nominated costume designer Ariane Phillips, a longtime friend of the store, and luxury menswear provider MR PORTER in adapting one of our staple piece, the Mister Freedom® Campus Jacket.
Our Campus’ 30’s-style club collar was updated to a traditional open collar. Like our original model, the jacket was left unlined, still featuring brown corduroy facing accents. We sourced-out a black cowhide full grain leather with a nice grainy texture and matte finish, for a casual ‘vintage’ vibe straight off-the-rack, without artificial factory distressing. This handsome 2-3 Oz. black leather is heavier, looks ‘tougher’ and more rugged than the elegant black lambskin of our Black Lamb Campus.
This original jacket is worn by Statesman “Agent Whiskey”, a character played by Pedro Pascal, looking rather 70’s Burt Reynolds for the occasion. After the filming wrapped, a very limited run was manufactured, to be exclusively retailed by Mr Porter following the premiere. Luckily, we were able to secure a small stash of these “Statesman” jackets for our Los Angeles HQ!
The limited edition Mister Freedom® “Statesman” jacket is designed and manufactured in California, USA, in collaboration with MR PORTER, for the Kingsman franchise.
To see it in action, watch “Kingsman: The Golden Circle“!
Photo of Pedro Pascal in “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” via this site, courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox ©2017.
SPECS:
PATTERN: An original pattern inspired by classic vintage sportswear leather jackets.
LEATHER: Black cowhide full grain leather, grainy texture with a matte finish, about 2-3 Oz.
Please note that each panel of the jacket may display slight variations in grain and texture, a normal feature of full grain leather.
DETAILS:
* Slim silhouette.
* Fully unlined, clean inside seams.
* One piece back.
* Brown cotton corduroy collar and wrist cuff facing accents.
* Slash pockets with arrowhead-shaped edges.
* Side gussets with adjustable side straps (NOS metal slide buckles).
* Keyhole button holes.
* Dark brown ‘Cat Eyes’ corrozo wood buttons (aka ivory nut), backed by genuine antique 1920’s bone buttons.
* Underarm venting eyelets.
* Double branding, “Kingsman” x “MF® Sportsman” labels on the inside.
* Sturdy poly-cotton thread tonal stitching.
* Made in California, USA.
CARE/SIZING:
This leather jacket does not require any type of pre-treatment and is ready to wear as-is. Do not wash.
After a few years of normal wear, professional care or conditioning might be considered and should be left to a leather specialist.
The cut of the “Statesman” jacket is identical to that of our Campus Jacket introduced in 2013. It is true-to-size but quite slim-fitting, depending of course on your own built. I wear a fitted 38, my usual size in MF® jackets, with a simple Tshirt or light shirt underneath.
DISCLAIMER: Please note that because the jacket is unlined, some color transfer of the black leather might occur on light colored garments.
Please refer to sizing chart for approx. measurements.
Sizes available:
36 (Small)
38 (Medium)
40 (Large)
42 (XLarge)
44 (XXLarge)
Retail $1,195.00
Available from MR PORTER, from www.misterfreedom.com and our Los Angeles brick & mortar store.
Email sales@misterfreedom.com or call 323-653-2014 with any questions unanswered above.
Thank you for your support,
Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom® 2017
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