The “CAMPUS” Leather Jacket, Natural Cowhide, Made in USA

Campus Jkt Mister Freedom 2013

 

Campus Jkt Mister Freedom 2013

 

 

Mister Freedom® “CAMPUS” Jacket
‘The Sportsman’ Made in USA, Fall 2013

Closely following the career of Justin Bieber, I have decided to make a 1930’s style leather jacket of absolute no interest to him.

If we usually do not claim to have come up with the perfect garment, this time… is no exception.
However, I’ll still share the American saga that started sometime in early 2012, to end a few weeks short of Christmas 2013.
Thanks to the hard work of many, here is our “CAMPUS” jacket today, an addition to our staple Mister Freedom® ‘The Sportsman’ catalog.

This jacket comes somewhat as a Do-It-Yourself kit. Not that what you’re getting is a cow with thread and needle, along with instructions in 12 languages starting with “Carefully insert A, you fun have is go now. Yes? Welcome” on page 1. But rather in the sense that our CAMPUS leather jacket is a blank canvas for you to colorize.
These days, with no shortage of disposable mass produced goods crowding shelves and virtual stores, well orchestrated impulse buys and tantalizing ad campaigns stimulating consumerism, it is easy to forget that clothes are actually made by real people, use resources to manufacture, and are the result of a long chain of events. I believe clothes should not become widgets and end up in landfills…
By acknowledging the work and efforts that go into manufacturing a garment, by being aware of the challenges, one should naturally acquire a certain respect for things man-made.
We hope to send this simple message by creating a connection with this DIY garment and its owner.
To do so, we opted for a leather with an untreated natural looking finish, somewhat of a ‘raw’ state that will start to age and become one with the wearer the moment the garment is removed from its packaging, namely a cool re-usable selvedge denim printed bag.

About style:
Our CAMPUS is a Mister Freedom® interpretation of traditional 1930’s ‘Cossack’ type jackets. Originally, the term ‘Cossack’ might have referred to the versatile collar shape that allowed to be flipped up to a military style Nehru collar… For all I know, it might as well be referring to a Mrs. Cossack, fierce week-end seamstress, who first came up with a short unlined leather jacket with a round collar for her stylish hubby… As always, don’t quote me on anything.
What I do know is why we called our jacket the “CAMPUS”: flipping through a 1933 Pasadena Junior College year book entitled ‘Campus’, I noticed that that style of jacket was on many of the students’ backs. Some jackets appeared to be suede, some full-grain leather, most with A-1 type patch pockets… but all with the consistent typical ‘Cossack’ style, short with round collar. Times when Charles Lindbergh was hip. And Jacques Cousteau a hipster.

Campus Yearbook 1933 Jacques Cousteau

I remember owning a similar jacket in the early 1990’s. Found in a thrift store for a few bucks, I remember it having a beautiful patina but fitting a tight in the arms. So I, of course, immediately thought of cutting the sleeves off… I am not sure where the body is today, but I know I kept the sleeves, having recently found them in a pile of leather scraps at work.
How sane it is for one to hold on to old leather scraps for 23 years is unsure, but chopping the sleeves of that gem was a real lifetime achievement…

Vintage Cossack

Campus 1933 Yearbook, vintage Cossack scraps

So, 23 years after, I can only try to redeem myself with a leather jacket that can be passed on to the next generation. In some 60 years, when someone stumbles on a beat-up vintage Mister Freedom® ‘CAMPUS’ and has an urge to turn it into a vest, we will have gone full circle…

About construction:
Our choice of keeping the CAMPUS unlined is a nod to many older ‘Cossack’ type jacket. This sounds today like a ‘cheaper’ alternative to a full lining, but is actually a real challenge for one concerned with both outside and inside appearance. Inside exposed seams are often very funky in the vintage samples I have seen. With the CAMPUS, we thrived to keep it clean in and out. And anyone who works with leather knows that you do not get a second chance…
We also opted for poly-cotton thread this time, having seen too many vintage leather jackets with busted out seams.

About the leather:
I opted for a light weight vegetable tanned full grain milled cow hide, untreated natural finish, origin USA. Each hide was carefully selected by hand, many rejected, a fun process. Within the same grade, there were no two alike, resulting in each CAMPUS jacket having its own character, specificity, feel and natural ‘imperfections’.
Extremely light sensitive, pretty much like the (usually) unexposed parts of your own skin, this natural hide will start ‘tanning’ when exposed to the sunlight.
Originally of a white pinkish color, this leather will turn quite orange when worn/left in the sun for a few days. THIS IS NORMAL, and expected.
Unless you are Batman, the CAMPUS will change color as you wear it outside. Expect stains, water marks, natural grease, scratches, patina and creases if you are planning on taking it out of the closet where it doesn’t belong. All this adds to the character of a leather garment, and is the reason why they are referred to as ‘second skin’.
We are offering the Campus in pure new condition, not ‘factory distressed’. The jacket’s journey will be yours and each nick a memory. The evolution photo with the three stages is for reference only, results will depend on how you wear your Campus, how often and your type of activities.

Campus Jkt Evolution Mister Freedom 2013

Evolution will depend on use

Campus Early Prototype Mister Freedom 2013

Early prototype sun bathing

I once had in my hands a NOS 1930’s ‘Cossack’ leather jacket, original tags and all, featuring a printed paper sticker affixed to the flesh side of the hide. The sticker claimed the garment was “HAND WASHABLE with Castile Soap”.
Now. We have experienced soaking the CAMPUS in cold water, spin dry, line dry, worn briefly to shape, as demonstrated in this silly cartoon.

Campus Poster

What NOT to do, step by step

However, results have varied greatly and we DO NOT RECOMMEND IT. Some of the hides will shrink and/or stiffen more than others. So there is a chance of ending up with a leather brick two sizes too small… Should you wish to proceed with dipping your jacket in water, you are on your own…

It is much safer to wear the jacket and let natural patina happen over time.
For the adventurous type however, putting the CAMPUS jacket on a bust form outside and letting it tan for a while can have interesting results. Avoid large seagull populated areas. Also make sure to periodically move it around so that the sun tan looks natural, avoiding crisp lines. Anyone who ever woke up on a beach at noon will understand.

Just a few of the stages…

Anyways, here is the promised saga:
After the hides were selected, bought and dropped at the factory, the cutting began.
Then the skiving (for less bulky seams.)
Then the sewing…
The unfinished jacket were taken to yet another place to have keyhole type button holes added, instead of the more modern looking bound button hole construction.
The ultimate trip was to MF® atelier (a fancy word for our in-store sweat shop) where the buttons were patiently hand stitched, one by one.

Besides a long delay from the start due to difficulties sourcing all the required hides, I am happy – and relieved – to say that everything else went as planned.
If at any stage something could have gone very wrong, everyone involved did an amazing job to prevent FUBAR status.
Cheers!

Mister Freedom 2013

The MF soft shoe

 

And thus ends the saga of our CAMPUS Jacket…
Designed by Mister Freedom® and made in California, US of A.

SPECS:

PATTERN: An original pattern inspired by a Mrs. Cossack, and 1930’s sportswear type light leather jackets.

LEATHER: Vegetable tanned leather, full grain cow hide, milled and supple, natural finish and color, about 2-3 Oz weight, origin USA

DETAILS:
* 1930’s silhouette
* One piece back
* Fully unlined, clean seams.
* Cotton corduroy collar and wrist cuff facing
* Slash pockets with arrow stops.
* Side gussets with adjustable side straps (NOS metal slide buckles)
* Keyhole button holes.
* Corrozo ‘Cat Eyes’ wood buttons (aka ivory nut), backed by NOS French 1920’s glass 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 with American cowhides.

SIZING:
Because of its weight on the light side for a leather jacket, I wanted a slim and quite snug fit, reminiscent of the original 1930’s silhouettes. This leather jacket is easily wearable during California summer evenings, with a light shirt or T-shirt. Besides the easy blue jeans/Ts, I like the more elegant white shirt/tie look with it as well.
During winter, the CAMPUS can be layered under an heavier outwear jacket, an old school down vest etc…
I am usually a 38 in mfsc jackets and I am a 38 in the CAMPUS, with room for a lightweight shirt underneath.
Tom is wearing a 36 on the photos, his usual size in MF® jackets. Tom, however, does not eat calzones.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate measurements.

Campus Jacket Sizing Chart Mister Freedom 2013

CARE:
We recommend you leave you CAMPUS as-is and just wear it.
Because of its original light natural color that will darken over time, it is prone to get soiled, water marked etc… This is part of the tough life of a leather jacket, your second skin.
Just for info, Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap is used by some pro tack shops to clean leather, at your own risk. Pecard also offers quality leather dressing.
Please be aware that almost anything applied to light colored leather will alter its color.
What ‘works’ on boots is not what you put on a saddle (if you want to stay on it), and definitely not made for clothing.
Seek the help of a professional leather cleaner should staining occur that you cannot live with.

Note that some shedding of the leather ‘flesh’ side may occur for a while and leave (brush-able) flecks visible on dark shirts or waistcoats.
I have tested the corduroy ‘El Americano’ waistcoat with the Campus… once. This shedding should settle after a certain period of wearing the jacket.

 

Available NATURAL/‘raw’
Sizes
36
(Small)
38 (Medium)
40 (Large)
42 (XLarge)
44 (XXLarge)
Retail $949.95

Available on www.misterfreedom.com , at our brick and mortar in Hollywood, CA., and at a few selected fine boutiques around the World.
Please call 323-653-2014 or email sales@misterfreedom.com with any questions not answered above.

Thank you again for your support 😉

“HACENDADO Sack Coat” Mister Freedom® MFSC Spring 2013 (“Viva la Revolución” Collection, Part 3/7)

Hacendado Sack Coats ©2013 Mister Freedom®

 

Hacendado Sack Coat rig ©2013 Mister Freedom® Hacendado Sack Coat Homespun ©2013 Mister Freedom® Hacendado Sack Coat Baja ©2013 Mister Freedom® Hacendado Sack Coat Stripe ©2013 Mister Freedom® Hacendado Sack Coat Buttons ©2013 Mister Freedom® Hacendado Sack Coat Chainstitch ©2013 Mister Freedom® Hacendado Sack Coat cuffs ©2013 Mister Freedom® Hacendado Sack Coat label ©2013 Mister Freedom® Hacendado Sack Coat inside ©2013 Mister Freedom® Hacendado Sack Coat Lining ©2013 Mister Freedom® Hacendado Sack Coat seams ©2013 Mister Freedom®

 

Mister Freedom® MFSC “HACENDADO” Sack Coat
Viva la Revolución’ Collection, Spring 2013

The Hacienda system in Mexico dates back to the Spanish conquistadores of the 16th century. Large estates (up to 25,000 acres at times) were granted to a chosen few hacendados by the Spanish Crown, along with the natives who had lived on it for generations. This inherited unjust structure mostly ended around 1917, after Villa, Carranza and Zapata got the best of most estates, burning and pillaging away during their campaigns. Land was somewhat redistributed to Indians and owners limited to 200 acres, following Zapata’s principle ‘la tierra es para quien la travaja’ (the land belongs to those who work it.)
Most wealthy hacendados lived in the Capital Mexico City, or Paris, and closed their eyes on how the often ruthless administrators ran the estate, fully enforcing their feudal rights on hundreds of peones.

Being well travelled and living the life, the hacendados sported fancy suiting made from imported fabrics. The styles were very much influenced by European tailoring, adapted to local needs, tastes and in typical ‘tropical’ fashion of old Mexico. When annually visiting their estate, high leather gaiters, fancy sombrero or fedora and fine silk neckwear completed the outfits…
As can be seen on period photography of ragtag fighters (see some examples below), a lot of these mismatched sack coats, trousers and waistcoats made it to the ranks of the Revolutionaries, as ‘souvenirs’ of haciendas’ looting. Nothing wrong in looking sharp in front of La Muerte, verda?

Hacendado 1910 ©Fondo Casasola Villistas Revolucionarios Ragtag Revolutionaries Revolutionaries General Zapata in Charro suit

This is the background for our HACENDADO suiting serie for Spring 2013, again to take like a margarita, with a grain of salt por favor

We have developed three very different fabrics for this concept, all milled in Japan exclusively for MFSC (see swatches here):
* Stripe: Tan and indigo dyed yarns plain weave pinstripe pattern, a crispy blend of 55% hemp and 45% cotton, 6.8 oz., solid tan selvedge, inspired by a textile swatch from a 1930’s vintage waistcoat.
* Homespun: Natural/earth tones dyed yarns plain weave textile, a heavier blend of 68% hemp and 32% cotton, 11 oz., solid white selvedge, inspired by a turn of the century homespun French textile from a vintage South-West of France farmer blouse.
* Baja Denim: Lighter indigo dyed denim, 2×1 twill, 100% cotton, 6.5 oz., inspired by a specific indigo shade typical of Mexican artisan dyers of the time, selected from several vintage textiles of the area.

Let’s kick it off with the “HACENDADO SACK COAT”.
The pattern is a take on our Faro Sack Coat from the “Men of the Frontier” Fall 2012 Collection, blending early European tailoring/suiting with a touch of American work-wear. The rounded curve of the front panels is typical of some turn of the century coats, and also common on some charro type shorter coats (as sported by the always dapper General Zapata.)
You’ll have the option to mix and match the different fabrics, typical of the period. Wear a three piece set or cleverly pair the hacendado gear with denim jeans or other pieces of your favorite daily pick.

All designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co. Limited edition.

SPECS:
* PATTERN: An original MFSC pattern, inspired by silhouettes of several late 1800’s and turn of the century wool coats, combined with some American railroad jackets elements.
* FABRICS:
a) ‘Stripe’ option: 6.8 oz selvedge hemp/cotton woven textile. Body lined with inner ‘sandwiched’ (as opposed to a ‘floating’ lining) 100% cotton indigo dyed popeline. Arms lined with vintage 100% cotton NOS stripe plain weave fabric.
b) ‘Homespun’ option: 11 oz. selvedge hemp/cotton woven textile. Front panels lined with inner ‘sandwiched’ 100% cotton indigo dyed popeline (unlined rear panels for this option). Arms lined with vintage 100% cotton NOS stripe plain weave fabric.
c) ‘Baja Denim’ option: 6.5 oz. indigo dyed denim 2×1 twill, solid white selvedge, 100% cotton. Body lined with inner ‘sandwiched’ 100% cotton indigo dyed popeline. Arms lined with vintage 100% cotton NOS stripe plain weave fabric.

DETAILS:
* High buttoned front style (five button front).
* Notch lapel, with indigo dyed popeline facing.
* Off set shoulder seams.
* Flat felled seam chain stitch construction. 100% cotton thread.
* One chest and two waist slanted welt pockets.
* Concealed stripe cotton MFSC ticking chest pocket.
* Genuine Corrozo wood buttons, matching tones.
* Adjustable double button sleeve cuffs.
* No exposed seams/ no overlock.
* Original MFSC woven rayon neck ‘hanging loop’ label.

PACKAGING: An original MF® printed denim draw string bag, reusable as a grocery bag, hand-made in our Los Angeles studio.

SIZING/SHRINKAGE:
All three fabric options come RAW (unwashed). We recommend cold soak and line dry, which will result in minimal shrinkage and no color loss. All Hacendado sack coats will ultimately shrink to tagged size. Fuller shrinkage will be obtained with gentle machine cycle and low heat dryer, at your own risks.
The hemp/cotton blends will retain the desirable wrinkle effect typical of linen type textiles and ‘tropical’ look.

Sizing Chart STRIPE Hacendado sack coat Mister Freedom®

STRIPE option

Sizing Chart HOMESPUN Hacendado sack coat Mister Freedom®

HOMESPUN option

Available RAW/Unwashed.
SIZES
36
 (small)
38 (Medium)
40 (Large)
42 (X-Large)
44 (XX-Large)

Retail $739.95

Call 323-653-2014 or email sales@misterfreedom.com to get yours while they last. We ship internationally to select Countries. As always, thank you sincerely for your support.

Mister Freedom® MFSC Fall 2012 (Part 5): The “DROVER Blouse”. New Old Stock Denim & NOS Blanket

Tina fence Drover Blouse ©2012 Mister Freedom®

Mister Freedom® MFSC ‘DROVER Blouse’
‘Men of the Frontier’ Collection, Fall 2012

All hasn’t been quiet on this Western front lately. Let’s unleash another heavy hitter of our Mister Freedom x Sugar Cane collaboration, the 5th installment of Fall 2012 “Men of the Frontier”: The Drover Blouse.

We used the pattern of our popular “Chaparral Blouse” from Spring 2012. That was the easy part.
The challenge came from sourcing the fabrics. We had to dig deep to find enough undamaged raw yardage of NOS American made selvedge denim for the twill option. We managed, ‘cause we’re kinda stubborn.

For the other option, I wanted to use vintage wool blankets, ideally with woven stripes, and that’s when the trouble began. Old photographs and illustrations of fur traders, boat men and other mountain men show that wearing coats made out of blankets was quite common practice. Those coats were often very primitive in construction, a hooded T shaped capote or watchcoat that did the job to keep you warm during the harsh winter months. In remote trading posts, trappers would barter beaver pelts for manufactured goods such as wool blankets imported by the famous Hudson’s Bay Company.
With buffalos happily slaughtered to extinction by the White Man, a mere few hundred survivors by the 1850’s, wool blankets became a needed (and, as it turned out, cursed) commodity for the Plains Indians as well. Wool coats steadily replaced buffalo robes.

A fascinating brief history of the point blankets, a key element in the fur trade of the 18th Century, can be found here on the official site of the World oldest corporation. To clarify, we did NOT use any of the aforementioned rare and colorful vintage blankets to make our Blanket Drover Blouse. Those belong in museums, and we don’t have a bridge to sell you.
Read on.

Recommended reading:
* “Language of the Robe” by Robert W. Kapoun & Charles J. Lohrmann, 1992
* “Chasing Rainbows” by Barry Friedman, 2002

Crow Chiefs 1887 (© photo courtesy of Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma) Hudson's Bay blankets Potlach (© photo courtesy of F.H. Douglas Library, Denver Art Museum) NOS Blankets, Drover Blouse, ©2012 Mister Freedom® Stockman Farmer 1941-42 Catalog, Pendleton blanket jacket

But, revenons à nos moutons. We didn’t have to canoe up the Yukon, fight bears and dodge arrows, but finding enough vintage matching blankets to justify production was no walk in the park either. We thought of giving up as prices were fluctuating, making this venture a financial risk. But after many efforts, we sourced out enough military dead-stock lots in a journey that took us from Nevada to Europe, with a few stops along the way… The 100% wool blankets we used for our Drover Blouse were originally manufactured for the Military, guaranteeing high grade and quality. They are of several 1960’s~70’s original military contracts, with slight variations in manufacturing specs.
They then took an ocean liner to Japan, where they were cut and sewn and turned into this puuurdy cool coat. In 40 years, when you pass it on to your grand children, you’ll have a story to go with it…

Did I also mention we were originally told that this jacket would be impossible to manufacture? Let’s say we made them an offer they couldn’t refuse, not involving a horse head, but a lot of perseverance.

Designed in California by Mister Freedom® and expertly manufactured in very limited quantities by Sugar Cane Co in Japan.

SPECS:

PATTERN: An original MFSC pattern, introduced as the “Blouse Chaparral” in Spring 2012, and inspired by 1920′s~30′s sport type jackets, leather A-1 type coats, early Chimayo jackets…
FABRIC:
Two entirely different options, NOS denim and NOS wool blanket.
Option a) NOS Denim: Vintage dark indigo new old stock American milled denim, sanforized, white with black line selvedge ID, 3×1 twill, about 12 Oz.
Option b) NOS Blanket: Heavy 100 % wool blankets, vintage military NOS, with blue woven stripes pattern. There are three main lots of blankets, each with a slightly different stripe pattern and color background. This is due to three different origins and specifics of the military manufacturers contracts. What you get is what we found. Each jacket will be slightly different, making it unique and collectible.
LINING: Both options are fully lined.
Option a) The NOS denim option body liner is made of striped “Troy Blanket” (60% re-used wool, 28% cotton, 12% rayon). Soft touch. Woven in Japan.
Option b) The NOS Blanket option is lined with an original MFSC 100% cotton plaid, woven turquoise/white/red yarns, milled in Japan exclusively for MFSC.
Both options arm lining is of a vintage NOS 100% cotton stripe denim twill, from Mister Freedom® fabric stock.

DETAILS:
*  1920′s~30′s type silhouette.
* Original A-1 type round collar.
* Back darting and expansion gusset, 1930′s style.
* Horsehide leather side and cuff cinch straps (with vintage NOS French metal slide buckles), leather pocket trimming and leather detachable chin-strap.
* Reddish/brown Corozo wood buttons.
* Full lining, wool blend “Troy Blanket” on option a) and cotton woven plaid on option b)
* No exposed seam, no overlock.
* Button facing with selvedge denim on option a) and bias tape edge on option b)

PACKAGING: For your future pro prop 37 grocery shopping experience we have packaged your Drover Blouse in an original MF® made raw selvedge denim draw string bag.

SIZING/SHRINKAGE:
Option a)
The NOS denim is raw/unwashed. It is sanforized and should shrink from approx 0.5% to 3%. Some variation in shrinkage is expected and beyond our control, due to the nature of that particular NOS denim lot.
We recommend an original cold soak, no agitation, spin dry cycle and line dry. Further cleaning, if needed, should be handled by your professional environmentally friendly local dry-cleaner. Do NOT boil your Drover. I usually wear 38/medium in MFSC jackets but decided to go with a rinsed 36 for the denim issue Drover. I just won’t eat pasta anymore. Sizing chart below.
Denim Drover Blouse SIZING chart
Option b) Professional DRY CLEAN only, when cleaning needed. DO NOT RINSE/DRY. If this fabric option doesn’t fit you size wise, then it’s not meant to be. DO NOT attempt washing to make it shrink, as this will ruin the jacket.
Those fit SNUG. I wear a 38, with not much room for pasta either. Chart below.
Blanket Drover Blouse SIZING chart

 

Available RAW/unwashed

Sizes
36
(small)
38
(medium)
40 (large)
42 (xlarge)
44 (xxlarge)

Retail
Option a)
NOS Denim $849.95
Option b)
NOS Blanket $869.95

Call 323-653-2014 or mail sales@misterfreedom.com to get yours while they last. We ship internationally to select Countries. Thank you for the support, friends.

Today’s soundtrack:

Mister Freedom® MFSC Fall 2012 (Part 3): The “FARO Sack Coat”

Faro-Sack-Coats-rig Mister Freedom® ©2012

Mister Freedom® MFSC Faro Sack Coat
Men of the Frontier Fall 2012

By now the card game of Faro has no secrets for you, right? You have also come to realize that winning at it might require cheating a bit. So here are some sleeves for your aces…

With its early origin on European tailors’ drafting tables as a jacket more practical, more comfortable and ‘easier’ to assemble than the traditional morning and frock coats, the sack coat made its way West and became widely popular in the America of the mid 1800’s. It suited the need for a coat that could pass as a semi formal garment as much as a work jacket.
Business, trail riding, saloon outings, church going and gambling could all be conveniently conducted wearing one same jacket. Just needed some dusting off on Sundays.
The old French term sacque seems to refer to back panels construction and/or a hip-length woman jacket… During the transition period, many styles have existed, as seen in period photography.

Crow Family, circa 1900 (National Archives) Quanah Parker, Comanche, circa 1890 (National Archives) Photo courtesy of Fort Sill National Historic Landmark and Museum

As always, nothing literal about our MFSC sack coat interpretation. For us, the concept came from wanting to combine an early riding coat (redingote) with a railroad type denim work jacket. Our Faro coat combines elements and construction details of both.
The overall appearance is that of a high buttoned notch lapel blazer. The front panel round cutaway are from an early ‘hybrid’ style popular in the late 1800’s (the less fabric to lift, the faster you’d get to your iron.) We use a four panel back, associated with frock coats, but no waist seam and no skirt/tail/back vent.

Like with our Faro waist coat, two fabric options: Dark navy blue midwale corduroy and ‘gun powder’ black cotton-linen HBT. The full lining is a “Troy Blanket” type, sandwiched in the flat felled seams (not floating.)

According to how you decide to pair the Faro sack coat, it can go fancy, casual or workwear. I have always liked the matching jacket/waistcoat look with mismatched trousers, but many combos work.

Designed in California by Mister Freedom® and crafted as a one-time limited batch by Sugar Cane Co in Japan.

SPECS:

PATTERN: An original MFSC®, inspired by late 1800’s coats and denim railroad type jackets.

FABRIC:
Two options
a) Deep rich navy blue color, 100% cotton corduroy, midwale (9 wale/inch), 11 Oz. Woven in Japan.
b) “Gun Powder” black (between field grey and dark laurel green), wide HBT (herringbone twill), selvedge, 20% Cotton/80% Linen blend, 15 Oz. Woven in Japan
INNER LINNING: Old school striped “Troy Blanket” (60% re-used wool, 28% cotton, 12% rayon). Soft touch. Woven in Japan.

DETAILS:
* High buttoned front style (five button front).
* Notch lapel, lining with back cotton sateen.
* Off set shoulder seams.
* Full body and sleeves “Troy Blanket Mills” soft lining.
* Flat felled seam construction. 100% cotton thread, tonal.
* One chest and two waist slanted welt pockets.
* Concealed sailcloth chest pocket.
* Reddish-brown corrozo buttons.
* Adjustable double button sleeve cuffs.
* Concealed MFSC woven label and Troy label on inside of front left panel.
* No exposed seams/ no overlock.

PACKAGING: For your future non-Monsanto grocery shopping experience we have packaged the Faro sack coat in an original MF® made raw selvedge denim draw string bag.

SHRINKAGE/SIZING: Both fabric options come raw/unwashed.
We recommend an initial cold rinse (hand agitation) and line dry. The Faro coat fits true to size. I am a 38 and wear a 38 in this jacket.
Just as you wouldn’t boil a fancy suit, please treat with care or take to your environmentally friendly dry cleaner for future cleaning. Refer to sizing chart below for raw/rinsed/line dry approx. measurements.

Faro Sack Coat sizing chart

Available RAW/unwashed
Sizes 36 (small), 38 (medium), 40 (large), 42 (xlarge), 44 (xxlarge)
Retail $799.95

Call 323-653-2014 or mail sales@misterfreedom.com to get yours while they last. We ship internationally to select Countries. Thank you for the support, friends.

Mister Freedom® MFSC American Sportswear Fall 2011 (Part 3): The “Ranch Blouse”

 

Ranch Blouse Box

The Made in USA “Ranch Blouse”NOS  is in… Yippee-ki-Yay 😉

Our MFSC Ranch Blouse is an homage to the denim jacket models that have been covering Americans’ backs for over 100 years.

No wheel reinvented here, just our humble version of that ‘closet must-have’.
Pull out the ol’ Texas Tuxedo or mix it with chinos, slacks… or our Speedway jeans… as you know it’s a pretty versatile garment.

Now, on production: To make things more challenging (why do easy when you can do complicated?) we decided to have the US prod of that jacket made of New Old Stock assorted denims from our archives. It did sound like a good idea at first 😉
Ranch Blouse NOS denim Swatches

Turns out, it has been a real challenge for the factory, and a real headache to control and process… No one has done it this way before (not boasting, just warning others!), and there is a reason for that: it’s brutal.
There is no way to describe the individual fabrics, nor to figure out the exact Oz. The above scan is an approximate reference for selvedge ID’s and shades of colors (although the scan makes some denim look more ‘black’ that in reality.) Ya ready?

SPECS:
PATTERN: MFSC pattern, an homage to the pioneer denim brands…
FABRICS: All 100% cotton NOS selvedge assorted raw denims, different origins, USA and Japan
Most options are indigo blue denim, but a few other colors are also available such as NOS Black (lighter Oz.), Brown, Stripe Twill (aka Rodeo Blouse)…
DETAILS:
* Original 30’s style ’round collar’, with under layer zigzag stitching.
* Double unbalanced front pocketing.
* Original Mister Freedom “oxydized” metal buttons.
* Cinch back strap, with NOS metal prong buckle.
* Front expansion pleats, when the belly just can’t take it anymore.
* Copper rivet pocket and cuffs reinforcement, backed by leather washer.
* Button panel fold showing original denim selvedge ID on the inside of the jacket.
PACKAGING: In the USA, the blouse comes in an old school cardboard box with original artwork. This sturdy box can be used for storage of small items, please re-use.
SHRINKAGE/SIZING:
Measurements in below chart are approximate because there are always slight variations in measuring a bulky surface.
There is ONE pattern grading for each size. Shrinkage is specific to each denim, and we will soon do rinse tests on groupings of 50+ yards and will try to post a % for some of the groupings. We anticipate an average shrinkage of most RAW denims from 3% to 8%, depending on water temperature, drying method and textiles specifics. Proportionally, there is often more noticeable shrinkage in length than width with RAW denim. Also, there will be natural minimal stretching back and forth with subsequent wear/rinse…
We recommend an original 10 mn cold soak, no agitation, spin dry, ‘wear to shape’ and line drying.

Ranch Blouse RAW sizing

FIT PHOTOS: I am wearing a size 38, on/off for about 6 months. One original rinse.
NOTE: The worn jacket in some of the shots is for reference only. This is NOT how the “Ranch Blouse” comes out of the box. It is only sold RAW/unwashed in the USA, so you can, not only start your own natural fading/wearing process, but do the right thing for our rivers by NOT purchasing factory chemically pre-distressed garments.

Garment designed and manufactured in California by Mister Freedom® in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co (MFSC). Limited Edition.

Available RAW/Unwashed
Sizes: 36, 38, 40, 42, 44
Retail: $299.95

Call the store at (323) 653-2014 or mail sales@misterfreedom.com to get yours while they last.
We ship internationally.
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