After scoring a nice assortment of royal blue/sienna/coral selvedge canvas fabrics from a dusty warehouse, we decided to go for a “Skipper” version, for dudes, hodads and barneys.
This one took a little time to complete as the cut/saw process had to be interrupted by a fun silkscreening session. The canvas fabric was originally solid and we decided to print one of the leg panel with an original Polynesia-inspired motif. As with the MF® Shop Tees, we are using water-based ink, so the graphic will gradually fade with wear and water sport activities.
Please note that, although adequate for swimming, these are vintage-style 100% cotton beach trunks and will not dry as fast as modern polyester trunks or spandex speedos.
The Skipper Board Shorts are designed and manufactured in California by Mister Freedom®.
FABRIC: NOS 100% cotton selvedge canvas, about 9 Oz., origin USA. Three color combinations available: a) Royal Blue, with Sienna (or Coral) waist band & pocket. b) Sienna, with Royal Blue waist band & pocket. c) Coral, with Royal Blue waist band & pocket.
SPECS: * Inspired by late 60’s to 1970’s classic swim and surf trunks. * Paracord/eyelet waist closure system. * Contrast Velcro® fly closure. * Fabric selvedge featured on the waistband. * Side pocket with Velcro® closure flap. * Rear concealed pocket. * Poly-cotton contrast stitching.
* Comes with TWO amazing MF® desktop wallpaper options, downloadable for freehere and here. Like, dude, whoa... * Made in USA.
SIZING/FIT: The board shorts are only available raw (unwashed) and are cut to fit the tagged size after an initial cold rinse and line dry. The paracord/eyelet closure system allows for some slight adjustment to the waist for a tighter/looser fit (about ¾ inch play). Please refer to sizing chart for cold soak/line dry measurements. (Please note that further shrinkage may happen with hot soak and heat dryer.)
CHART
CARE:
Machine wash, cold water, hang dry.
Available Raw (unwashed) ONLY Tagged Sizes W28 W30 W32 W34 W36
Retail $99.95
Available from our webstore cheerful Beachwear section, and the MF® Los Angeles brick & mortar store. Email sales@misterfreedom.com or call 323-653-2014 with any questions unanswered above. Thank you for your support.
A rinsed Mister Freedom® Chandail “Saint-Malo” next to a worn/sun-exposed early prototype.
Mister Freedom® Chandail “Saint-Malo”, NOS indigo cotton Fisherman’s rib stitch jersey knit. “Sportsman” catalog, Spring 2017.
Made in USA
Hissez-haut matelots!
Some new nautical adventures and sea shanties from MF® this Spring 2017…
The small iconic harbor of Saint-Malo, was the home town of renown mariner Jacques Cartier, responsible for Céline Dion’s entertaining accent when she speaks French. The port city later became notorious as anchorage for 17th and 18th century corsairs and pirates, guaranteeing the French crown handsome revenues, and local taverns a steady flow of parrot-shouldered flamboyant return customers.
Manufactured nowhere close to Bretagnebut right here in sunny California, the Mister Freedom® indigo chandail is no less Seven-Seas-ready.
After scoring a loot of NOS indigo cotton jersey last year, we decided to turn the fancy fabric into boat-neck seafaring-inspired shirts. For the pattern, we adapted an old favorite, the MF® Boating Jersey. The technical term “Fisherman’s rib stitch” refers to the fabric’s specific weave, displaying a vertical pattern of fine ribs, with somewhat of a ‘waffle’ aspect reminiscent of vintage thermal shirts.
The specific horizontal mechanical stretch combined with fabric shrinkage made manufacturing this garment a tour de force. It took nearly one year of challenging sample-making and pattern-adjusting to get the fit and proportions right.Today, we are quite ecstatic to finally add this little guy to our ever-growing Sportsman catalog.
The MF® Chandail Saint-Malo is quite versatile and can be worn as a single-layer nautical shirt, as a thermal-type undershirt, as a light sweater over a summer-weight button shirt, like a chambray Tonkinoise or Ranger Shirt for instance.
As always with Mister Freedom® garments, this shirt is not available factory distressed. The subtle and attractive heather quality of the deep dark indigo will intensify as the garment fades with normal wear/wash cycles. Check out the photo featuring a rinsed shirt next to a worn/sun-exposed early prototype, for an idea of fading evo.
The MF® Chandail Saint-Malo is designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and manufactured in USA, from American NOS fabric.
FABRIC: New Old Stock 100% cotton “Fisherman’s rib stitch” jersey knit, deep dark indigo blue yarn-dyed, milled in USA. Note: It is the nature of indigo-dyed garments to transfer some of the indigo color to other surfaces, from abrasion. Be aware of potential color crocking when pairing the Chandail Saint-Malo with light color garments.
SPECS: * An original MF® pattern inspired by vintage nautical shirts and traditional French naval jerseys.
* Slim-fitting at first, relaxed fit after mechanical stretch.
* ¾ length sleeves.
* Side slits.
* Extended back tail.
* Concealed ID patch for custom markings, cut from vintage selvedge chambray fabric.
* Contrasting “Sportsman” green inside stitching.
* Made in USA
SIZING/FIT: After an initial cold rinse and heat dry cycle, the MF® Chandail Saint-Malo will fit pretty much like our popular Stanley T-Shirt, but with much more ‘elasticity’. If you are familiar with our Skivvy and Stanley T-Shirts, the Tricot Marin fits like a Skivvy, while the Saint-Malo feels more like the Stanley, due to similar fabric stretch properties.
I wear a Small in Stanley and Skivvy, and usually Medium in mfsc button shirts. I opted for a size Small in the Saint-Malo, with a snug initial fit that loosened-up gradually and rapidly while wearing the shirt. After a day of normal wear, the body expands a few inches in width, minimally in length. If the pattern has been specifically adjusted to avoid an unattractive “boxy” silhouette, a Small in the AM feels somewhat like a Medium in the PM.
This garment is meant to be laundered following each wear. It will shrink to a tighter fit after wash/heat dry, and expand again with wear.
Bottom line, if in-between sizes, or worried about the gradually overly-relaxed fit, we definitely recommend sizing down on the Saint-Malo.
As always, which size will work for you depends on your own aesthetics, body type, preference for ‘vintage’ silhouette or contemporary fit.
Refer to sizing chart for measurements, taken with the item laying flat and not stretched. Do keep in mind the mechanical stretch aforementioned. Think of it as a tube sock without Lycra or Spandex.
CARE: When laundering, we recommend cold wash with eco-friendly detergent, heat dryer. Wash and dry separately to avoid color transfer to light color garments.
Available raw (un-washed) Sizes X-Small
Small
Medium
Large
X-Large
Mister Freedom® “Conductor Slacks”, selvedge ‘Malibu denim’. Sportsman Catalog, Spring 2017 Made in USA.
Following the addition of a new pattern to our ever-growing Mister Freedom® Sportsman catalog this Spring, the fancy Choo-Choo-Charlie-denim-jacket-for-the-caboose-inclined-and-vintage-iron-horse-connoisseur aka the Conductor jacket, we felt compelled to match it with a muy loco version of our Sportsman Slacks.
If we don’t recommend wearing both as a set for a job interview, our Conductor jacket and slacks are pretty versatile pieces. Both patterns blend workwear and early tailor-made Gentleman’s garb, in a light indigo denim treatment we refer to as “Malibu Denim”. Milled in Japan and introduced a few years ago, this particular denim is an old MF® favorite. Technically, it is quite tricky for a dye-house to control a lighter shade of indigo (darker shades are easier to keep consistent, as you can always do another dip…), so we are very happy that this new 2017 batch is as beautiful and unique as its 2015 and 2016 predecessors.
With normal wear, this ‘Malibu denim’ will fade to an attractive range of exotic and dreamy lagoon blues. Its specific indigo hue makes it quite complimenting to other darker denim twills. Pair it with the MF® Cowboy Jacket in dark loomstate NOS Cone denim or Wheat denim, with the twill color palette of our Continental sportcoats etc…
The Conductor Slacks garment pattern is inspired by vintage Gentlemen trousers, blending Old and New World, combining fancy tailoring and utilitarian workwear. Originally introduced during our !Viva La Revolucion! days (2013), the pattern was adapted in 2015 to be added to our Sportsman Catalog as a Gun Powder linen-cotton HBT option. The Vaquero Jeans had become the Sportsman Slacks, a reincarnation a tinge overshadowed by tragic events at the time…
Here they are again for Spring 2017, released as the Conductor Slacks.
The Conductor Slacks are designed and manufactured in California by Mister Freedom®, in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.
NOTE: Some of the photos feature an hemmed pair of Conductor Slacks (with a stitched 1½’’ plain trousers fold). Production comes with an open overlocked bottom with a generous inseam, for your cuffing preference.
FABRIC: Original mfsc “Malibu Sea” denim, 13 Oz. indigo-dyed denim twill, solid white selvedge. Milled in Japan.
DETAILS: * Vintage European trousers-type construction, no back yoke. * “Cowboy” front pocket opening. * Oxidized black ‘donut’ wreath waist button. * Unmarked utilitarian ‘donut’ metal fly buttons. * Two rear welt pockets. * Pocketing and lining from fancy NOS woven stripe 100% cotton plain weave fabric (ivory white with blue & grey stripes), milled in Europe. * Rear reinforcement lining patching. * Side cinch tabs, adjustable with NOS vintage French metal buckles. * Selvedge leg side seam. * Open inseam, overlocked bottom hem, for your cuffing preference (hemmed, double hemmed, rolled…) * Turn-of-the-century style flared waistband (narrower in back). * Slim belt loops (trousers style). * All cotton thread navy blue stitching. * Green bar-tack Sportsman accents and inside chainstitch. * Original MF® “The Sportsman” woven rayon black label. * Made in USA.
SIZING/FIT: The Conductor Slacks comes UN-WASHED (=raw, loomstate) and are cut so that the measurements match the labeling after an initial cold soak/line dry. We recommend our usual method for raw denim garments: * 30-40mn cold soak with intermittent hand agitation, in minimally-filled washing machine or bath tub. * Spin dry cycle (if using a machine). * Hang dry. * As an optional step, wear the garment briefly when still not fully dry, in order to slightly shape it to your body and set creases. Hang and let fully dry. The denim garment will stiffen when dry due to the re-activated fabric starch contained in the cotton yarns, a normal reaction that will rapidly subside with normal wear.
Fit: If the soaked Waist 32 felt more comfortable, I opted for a Waist 30 in the Conductor Slacks. The waist should give a bit to better accommodate my girly 31’’ waist. Whether going for the slimmer look of the W30 or the more generous silhouette of the W32 is a matter of preference. I personally decided to size down on these.
For hemming, i opted for a stitched 1½’’ plain trousers fold.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements. Soaked = 30mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry.
CARE: Launder when needed. We recommend turning the trousers inside out to avoid marbling on the indigo side. Hand washing can be a good option if concerned with specific wear patterns and high-contrast color fades. Otherwise, machine wash inside out with cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.
Available Raw/unwashed Sizes (W stands for Waist) W 28 x L W 29 x L W 30 x L W 31 x L W 32 x L W 33 x L W 34 x L W 36 x L W 38 x L Retail $329.95
Mister Freedom® “Le Valseur”, Stripe Covert and Indigo cotton-linen HBT.
GYPSY BLUES mfsc collection Spring 2017.
Made in Japan.
Dancing partner of the Veste Belleville and its Gilet Gadjo sidekick, the MF® Valseur is the latest addition to our Gypsy Blues Spring 2017 collection.
This new pattern is inspired by French 1920’s to 1950’s fancy gentlemen’s trousers, mixing elements of several vintage specimen from our archives into the usual Mister Freedom® shaker. The higher rise and full straight leg of the Valseur are a nostalgic nod to ballroom dancing, guinguettes and Saint-Germain-des-Prés jazz caves, but should also work for the rave shuffle.
The defunct colloquialism valseur is a French argot term that only old-timers will get. The literal translation is “waltz dancer”, but in 1900’s slang, valseur came to designate a pair of trousers. It was also used by wise guys and Parisian Apaches to refer to one’s buttocks…
More relevantly, our trousers come in two distinct fabric options.
Both were introduced with the release of our Veste Belleville and the Gilet Gadjo: an indigo-dyed cotton/linen HBT (the same sturdy fabric of our Waterfront Coat, indigo-dyed to a dark and rich hue), a textile inspired by early French firemen uniform of the 1900’s, and a 100% cotton stripe covert fabric, a sort of heather charcoal grey salt & pepper with a subtle woven stripe pattern, developed from a vintage swatch of 1930’s French workwear NOS textile. Both fabrics were milled in Japan.
The Valseur is designed in California by MISTER FREEDOM® and manufactured in Japan by SUGAR CANE Co.
SPECS:
FABRICS:
Option A) indigo HBT A sturdy 15 Oz. blend of 80% linen and 20% cotton indigo-dyed HBT textile, selvedge, milled in Japan.
Please note that some light streaking can be observed on leg panels at times. This is due to the nature of indigo-dyeing this specific heavy textured fabric. This is not considered as a defect, and will subside with wear. This indigo-dyed fabric is very light sensitive and its hue will evolve rapidly. Option B) Stripe Covert A lighter 9 Oz. covert woven stripe 100% cotton fabric, black selvedge ID, milled in Japan.
DETAILS: * Inspired by classic 1920’s to 1950’s French gentlemen’s trousers and fine tailor-made garments.
* Higher rise, fit top block and full straight leg silhouette.
* Button fly with utilitarian unmarked ‘donut’ metal buttons (copper for the indigo, brass for the covert).
* French-style waist metal hook.
* Selvedge outseam.
* Contrast indigo Wabash twill pocket bags and waistband lining.
* Taped seat seam, fancy indigo-dyed tape.
* Metal “Art Deco” style suspender buttons.
* Two rear welt pockets, with arcuate decorative stitching.
* Cinch back, strap lined with NOS mfsc “Reno” calico twill and featuring a vintage-style copper/steel metal prong buckle.
* Shorter belt loops, for elegant < 1 inch-wide leather belts.
* Tailor-made style crotch lining, cotton sateen.
* 100% cotton stitching (navy blue for Stripe Covert, tonal for Indigo HBT).
* Original “Gypsy Blues” mfsc woven rayon label.
* Made in Japan.
SIZING/FIT: Both fabric options come raw/unwashed. We recommend the usual method, initial cold soak, spin dry and line dry.
To get the leg silhouette I desired, opted for a Waist 30 in the Stripe Covert. A bit tight in the waist at first since I am more of a measured W31, but the fabric gives slightly with wear and light rug-cutting.
I opted for a Waist 30 in the indigo HBT version as well. A bit more forgiving in the waist (the fabric tends to stretch out slightly with wear), the silhouette is similar but the drape quite different due to the bulkiness of the HBT weave.
Please refer to chart to figure which size works for you. If still confused, email sales@misterfreedom.com
Valseur COVERT
Valseur HBT
CARE: Indigo HBT: When needed, hand wash or machine wash on delicate, cold water, minimal eco-friendly detergent. Turn inside-out to avoid marbling of the fabric. Line dry ONLY.
DO NOT use heat dryer as this will leave marbling lines and set un-natural creases to the indigo HBT linen fabric.
Covert stripe: Machine wash on delicate, cold water, minimal eco-friendly detergent. Line dry.
Available raw/unwashed. Sizes
W28 x L34
W30 x L34
W32 x L34
W34 x L34
W36 x L34
W38 x L34
