Mister Freedom® “SECOYA” Double-Panel Ventilated Work Shirt, selvedge “Winter King” heavy flannel edition.
FW2020 mfsc Surplus Collection.
Made in Japan.
The original Mister Freedom® “SECOYA” pattern was introduced sometime during Spring 2019, and initially released in a fine 3 Oz. indigo yarn “NTC” chambray, a fabric familiar to all mfsc OGs as it was the same indigo chambray used for the 2008 “Naval Clothing Tailor” Utility Shirt.
The SECOYA pattern combines two vintage garments, a rare 1930’s pull-over chin-strap work chambray with no label, and a 1940’s STURDY OAK work chambray with elaborate “Double-Panel” construction.
The defunct STURDY OAK label, the workwear division of Sears, Roebuck & Co, produced its famous “Double-Back / Double-Shoulder Yoke / Double-Underarm” pattern, often complimented with “Ventilation Eyelets”. Other bygone mail-order catalog companies such as Montgomery Ward & Co, Spiegel or JCPenney also offered their versions in the 1940’s -50’s, all full open button front shirts. We thought of combining the fancy “Double-Panel” pattern with a pull-over type shirt, and the MF® SECOYA was born.
The term Secoya is Bad Hombre parlance for sequoia, a semantic nod to the vintage Sturdy Oak specimen that inspired this MF® pattern.
For FW2020, we decided to introduce a plaid version of the SECOYA. We pulled an old vintage “Winter King” heavy flannel shirt from our archives for inspiration, as it featured a beautiful classic woven plaid of red dominant and genuine indigo yarns. Our friends at Toyo Enterprises milled a phenomenal selvedged interpretation in Japan, in a hefty 8.25 Oz. weight.
The resulting plaid is indeed quite smashing, with the unusual use of indigo yarn adding a new dimension to a classic heavy flannel type fabric of the “Big Mac” or “Five Bros” family.
Our colorful SECOYA is complemented by indigo poplin accents on the button placket and cuffs facing, that will all contribute to the shirt aging gracefully with normal wash and wear. The green ventilation stitched eyelets and white corozo wood cat-eyes buttons add a 1940s-1950s workwear touch.
The “SECOYA” Double-Panel Ventilated Work Shirt, “Winter King” heavy flannel edition is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS:
FABRIC:
Vintage-inspired 100% cotton classic woven plaid, 8.25 Oz., red dominant with genuine indigo yarns, solid white selvedge ID, milled in Japan.
DETAILS:
* An original mfsc pattern, inspired by vintage 1930’s-1940’s classic American fancy chambray work shirts.
* Pull-over style.
* “Double-Back / Double-Shoulder Yoke / Double-Underarm” pattern.
* Stitched ventilation Eyelets on underarm and back panels, green thread.
* Selvedge side gussets.
* Chin strap.
* Indigo poplin facing on front button placket/cuffs/chest pockets.
* White corozo wood “cat-eyes” buttons.
* Double chest pocketing, buttoned pockets.
* Concealed inside chest pocket
* High-count 100% cotton tonal stitching, chainstitch construction.
* Original MF® mfsc “Surplus” woven rayon label.
SIZING/FIT:
The SECOYA “Winter King” heavy flannel Work Shirt comes raw/unwashed. It is cut so that the measurements match the labeling after an initial cold rinse/line dry.
We recommend this usual protocol before wear:
- Cold soak for about 30-40mn with occasional hand agitation or one machine rinse cycle on delicate.
- Washing machine spin dry.
- Line dry. (No heat dryer)
We recommend wearing your usual mfsc shirting size, although I personally opted for a SMALL on the SECOYA heavy flannel. I am 5.7’’ approx. 150 Lbs.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/cold rinsed measurements. To reflect “real life” garment conditions, the shrink-tested shirts in the chart have been rinsed in a home washing machine, cold water, full spin cycle on delicate, and then line dried (no heat dryer.)
CHART
CARE:
Machine wash on DELICATE, cold water, mild eco-friendly detergent. Hang dry.
Do not use the washer’s heavy-duty cycle. Heat dryer is also not recommended and may result in excessive and irreversible shrinkage.
Available RAW (unwashed)
Sizes
X-Small
Small
Medium
Large
X-Large
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®
©2020
 
 
Mister Freedom® TRAILBLAZER, Brushed Cotton Sateen.
mfsc FW2019 Surplus Catalog.
Made in Japan.
Do you know what a camel is?
Someone once said that a camel is a horse designed by a Board of Experts…
Well, our TRAILBLAZER is one of those hybrid species from Weirdsville, courtesy of the MF® Design Department. Working on FW2019 last year, the initial intention of our in-house Board of Experts – joined that day by Mr. Tom Tanaka, friend, skilled surfer and head of the International Dept. of Toyo Enterprise – was to release a winter version of the SECOYA Shirt, merely updating the light ounce chambray to a heftier fabric option. So much for that easy-breezy plan…
Ideas started flowing, such as making the shirt full button-up front (not pull-over), and using metal grommets instead of stitched eyelets for ventilation.
I had quickly dismissed a suggestion by Tina from Bazar a few weeks prior to that FW2019 meeting, pointing out to the practicality of “a shirt with added slash pockets”, just because her pitch had started with “you know what you should do?” That idea popped back up on the drafting table during the design meeting. A few cups of brain juice later and we had a few rough sketches for the “kangaroo” pockets and front button placket, which materialized later into the mfsc TRAILBLAZER courtesy of Sensei Fukutomi San, pattern maestro of Toyo Enterprise.
We had been contemplating for a while using Brushed Cotton Sateen for an mfsc project, a popular textile for casual sportswear in the 1960’s-70’s, and a big hit in Europe at the time. The leisure suit collector and vintage fashion gourmet will relate to funky-fresh Lee® trucker jackets with matching bottoms, and to the plethora of off-brand flare jeans and shirt-jaks cut from that glorious textile, in a wild palette of pastel or bold colors. This fabric would be a perfect fit for our trailblazing cameloid.
The FW2019 TRAILBLAZER fabric is a weft-faced brushed sateen, a tightly woven twill with a characteristic soft brushed satin weave face and a plain weave reverse. We opted for two complimenting colors, Prussian blue and rust, lifted from two vintage garments from the MF® vintage archives.
If the rest of the specifics of the Secoya Shirt are still there – double-shoulder yoke, selvedge gussets, chin strap, and combo of assorted colorful tin-pressed buttons – the mfsc TRAILBLAZER is in a league of its own. With the four front pockets contrasting with the rounded shirttail panels typical of vintage tuck-in style shirting, the garment had morphed into an overshirt/jacket.
Blending 1930’s details and 1970’s fabrics, the vibe of our TRAILBLAZER is somewhat reminiscent of early California rock climbing and mountaineering (see The Stone Masters, “Valley Uprising” documentary, etc…), rather than the initial Dust Bowl workwear vibe of its Secoya predecessor.
The MF® TRAILBLAZER is designed in California by the Mister Freedom® Board of Experts and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS:
FABRIC:
100 % cotton sturdy weft-faced brushed sateen, selvedge. Milled in Japan.
Two color options: Prussian blue and Rust.
Facing: 100% cotton Buzz Rickson’s USN-type indigo chambray, selvedge.
DETAILS:
* An original mfsc design, blending vintage 1930’s-1940’s classic American fancy chambray work shirt patterns, 1970’s fashionable fabrics, early California rock climbing low-tech vibes, in a contemporary approach.
* Full button-up front.
* Two bottom slash pockets with original “brain-juice special” pocket bag construction.
* Vintage “Double-Back / Double-Shoulder Yoke / Double-Underarm” pattern.
* Ventilation metal eyelet grommets on underarm and back panels.
* Rounded shirttails with selvedge side gussets.
* 1930’s style chin-strap.
* Front button-up plackets/cuff slits/chest pockets featuring indigo chambray facing accents.
* Combination of 1940’s style tin-pressed metal painted buttons, contrasting colors and models. (Note that the paint chips off easily, as it did on vintage buttons.)
* Double chest pocketing, buttoned down.
* Blue chambray concealed chest pocket, displaying fabric selvedge.
* High-count 100% cotton tonal stitching, chainstitch overall construction, no open/overlocked seams.
* Original MF® mfsc “Surplus” woven rayon label.
* Made in Japan.
SIZING/FIT:
The MF® TRAILBLAZER comes raw/unwashed and is cut so that the measurements match the labeling after an initial cold soak/line dry.
We recommend this usual protocol before wearing:
- Cold soak for about 30-40mn, with occasional hand agitation.
- Spin dry and line dry.
- Hang until fully dry.
This shirt is a non tuck-in type, and is considered more like an over-shirt or shirt-jacket. I wear a comfortable Medium in the TRAILBLAZER, my usual size in mfsc shirts, with enough room to layer.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements.
Soaked = 30-40mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry (ie. minimal shrinkage).
CHART
Available RAW/unwashed.
CARE:
Launder when needed. We recommend turning garments inside out to avoid marbling of the fabric during laundering.
Machine wash on gentle cycle, cold water, minimum eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.
SIZES:
14½ (Small)
15½ (Medium)
16½ (Large)
17½ (X-Large)
18½ (XX-Large)
Available from our Los Angeles red brick 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
“La TONKINOISE”, Double Indigo Twill.
FW2019 mfsc “Surplus” catalog.
Made in Japan.
“La TONKINOISE” is the latest spin on the original MF® design introduced during our days “in-country” sometime around 2015, as we drew inspiration from the controversial and troubled times of the Indochina and Vietnam conflicts for the “Saigon Cowboy” mfsc capsule collection.
The historical settings and Tonkinoise’s story were extensively discussed and illustrated at the time. The shirt was released in two distinct fabrics, “snow” denim and Buzz Rickson’s USN blue chambray.
If the Tonkinoise is loaded with a plethora of details borrowed from several vintage shirts revisited á la MF®, a stand-out feature is the unusual collar pattern. This was adapted from the wind-protectant high neck flippable collar of an obscure vintage US military wool shirt from our archives, sporting a “REYEM, Meyer’s Military Shops, Washington, D.C.” woven label. According to 1917-1918 advertisements from the Evening Star, archived by the Library of Congress, that shop operated at 1331 F Street, N.W. Washington, D.C.
Wouldn’t mind time-traveling for a few hours to take a peak at that shops’ 1918 inventory! Anyone with a lead on a storage facility in D.C. that might be packed with dusty stacks of NOS Meyer’s garments is encouraged to email coordinates to sales@MisterFreedomStore.com for a free bowl of soup.
Back to reality. The buttonhole placket is a fine example of tailoring prowess, all credit going to Mr. Fukutomi, the one and only, Toyo Enterprises’ renown pattern maker for the past 20 and some years. The intricate pattern of the elbow and cuff section was a nod to an old flame that “Mr. F” mastered the magic of circa 2008. Okagesame de Fukutomi San…
The arcuate shape of the back of the collar is an interesting feature lifted from vintage French shirts of the 1920’s-30’s.
Our fall 2019 interpretation of the Tonkinoise differs from the 2015 versions as snaps have replaced the front and cuffs’ corozo buttons. The collar closure has been inverted, with buttons to the left and buttonholes to the right. When fully buttoned, the collar can be folded down into a “wind-proof” type roll-neck, albeit probably not the most comfortable experience, unless you’re into stiff necks.
The fabric of choice for FW2019 comes out of a long mfsc hibernation, as it was previously introduced with the 2012 GUNSLINGER Pantaloons and GUNSLINGER Denim Jumper. This dark 12.4 Oz. “Double Indigo Twill”, with saturated purple hues, has shown its patina potential since then. We all agreed that it would be a perfect candidate for a shirt with such intricate tailoring. Panel torquing and seam puckering should make for some nice indigo contrasts with normal wash/wear routine. To tone-down a notch the elaborate detailing of the Tonkinoise, we opted for tonal stitching.
The MF® Tonkinoise Double Indigo Twill is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS:
PATTERN:
An original mfsc pattern inspired by obscure 1920’s-40’s military shirting and vintage custom-made uniforms.
FABRIC:
Double Indigo Twill: 100% cotton dark indigo warp x dark indigo weft, 12.4 Oz., solid white selvedge ID. Dark and saturated indigo color, with subtle purple hues.
DETAILS:
* All original mfsc pattern.
* ‘Windproof’ high button-up collar.
* Arcuate pattern on back of collar.
* Double chest pocketing, large uniform-style format.
* Intricate tailor-made type buttonhole placket construction.
* Selvedge button placket.
* Elaborate sleeve cuff/elbow reinforcement pattern, snap closure.
* Selvedge side gussets, self fabric.
* Snap button front and cuff closure, with complimenting amber brown corozo wood pocket and collar buttons.
* 100% cotton thread.
* Tonal stitching on outside, ivory contrast chainstitch on inside.
* “Surplus” mfsc woven rayon label.
* Made in Japan.
SIZING:
The MF® Tonkinoise shirt comes raw/un-rinsed and will shrink to tagged size after the initial rinse/dry process.
We recommend the usual protocol before wearing:
* Cold soak for about 30-40mn, with occasional hand agitation.
* Spin dry and line dry.
* Wear briefly before fully-dry to set creases, then hang until fully dry.
This Tonkinoise 2019 edition is considered more like an over-shirt than a trim uniform shirt. I personally opted for a size SMALL, as the MEDIUM fit felt much too roomy. Consider sizing down for a trimmer silhouette if the measurements match your target sizing expectations. When in doubt, compare our measurements with a similar style garment you own and fits the way you like. For a comfortable fit and for layering, consider your usual size in mfsc shirting for the 2019 double indigo Tonkinoise.
Please refer to sizing chart for measurements, reflecting a 30mn cold soak/spin dry/line dry process, resulting in minimal shrinkage.
The raw measurements are given for reference only, as the numbers that actually matter are post soak. We do believe that shirts, as most washable garments, should regularly be laundered according to use.
CARE:
Launder when needed.
We recommend turning indigo blue/denim garments inside out to avoid marbling when washing. Machine wash. Cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.
Potential attractive patina will develop according to activities and frequency of wear.
Please note that the dark indigo might cause color transfer, and potentially “bleed” on light-colored garments, furniture, and skin.
Available RAW/unwashed.
SIZES:
14½ (Small)
15½ (Medium)
16½ (Large)
17½ (X-Large)
18½ (XX-Large)
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
 Dude!  
Mister Freedom® “BOWLER”.
mfsc SS2019 Surplus Catalog.
Made in Japan.
If you have an urge to strike ten in the pit, channel your inner Jesus, here is a fun little number, a whimsical slice of classic vintage Americana from the Mister Freedom® mfsc Surplus catalog. We opted to go light for the final seasonal drop of SS2019. This one is for playtime!
The body of this MF® original is inspired by classic 1940’s bowling shirt specimens, featuring rounded tails and rear panel expansion gussets/waist cinch pattern. The body fabric is the typical all-rayon material of vintage high-end bowling shirts, cool and comfortable. The back features an original MF® graphic in traditional old school promotional fashion, machine chain-stitched by Toyo Enterprises’ expert garment ornamentation specialists in Japan.
We only made very few of these.
The Mister Freedom® “BOWLER” is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS:
FABRIC:
Classic and luscious 100% rayon material.
Two color options, black or cream.
DETAILS:
* Pattern inspired by classic 1940’s and 1950’s bowling shirts.
* Open loop collar.
* Rear panel expansion gussets and waist cinch stitching.
* Original MF® graphic machine chain-stitched embroidery.
* Composite buttons.
* Made in Japan.
SIZING/FIT:
The MF® “BOWLER” is ready-to-wear. These have been professionally rinsed and steamed, and no initial soak/processing is required.
The “BOWLER” is cut quite generously, and I opted for a SMALL.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate off-the-rack measurements.
CHART
CARE:
Professional dry-clean only, in your local environmentally-conscious facility.
If considering hand-washing, do not use heat dryer.
Available pre-rinsed.
Sizes
Small (14-14½)
Medium (15-15½)
Large (16-16½)
X-Large (17-17½)
XX-Large (18-18½)
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
 Wait, who? 
 
Mister Freedom® HEADQUARTERS Jacket, Yarn-dyed wool & Horsehide leather.
FW2018 mfsc Surplus collection.
Made in Japan.
Call them varsity jackets, letterman jackets, award jackets, baseball jackets… or “teddy” as they are referred to in France, here is the Mister Freedom® twist on this all-American classic. The tradition of outfitting meriting high school and college students with a lettered garment appears to be historically anchored in Harvard’s original baseball team of 1865… Apparently, the ritual of customizing one’s sport sweater with the varsity’s emblem and school colors extended to wool or leather-sleeved jackets sometime in the 1930’s.
American letterman jackets have gone through a few style variations though the years, raglan sleeves, all-wool bodies, hoods for the ladies, …, but the characteristic chenille and felt letter patches have always remained, and are today a staple of vintage Americana. The trademark contrasting leather sleeves of the classic models have gone through a questionable vinyl period in the 1980’s, as the rack of used letterman jackets of your local vintage store will attest to.
 Your favorite local vintage pile o’ rags, if you lived around 7161 Beverly Blvd., LA, CA 90036, USA.(Check out Sly in 1974 in “The Lords of Flatbush”!) We, as often, took liberties with authenticity when designing our own letterman-style jacket, twisting the concept into more of a cool “club jacket” than a sport jock uniform per-se. More Fonzy than Ritchie. Like The Lords of Flatbush meet The Wanderers, with a Camp Pendleton twist…
There is indeed a military vibe to our “Club House” jacket, aka MF® HEADQUARTERS jacket. Probably due to the choice of the olive green yarn-dyed body, a hefty wool fabric found on vintage US Army coats, matched by 1940’s tanker jacket olive green knit cuffs and collar, all borrowed from Buzz Rickson’s outstanding mil-specs trim ressources. Buzz also supplied the HBT cotton “Duck Hunter” M1942 reversible camo (aka “Frogskin”) we lined the horsehide leather sleeves with. The slash pockets are also intricately lined with frogskin, subtly displaying both jungle/beach contrasting camo sides, a pattern-making and tailoring prowess if you look at how it’s constructed. The pocket openings are trimmed with the same cognac brown-colored horsehide leather that pairs so-well with the olive green wool, a color combination we’ve always found attractive.
We opted for an early baseball jacket pattern, featuring 1930’s-40’s style button-front closure, as opposed to the later, more typical, snap button versions of the 1960’s and 70’s. The choice of unlined construction with impeccably-taped seams is also a reference to early sportswear and outdoor jackets, and old-school manufacturing savoir-faire.
For the custom MF® HQ “branding” treatment, we reached out to Toyo Enterprise’s renown Whitesville label and its varsity-related manufacturing expertise to produce authentic-looking chenille patches, done the old-fashion way. We stayed pretty conservative with the M & F letters design, but the chainstitched leather skull on felt chest patch is quite a rare combination on vintage letterman jackets.
The back of our clubhouse jacket features an irresistible MF® script all-star chainstitch job, as extra eye crack and immediate conversation-starter while in line at the DMV.
 An early original R&D sketch of the MF® HEADQUARTERS jacket ©2018 The MF® HEADQUARTERS jacket is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co and the expert Toyo Enterprise team.
SPECS:
FABRIC:
Body: Olive 36 Oz. yarn-dyed 100% wool, milled in Japan.
Sleeves: Cognac brown genuine horsehide leather.
Sleeve and pocket lining: HBT cotton “Duck Hunter” M1942 reversible camo aka “Frogskin”, milled in Japan.
DETAILS:
* An original mfsc pattern inspired by vintage varsity jackets and early baseball-type jackets.
* Featuring all-original MF® artwork and decoration.
* Genuine horsehide leather sleeves and pocket trims.
* Mil-specs wool knit cuffs and knit collar.
* Old-school arm gusset.
* Unlined body construction featuring attractive taped inside seams, with 1930’s-style narrow-width olive green cotton tape.
* Frogskin camo accents on inner sleeves and slash pocket lining.
* Made in Japan.
SIZING/FIT:
The MF® HEADQUARTERS jacket comes unwashed, and should stay that way. The jacket is ready-to-wear as-is, without any initial protocol. For those familiar with it, the sizing is that of Toyo’s Whitesville stadium jackets. I opted for a size 36 for a trim, balanced fit. The size 38 looked a bit too ‘contemporary’ on me, for my own taste.
Please refer to sizing chart to figure which size will work for you.
CHART
CARE:
If needed, spot cleaning only. Professional cleaning from an eco-friendly facility.
Do not attend to have the whole jacket laundered or dry-cleaned, even from a place that claims to specialize in leather garments. The leather horsehide sleeves can be conditioned after years of wear and exposure to the elements, using professional leather conditioners made for garments (not shoes), such as Pecard products. An attractive natural patina will develop on the sleeves, filled with nicks, stains and character typical of well-worn quality leather garments.
Do not machine wash this jacket!
Available fully-customized.
Sizes
36 Small
38 Medium
40 Large
42 X-Large
44 XX-Large
Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles HQ of course, 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
|
