Mister Freedom® “DUDE RANCHER” western snap shirt, cotton broadcloth, SS2019 mfsc Surplus catalog, made in Japan.

 

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox, “Junior Bonner” (1972)

Mister Freedom® “DUDE RANCHER” western snap shirt, cotton broadcloth.
SS2019 mfsc Surplus catalog.
Made in Japan.

Following the Mister Freedom® Appaloosa introduced during Fall 2013 and released in a variety of denim-related fabrics, the “DUDE RANCHER” is our second traditional “western snap” shirt. This all-original pattern was inspired by a selection of vintage “cowboy” shirts, and will now be joining the ranks of the mfsc SURPLUS catalog.

The DUDE RANCHER features the expected western-style front and back yokes. We opted for arcuate panels subtle-enough to keep the shirt as a daily-wearable, with traditional yet understated curved yokes.

The playful “M” tonal branding stitch on the chest pockets is also discreet. We couldn’t help an ace up the sleeve with the tricked-out forearm pattern featuring an intricate one-piece elbow/cuff reinforcement diamond-shaped placket. The pattern-making connoisseur will appreciate.

The fabric we opted for for this first release is a fancy 100% cotton broadcloth, a type of tightly-woven poplin. Broadcloth, with its silky smooth surface and crispy dry hand, is often associated with fancy vintage dress shirts. As a caveat, cotton broadcloth is prone to natural fabric wrinkling, a characteristic of garments cut from noble natural fiber materials (cotton, linen, silk etc…), before the crowning of poly-cotton and acrylics as households’ favorites, sometime in the 1960’s, to facilitate stain removal and liberate one from the burden of ironing. Generations later, this fashion shift and material preference will also lead to the production of billions of pounds of synthetic garments impossible to recycle.

As introduced a few years back with the Sportsman printed flannel Camp Shirts, the DUDE RANCHER features painted metal snaps, reminiscent of 50’s Ranchcraft or Blue Bell shirts. If pearl snap buttons are more-commonly associated with traditional western shirts, our use of tonal metal snaps is both a nod to bygone westernwear fashion, and a design choice for a toned-down vibe that doesn’t scream yipikaye. Basically, we wanted an easy-to-wear classic garment.

For the rodeo-inclined, we are also releasing a limited edition run of embroidered DUDE RANCHER shirts, featuring original chainstitched “MF® Ranch”classic artwork, a nod to 1950’s style of branding work uniforms and other promotional garments. For consistency and cost issues, these custom shirts have not been decorated on hand-crank operated chainstitch machines, but with program-operated machines. The results are similar, but the expert chainstitch artist will notice the difference in the filling technique. Having recently added a 1950’s Cornely to our upstairs atelier in order to do a few in-house embro jobs, we were quite happy to delegate this tedious custom “rodeo” production task to the pros!


Note: Considering the fine broadcloth fabric and metal snaps, refrain from yanking on the front panels á la Tom Jones when taking your shirt off. Carefully un-snap the buttons one by one, and listen to the crowd roar.

The DUDE RANCHER western snap shirt is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.

FABRIC:
100% cotton broadcloth (aka poplin), tight weave, smooth soft texture and crispy dry hand. Milled in Japan
Two color options, black or white.

SPECS:
* An original mfsc pattern, inspired by traditional western-style shirts.
* Traditional arcuate front and back yokes.
* 1950’s-style painted metal snaps (the paint will chip with age.)
* Original mountain-shaped “M” tonal stitching on pockets.
* Intricate diamond-shaped cuff/elbow reinforcement patch.
* Vintage style side gussets.
* Rounded shirt tails.
* 100% cotton tonal hi-count stitching.
* Original MF® mfsc “Surplus” tonal woven label.

SIZING/WASHING:
The DUDE RANCHER comes rinsed/preshrunk. The shirt is ready-to-wear.
I opted for a MEDIUM (in both colors), my usual size in mfsc shirting, for a trim, traditional western shirt fit.

Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements. Soaked = 30mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry.

 

CARE:
When needed, machine wash on DELICATE, cold water, mild eco-friendly detergent. Hang dry.
Wash with similar-colored garments.
Mind the fine broadcloth fabric and metal snaps combination, and do not use the washer’s heavy-duty cycle. Heat dryer is also not recommended and could damage the garment.

Available rinsed (pre-shrunk)
Solid black/white, or “Rodeo Edition”.
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®
©2019

Appaloosa Shirt, double indigo selvedge twill, Sportsman catalog Spring 2016, made in USA.

Appaloosa-Indigo-Canvas-6

Vintage Rodeo poster from www.lemagasin.eu

Appaloosa-Indigo-Canvas-3

Appaloosa-Indigo-Canvas-2

Appaloosa-Indigo-Canvas-4

Appaloosa-Indigo-Canvas-5

Appaloosa-Indigo-Canvas-1

The “Appaloosa shirt”, double indigo cotton selvedge twill
Sportsman Spring 2016

We are adding a new sensation to our Appaloosa family this Spring. Originally released in several traditional blue denim options, a batch was later issued in a stripe denim twill.
While fabric hunting sometime last year, we came across a handsome indigo-dyed twill we couldn’t resist. A double indigo (indigo warp and indigo weft), with white selvedge ID, 8 oz, milled in Japan, perfect for an iteration of the Appaloosa. We often refer to this kind of twill as ‘midnight’, but that’s just us with an inclination for fancy verbiage.

The Appaloosa shirt’s design stays the same. It combines several details of vintage western and work shirts, diverting a bit from the traditional cowboy cut denim western yoke numbers. As introduced a few years back with the Sportsman printed flannel Camp Shirts, our Appaloosa features painted metal snaps, reminiscent of 50’s Ranchcraft or Blue Bell shirts. Our front yoke is of a vintage ‘Roebuck’ type rather than the usual western arcuate style. The pocket flaps are locked in the yoke. The top collar button is the metal debossed mfsc type we often use for our Sportsman line.
You’ll notice we went full Zorro on this 2016 edition, opting for a subdued look. The metal snaps are painted black and the stitching is tonal, ie. dark navy.

The Sportsman ‘Appaloosa Shirt’ is designed and manufactured in California by Mister Freedom®, in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.

(Vintage Rodeo poster from our friend Damien at www.lemagasin.eu)

SPECS:
PATTERN: An original mfsc pattern, inspired by vintage workwear and western shirting.

FABRIC:
Dark indigo warp x indigo weft twill, 100% cotton, white selvedge ID, 8 Oz., milled in Japan.

DETAILS:
* Slim ‘western shirt’ type silhouette and fit.
* Painted metal DOT snaps. The black paint will chip with age.
* Vintage ‘Roebuck’ type front yoke
* Western style back yoke.
* Two chest pockets, snap flaps, locked into yoke construction.
* Double snap cuffs.
* Tonal 100% cotton stitching, high stitch count.
* Double chainstitch construction with green color thread “Sportsman” inside signature.
* Selvedge side gusset, chainstitch run offs.
* Original mfsc “The Sportsman” woven rayon label.
* Made in USA

SIZING/FIT:
This shirt comes RAW/Un-washed and will shrink to tagged size. We recommend an original 20-30mn cold soak, machine spin dry then line dry.
I usually wear a Medium in mfsc shirting and I wear a comfortable MEDIUM in this double indigo twill Appaloosa release.
Please note that the initial cold soak of the Appaloosa shirt I am breaking in resulted in very minimal shrinkage. I expect more shrinkage with subsequent washing and am OK with the extra slack seen on the fit picture for now.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements to see what works for you. Soaked = 30mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry.

CARE:
Launder when hygiene dictates and common sense prevails.
Machine wash. Cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry. We recommend turning indigo blue/denim garments inside out to avoid marbling from the washing cycles.
Patina will develop according to activities and frequency of wear.
WARNING: As with most dark indigo-dyed garments, color croaking is to be expected. Indigo rubs on light color undergarments will wash off over time, but beware of sofas and car seats as they might be trickier to clean up.

Available RAW/unwashed.
SIZES:
14½ (Small)
15½ (Medium)
16½ (Large)
17½ (X-Large)
18½ (XX-Large)

RETAIL $279.95

Soon 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® 2016

The Appaloosa Shirt, NOS HBT stripe denim, Sportsman Fall 2015, Made in USA.

Appaloosa Mister Freedom Sportsman 2015

Appaloosa Mister Freedom Sportsman 2015

 

Appaloosa Mister Freedom Sportsman 2015

Appaloosa Mister Freedom Sportsman 2015

The “Appaloosa shirt”, HBT stripe denim NOS
Sportsman Fall 2015

We hope your are having an amazing summer. About that time of the year when Fall drops for us.
First installment of Fall 2015 in our growing ‘The Sportsman’ catalog is a shirt pattern introduced during Fall 2013, the Appaloosa, an internet sensation in the Acadian tux community.

After a cup of smart juice, we settled on ONE denim lot this time around, not four. That New Old Stock denim is also an old acquaintance for us, as we already used part of that lot for the Spring 2015 ‘Workman Shirt’. This fabric is a dark pinstripe herringbone twill 2×1 denim of about 8 oz., with an initial raw fabric sheen. The HBT pattern is more clearly visible on the inside of the fabric. The pinstripes on the face are very subtle. Although blackish/grayish-looking when brand new, this fabric will naturally fade to blue with repeat wash-wear cycles.

For the design, we have combined several details of vintage western and work shirts, diverting a bit from the traditional cowboy cut denim western yoke numbers. As introduced a few years back with the Sportsman printed flannel Camp Shirts, our Appaloosa Shirt features painted metal snaps, reminiscent of 50’s Ranchcraft or Blue Bell shirts. Our front yoke is of a vintage ‘Roebuck’ type rather than the usual western arcuate style. The pocket flaps are locked in the yoke.
The Appaloosa also combines two stitching colors, yellow and orange, in what appears to be a random pattern. The top collar button on this edition is the metal debossed mfsc type we often use for our Sportsman line.

The Sportsman ‘Appaloosa Shirt’ is designed and manufactured in California by Mister Freedom®, in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.

SPECS:

PATTERN: An original mfsc pattern, inspired by vintage workwear and western shirting.

FABRIC:
HBT stripe denim: 100% cotton herringbone twill denim, subtle vertical stripe design, dark indigo color, about 8 Oz. Origin USA.

DETAILS:
* Slim ‘western shirt’ type silhouette and fit.
* Painted metal DOT snaps. The white paint will chip with age.
* Vintage ‘Roebuck’ type front yoke
* Western style back yoke.
* Two chest pockets, snap flaps, locked into yoke construction.
* Double snap cuffs.
* Orange and yellow 100% cotton stitching combination, high stitch count.
* Double chainstitch construction with green color thread “Sportsman” inside signature.
* Olive green cotton popeline side gusset, chainstitch run offs.
* Original mfsc “The Sportsman” woven rayon label.
* Made in USA

SIZING/WASHING:
This shirt comes RAW/Un-washed and will shrink to tagged size. We recommend an original 20-30mn cold soak, machine spin dry then line dry.
I usually wear a Medium in mfsc shirting and I am a comfortable MEDIUM in this ‘Appaloosa’ HBT stripe denim shirt. I had to size up to a Large with the original Fall 2013 edition of the Appaloosa Shirt, but this one is true-to-size.

Please refer to sizing chart for raw/rinsed measurements. We fully washed and partially machine dried these samples, so our measurements reflect the maximum  shrinkage that can be expected.

Appaloosa HBT Sizing Chart

Appaloosa HBT Sizing Chart

Available RAW/Un-washed
Sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL
Retail $279.95

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, such as “Why aren’t those half-selvedge Buckaroos half price?!?
Thank you for your support.

The ‘Appaloosa’ Denim Shirt, Made in USA. ‘The Sportsman’ Fall 2013

Appaloosa Denim Shirt Mister Freedom 2013

 

 

The “APPALOOSA” Denim Shirt
mfsc Sportsman Fall 2013

 

The Appaloosa, the ‘spotted horse’, has always fascinated me as a kid. Indians rode them in the western movies, how cool is that.
Because Appaloosa horses were scarce where I grew up however, I settled for local alternatives.
Please note that there is absolutely no evidence of the above anecdote, due to its pre-smartphone era when meals and daily footwear choices went undocumented.
Oh, wait…

CL 1970s Mister Freedom CL 1970s Mister Freedom

What does all this have to do with a denim shirt? Not much indeed. So. Take two.

 

A denim shirt was a wardrobe staple for many of the usual cool suspects back in the days, on or off set. Hud, Henry Thomas… you name ’em.

Photo copyright William Claxton Brando Denim Shirt 1952 Gary Cooper (1951 MGM Studios Courtesy of Getty Images)

We have issued a few denim shirts in the past at Mister Freedom®. The “Utility Shirt” and “CPO Shirt, Liberty Issue” in our early Naval days,  the “Prairie Shirt” in our Frontier days…
But we do not have one yet in our ‘The Sportsman’ catalog. So let’s introduce the “APPALOOSA” Denim Shirt, an addition for Fall 2013.

It’s moniker has been scientifically approached above, so we’re good. For the design, we have combined several details of vintage western and work shirts, trying to stay clear from the ‘traditional’ cowboy cut denim western yoke shirt, aka the Wrangler shirt, denim shirt ol’ timer.
As previously with our Sportsman printed flannel shirts, we shamelessly borrowed their painted metal snaps from 50’s Ranchcraft or Blue Bell shirts. Our front yoke is of a vintage ‘Roebuck’ type rather than the usual western arcuate style, its seam also locking the pocket flaps.
The Appaloosa also combines two stitching colors, yellow and orange, in what appears to be a random pattern. The idea here being to emulate old school work wear, during days when a pressed for time factory often used what was on hand to fill an order. That is fabric and thread used.
With workwear and sportswear manufacturing, consistency seems to be somewhat of a modern concept, considering the many examples of ‘craftsmanship funkiness’ seen in (real) vintage clothing. Unintentional mismatched fabric panels (different dye lots, sometimes different fabrics) or odd stitch lines are just a few challenging points to the ‘clothes were better made back then’ usual theory.

Vintage-Army-Chore-Jacket Mister Freedom 2013 Vintage Lee Storm Rider 101J Mister Freedom

It might sound a bit silly to go the extra mile nowadays to ‘mimic’ the manufacturing mistakes of the past, but there is to me definitely beauty in flaws. 侘 寂 some call it…

Along these lines of charming inconsistency, and because we know better than to make it simple, we have selected four different New Old Stock (NOS) rolls of 2×1 denim from our stock to get cut and sewn into Appaloosa shirts.
Similar in weight and appearance, all four denim have their own specifics and subtle differences:
* Lot A: Approx 9 Oz. Random ‘snowy’ spotted appearance. No, I don’t mean 80’s acid wash, that’s next year’s collection. Rather, a slub quality due to fluctuations of the weft spun yarn gage. Blackish dark navy, white selvedge with yellow line.
* Lot C: Approx 9 Oz. Bluish shade. White selvedge ID with red line.
* Lot D: Approx 8 Oz. Purplish sheen. White selvedge ID with double red line.
* Lot E: Similar to Lot C but solid white selvedge ID.

Appaloosa Swatches Mister Freedom 2013

Now I know you have some important questions you want to ask:
1) What happened to LOT B? We’re looking for it.
2) Do they shrink the same? Pretty close.
3) What’s your favorite? A, C, D, E, in no particular order.

Designed and made in California, USA, by Mister Freedom®, in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.

SPECS:

PATTERN: An original mfsc pattern, inspired by vintage workwear and western shirting.

FABRIC:
Four options of New Old Stock 100% cotton selvedge 2 x 1 denim twill, with limited size availability for each.
* Lot A: About 9 Oz. Random ‘snowy’ spotted appearance. No, I don’t mean 80’s acid wash, that’s next year’s collection. Rather, a slub quality due to fluctuations of the weft spun yarn gage. Blackish dark navy, white selvedge with yellow line.
* Lot C: About 9 Oz. Bluer shade. White selvedge ID with red line.
* Lot D: About 8 Oz. Purple sheen. White selvedge ID with double red line.
* Lot E: Similar to Lot C but solid white selvedge ID.

Please note that, due to limited yardage of each NOS denim, we were not able to cut a full size scale in each Lot.

DETAILS:
* Slim ‘western shirt’ type silhouette and fit.
* Painted metal DOT snaps. The white paint will chip with age.
* Vintage ‘Roebuck’ type front yoke
* Western style back yoke.
* Two chest pockets, snap flaps, locked into yoke construction.
* Selvedge ID on button front facing panels.
* Double snap cuffs.
* Orange and yellow 100% cotton stitching combination.
* Double chainstitch construction with green color thread “Sportsman” inside signature.
* Selvedge ID side gussets, chainstitch run offs.
* Original mfsc “The Sportsman” woven rayon label.
* Made in USA

SIZING/WASHING:
All four denim options come RAW/Un-washed and will shrink to tagged size. We recommend an original 20-30mn cold soak, machine spin dry then line dry.
I wear a Medium in mfsc shirting and am a tight Medium a LARGE in the ‘Appaloosa’ denim shirt. I might have once been a medium, but life happens…
The Appaloosa shirt fits very snug, more ‘Hud’ than ‘Hip Hop’. It might not accommodate all body types, see measurements.
For the hardcore denim aficionados, wear the shirt briefly when still damp to shape it and set creases in, then hang back to fully dry. When using this method, the shirt will feel stiff when fully dried, due to the starch still in the fibers. This is normal/expected and the fabric will soften up with normal wear.
Please note that the demand/need for ‘soft’ denim garments led to the stone-wash plague of the 1980’s. Talk about creating a monster…

Subsequent washing when needed: Shirt turned inside out, hand wash or very gentle cycle with cold water and minimal environmentally friendly detergent. Line dry.

Please refer to sizing chart for raw/rinsed measurements (soaked/dried according to our recommended method).

Size Chart Lot A-C

Size Chart Lot A-C

 

Size Chart Lot D-E

Size Chart Lot D-E

Available RAW/Un-washed
Sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL
Retail $289.95

Soon available from our Los Angeles store and online from www.misterfreedom.com
Thank you for your support.

Mister Freedom® Fall 2013 preview “The SPORTSMAN” MFSC Collection. Made in USA

Sportsman Fall 2013 Mister Freedom® ©2013

 

Sportsman Fall 2013 Mister Freedom® ©2013

 

Sportsman Fall 2013 Mister Freedom® ©2013

 

Sportsman Fall 2013 Mister Freedom® ©2013

 

As previously introduced for Spring 2013, “The Sportsman” concept is about the feeling of walking into an old pre-70’s Army/Navy surplus store, with its stacks of Americana bits and pieces, piles of New Old Stock ‘unfashionable’ clothes…
Production should be hitting Mister Freedom® store sometime in Sept/Oct 2013.
This Fall 2013 line-up is the second volume of the “Sportsman” and introduces the following items, all made in the USA.

* “CALIFORNIAN” Blue Jeans Lot.64:
13.75 Oz. right hand twill 3×1 selvedge denim

* “RANCH BLOUSE” Lot.64:
13.75 Oz. right hand twill 3×1 selvedge denim

* “CAMP ” Flannel Snap Shirt:
Two color ways of an original printed flannel fabric
a) Red
b) Black

* “CAMPUS CARDIGAN”
An original collaboration with famed Ohio Knitting Mills (Founded in 1927. Cleveland, Ohio)
Two color options
a) Natural wool yarn
b) Indigo dyed wool yarn

* “APPALOOSA” Denim Snap Shirt:
10 Oz. selvedge 2×1 denim

* Last but not least, an endeavor that made us feel that Shackelton had it easy, the “CAMPUS JACKET”:
Natural cowhide

Thank you for tuning in.
Happy Summer 😉