Mr Freedom Trade Shirts

On a much lighter note, these are the background premises of our MFSC “Calico Trade Shirt” this spring. From our collected archives of many dozens of early American calico swatches and garments, we have selected two that we freely called “Apache” and “Pueblo”.
Our shirting fabric base is an Indigo dyed 4.5 Oz fine all cotton broadcloth and we used a discharge print technique. These fabrics were exclusively milled and printed in Japan for this MFSC collection. The shirts are a European pull-over type, collar less with chin strap extension. We used rare and authentic 1920’s New Old Stock ox bone buttons we happily found, in limited quantities, buttons of Portuguese origin.

I am not a big fan of untucked shirts, as a personal preference, but those look also good that way, notably for our lady friends. I am, however, a huge fan of early indigo calico fabrics and finding an actual 1900’s surviving men’s shirt shares it’s odds with the discovery of a hen’s tooth, in a hay stack.
So, in or out, I’m now happy wearing mine.

Some folks might think that a “polka dot” shirt is not “manly” enough in 2012, but it sure was in 1912. And, in years to come, I wouldn’t be surprised seeing calico shirts as popular amongst discerning gents as blue work chambrays have become. I’m just sayin’
And now, the…

SPECS:
PATTERN: An original MFSC pattern, inspired by 1900′s~30′s pull-over shirting, with it’s origins in Europe before becoming a popular Old West garb feature.
FABRIC: 100% Cotton broadcloth, 4.5 Oz., dark Indigo dyed and discharge printed. Milled, dyed and printed in Japan. Two options: “Apache” calico print (tiny sun looking prints) and “pueblo” calico print (reminiscent of pueblos architecture)
This is NOT a cheap navy blue print on a white fabric. By the time a Trade Shirt reaches us, many people have been involved in its making, none of them residing in China:
* Our natural broadcloth was dipped many times in an indigo vat to reach the desired shade of dark indigo.
* A special paste wasapplied to the dyed fabric with a screen of the Apache or pueblo print.
* The discharge process is finalized by way of steaming, the paste ‘bleaches out’ the fabric. The face of the fabric looks different than the inside because of the inconsistency of the ’bleed through’ effect.
* Then the shirts go to the long and tedious cut/sew production period…
* After some airborne time, we get them delivered here, caught red handed killing time playing Nintendo (I actually mispelled this last word originaly, Nitendo…)

DETAILS:
* Early homesteader, reminiscent of early non-traditional Indian Native style/silhouette
* Stand collar with chin strap
* Back panel and cuffs shearing.
* Real 1920’s ox bone NOS buttons.
* Button placket facing with contrast white all cotton muslin fabric.
* Original rayon woven MFSC labeling on bottom of the button placket, reminiscent of early European Henley type undershirt label placement.
* Flat felled chain-stitch seams and single needle machine construction.
* Side gussets, European construction.
* 100% cotton ivory color high count stitching.

Mr Freedom direct (US)