Sportsman Shirt - IceBlu denim

SPECS

PATTERN:
Original MFSC pattern, inspired by classic 1930s-50s workwear shirting and vintage menswear fashion.
FABRIC:
New Old Stock 2×1 selvedge denim, lightweight 7.25 Oz. twill, lighter indigo “IceBlu” shade, white line selvedge ID. Probable USA mill origin.
DETAILS:

• Relaxed silhouette and fit.
• Original inverted box-pleat double chest pockets.
• Narrow chin strap
•  Authentic 1920s-30s French NOS glass buttons.
• White cotton poplin button facing strip.
• Double front & back expansion pleats on shoulder yoke, for ease of movement.
• One piece cuff gussets.
• 100% cotton thread, high stitch count, contrast yellow and orange combo.
• Flat felled seams, with inside green chain-stitch MF® signature.
• Side gussets displaying fabric selvedge.
• Original “The SPORTSMAN” woven rayon label.
• Limited production.
• Made in USA.

SIZING/FIT

The SPORTSMAN Shirt, IceBlu Denim edition, comes unwashed and is cut so that the measurements match the labeling AFTER an initial cold soak/line dry. We recommend this straight-forward easy protocol:

• Rinse in cold water, machine setting on delicate, full cycle.
• Line dry, no heat dryer.

CL's Advice:

At 5’7 ~145 lbs, I opted for a SMALL for a trim yet comfortable fit, personal preference. We recommend getting your usual size in MF® shirts.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate soaked/rinsed measurements, and reach out to sales@ for further sizing advise.

CARE

Machine wash on DELICATE, cold water, mild eco-friendly detergent. Line dry.
Do not use the washer’s heavy-duty cycle. Heat dryer is also not recommended and may result in excessive and irreversible shrinkage.

Note: 1920s-30s vintage glass buttons are sturdy but obviously more fragile than contemporary plastic/wood buttons, please handle accordingly.

STORY

We introduced the MF® Sportsman Shirt pattern sometime in 2013, and have since released it in a wide range of new original or vintage NOS fabrics.
This simple vintage utilitarian style is our spin on classic 1930s-1950s work shirts, with the expected early workwear details such as chin strap and side gussets, and the less-common shoulder yoke dart construction. This latter detail is the main difference between the Mister Freedom® Sportsman Shirt and its Ranger Shirt compadre.

We scored some fine NOS yardage of 2×1 selvedge denim last year, a lightweight 7.25 Oz. twill in a very desirable lighter indigo shade, and decided to do a small run with it. Like previous lighter indigo denims we’ve worked with — from the Maverick to the Ranch Blouse — we’re calling this hue “IceBlu” (at times spelled Ice Blue, IceBlue, Ice-blu etc) because we’re cool like that.
Side note, this killer fabric (of probable USA origin, if not Japan) was definitely not a wise choice for cutting shirts with… It is milled on narrow shuttle loom, and, at a width of 29¼’’, is hardly the optimal candidate for a high yielding shirting fabric! Due to pattern cutting technicalities, fabrics with a 29”~32” width are usually ideal for making selvedge jeans, not shirts. Because you need almost double the amount of yardage to produce one garment, obviously driving the cost up.
But, like desert dweller Edward “take the other” Abbey suggested, this was the less-travelled road we opted for again. So there it is.

To spice things up, we opted for contrast yellow and orange stitching (the vintage-inspired color combo we use on our Californian blue jeans), a nod to period workwear production when consistency took second place over using-up everything on hand at factory level, fabric, trims, lining, and thread.

Additionally, a front row of fancy French milky-white glass buttons (authentic New Old Stock from the 1920s-30s) should make you feel very special, and probably aggravated should you accidentally smash one. Just don’t stomp on your shirt wearing clogs. If you do, forget Amazon, but this place may have replacements.

The MF® SPORTSMAN Shirt “IceBlu” Denim is designed and made in California, USA, by Mister Freedom® in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.