The Mister Freedom® SWABBIES were initially released sometime in 2020 as full-legged bell-bottom denim trousers.

The SWABBIES CUT-OFFS are a cropped version of the same work pants pattern, bye-bye bells. A common practice in tropical Theater of Operations in the old days, salty Navy personnel would chop-off their faded dungarees and turn them into swim shorts or off-duty bermudas.

We are releasing the Swabbies Cut-Offs in a crisp 100% cotton navy blue HBT, matching fabric to the Frogman Jacket.

SPECS

PATTERN: An original mfsc pattern inspired by US Navy 1940’s-50’s private-purchase denim bell bottom trousers aka dungarees.

FABRIC: Sturdy and crispy 100% cotton HBT (herringbone twill), vintage mil-specs, navy blue color, sulfur-dyed. Milled in Japan.

DETAILS:

* Hemmed at mid-thigh, can be cropped to one’s preferred length.
* Wrap leg (no outseam.)
* Black 1940s-style laurel leaf starburst metal donut waist & fly buttons.
* Front pockets combining complex patch-type and slash-type pattern due to the challenge of the wrap leg. No open seams.
* Rear patch pockets cut using horizontal warp.
* Flat lock chainstitch construction.
* Black tonal all-cotton stitching.
* Bar-tacked stress points.
* Woven rayon mfsc “FROGSVILLE” label on inside waistband.
* Made in Japan.

SIZING/FIT

The SWABBIES CUT-OFFS come UN-WASHED and are cut so that the measurements match the labeling AFTER an initial cold soak/line dry.
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.

CL's Advice: I had opted for a W31 in the Denim Swabbies, for a fitted top block, comfortable thighs and period bell-bottoms. I went with a W30 in the HBT Cut-Offs version.

The waist feels a bit tight after the cold soak, but stretches slightly with a bit of wear, although not as much as the denim model. Note that these are high-waisted shorts, and one might consider the old practice of undoing the top button and wearing the shorts with the waistband rolled-down to tone down the high rise.

CARE

Launder when needed.
We recommend turning the shorts inside-out to avoid potential marbling of the fabric. Wash separately from light-colored garments.
Machine wash with cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.
DISCLAIMER: This sulfur-dyed HBT fabric has an intentional low colorfastness and will ‘age’ and look ‘worn-in’ rapidly with normal wear/machine wash routine.

STORY

The Mister Freedom® SWABBIES were initially released sometime in 2020 as full-legged bell-bottom denim trousers.

The inspiration had come from a rare pair of 1940’s-50’s private-purchase naval dungarees from the “Portlite Uniform” maker. If these conformed to the general silhouette and specs of traditional US Navy-issued denim dungarees, they featured really fancy tailoring and intricate pattern work for a pair of work trousers. The apparently-inconspicuous two front pockets are actually a very clever combination of two types of pocket patterns, slash and patch, a construction tour-de-force on a wrap leg that only makes sense when studying the inside of the pants. Those original MF® SWABBIES featured authentic 1940’s-style navy bells and a traditional high waist.

The SWABBIES CUT-OFFS are a cropped version of the same work pants pattern, bye-bye bells. A common practice in tropical Theater of Operations in the old days, salty Navy personnel would chop-off their faded dungarees and turn them into swim shorts or off-duty bermudas. Another common practice was to undo the top button, and wear the shorts with the waistband rolled-down, as was often the case with UDT Scuba Trunks.

We hemmed the inseam at about 6 inches, for a mid-thigh length. Cropping higher is a few DIY snips away for those inclined. Note that when left open (un-hemmed), the edge will fray and the fabric will roll, so, easy on the scissors!

We are releasing the Swabbies Cut-Offs in a crisp 100% cotton navy blue HBT, matching fabric to the Frogman Jacket.

The mfsc SWABBIES CUT-OFFS are designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and manufactured in Japan in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.