The ROAMER is another demilitarized take on US Navy peacoat early models, blending elements of civilian vintage Mackinaw jackets and mid-century car coats.
The shell fabric of the “ROAMER Car Coat” was inspired by that of an old 1930s French “Velour d’Amiens” work jacket from our archives, a grade of heavy wide-wale cotton corduroy (gros velour côtelé) typical of vintage European working class meets country gentlemen garb.
As we had done for the MATTOCK Jacket, we reached out to our friends at Toyo Enterprise to source-out a fabric reminiscent in texture and feel of traditional “Amiens” workwear corduroy. The specific “oxidized” black color of the original 1930’s French hunting coat was expertly matched by a Japanese dyehouse, and the resulting color has that je-ne-sais-quoi that looks authentic and vintage.
For the lining, we went with an American classic, a warm and soft wool blend insulating fabric sometimes referred to as “canteen blanket”, “Troy blanket”, or “Alaska blanket”. It is our first time featuring this particular olive green/grey dominant stripe blanket pattern.
The traditional double pocketing of the lining has been updated for the 21st Century by adjusting the size of the lower “cigarette pocket” to fit the average smart phone, rather than a pack of Lucky Strike. The combination of both old school low-tech fabrics gives the ROAMER an average resistance to cold, making it quite ideal during mid-seasons in temperate climates.
The choice of leather piping pocket openings and arrowhead pocket stops is a feature found on sought-after early Mackinaw coats. The black tea-core leather trim will age gracefully over time with normal wear.
For the double-breasted front closure, we opted for tonal classic tailoring corozo wood buttons. A discreet naval reference was kept, with the small foul anchor button holding the removable chin strap under the collar.
The Mister Freedom® ROAMER Car Coat is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.
