Californian Lot.54 Reissue – NOS Cone denim XUV

SPECS

PATTERN:
Inspired by vintage 1950s-1960s era five-pocket blue jeans. Our LOT54 cut features a traditional fit, classic mid-rise, with a straight leg for a 1950s-60s period vibe and silhouette.
FABRIC:
Fabric: New Old Stock Cone Mills “XUV” selvedge 3×1 indigo denim, 12 Oz., white with red line selvedge ID, milled in USA.
Pocketing: Classic NOS white 100% cotton twill.
DETAILS:

• Classic vintage five-pocket blue jeans pattern and fit.
• Classic mid-rise.
• Button fly, original MF®-branded patinaed silver tack buttons.
• Selvedge leg outseam.
• Classic NOS cotton twill pocketing.
• MF® original “M” stitch design on rear pockets.
• Natural cowhide leather MF®-branded patch on rear pocket. Will age with normal wash/wear.
• Twelve types of 100% cotton threads used for construction (gauge and color combination.) Main colors are yellow and orange.
• Coin pocket with concealed selvedge, to impress friends.
• Selvedge button hole fly placket, to further impress friends.
• Concealed back pocket reinforcement rivets, with top pocket bar-tack stitching.
• Unmarked copper riveting for pocket reinforcement.
• Original MF® paper pocket flasher, initial 2010 yellow edition (with unedited smoking’ Johnny!)
• Made in California, USA, in an ethically-responsible and small family-owned factory.

B-stock Lot.54 is also available 

SIZING/FIT

The Californian Lot54R jeans come UN-WASHED and are cut so that actual 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.
• Machine spin dry and line dry, or drip dry.
• Wear briefly before fully-dry to shape and set creases, then hang until fully dry.

The Lot54R are considered true-to-size. See our MF® Californian cut/fit references here.
At 5’7 ~145 Lbs., I opted for my current W30 waist size, for a snug waist and classic generous 1950s-60s leg.
I’m going un-hemmed and un-cuffed with these.
The size that will work best for you depends on how you like your jeans to fit. Please refer to our size chart and measuring method.
A tagged W32 will most-likely be the right size for an individual with an approximate measured waist of +/- 32 inches, and with average body proportions. Note that your natural waist is a bit bellow belly button level, not bellow the hips.

CL’s Advice: Which size works for you depends on how you like your jeans to fit. I wear a size 30 in the reissue.

CARE

CARE for your MF® denim jeans:
Wash when necessary, as with other premium denim garments.
We recommend turning the jeans inside-out to avoid potential marbling of the denim fabric. Wash separately from light-colored garments.
Machine wash with cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry. Using hot water/heat dryer may result in excessive and irreversible shrinkage.
Note that boiling your jeans will turn the leather patch into instant beef jerky, and attaching a new patch on an already-mounted rear pocket is about as easy as wrangling a pack of feral jackrabbits.

STORY

They are back!

The anticipated reissue of our very first MF® CALIFORNIAN blue jeans, an original vintage-inspired five-pocket pattern initially released in 2010, is finally out.
Same classic straight leg cut with traditional mid-rise, same trims, and same vintage New Old Stock (NOS) denim fabric.

We called that cut “Lot54” at the time, a nod the general silhouette/image of the “BRMC” blue jeans featured in The Wild One (1954).
To quote Johnny Stabler, “Now, listen, ya don’t go any one special place. That’s cornball style…Ya just go.” Snap.
Our revived traditional five-pocket design was obviously heavily-inspired by a combo of old Lee®/Levis®/Wrangler® classics, twisted MF® style.

The pair of Lot54 I wore at the time — I had much fewer MF® five-pocket options to grab from the closet back in 2010, so I went hard on those — is one of my favorite in my stash of Californians today. I save them for special occasions, and affectionately call them my “Sunday jeans”. That splash of red paint on the right leg is from the original MF® HQ facade facelift…

After much hunting around in local LA warehouses, we were lucky enough to score some forgotten yardage of the exact same Cone Mills selvedge denim of the original Lot54s, a coded “XUV” 12 Oz. indigo denim twill milled by Cone’s White Oak factory in Greensboro, North Carolina, when it was still operating. After 112 years of loyal service to the Denim and Fashion Industry, that facility notoriously closed in 2017, victim of corporate greed and offshoring fueled by a global audience’s thirst for cheaper goods. Whayagonnado.

If you’re into a classic pair of selvedge jeans with an old school silhouette, cut from vintage NOS USA-milled denim, sewn in USA, and with promising fabric evo potential, the MF® CALIFORNIAN Lot54R (reissue) may not be a bad choice.

The Mister Freedom® CALIFORNIAN Lot54R (reissue) are designed and made in California, CA in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co. Cut from NOS Cone Mills premium selvedge denim milled in USA.