CALIFORNIAN Lot.64 – Vidalia Black Online

CALIFORNIAN Lot.64 – Vidalia Black

SPECS

Pattern: Inspired by vintage 1950s-1960s era five-pocket blue jeans. Our LOT64 cut features a traditional fit, classic rise, with a slightly tapered leg for a 50s-60s vibe.

Fabric: Fabric: 100% cotton black warp x black weft bull denim, 14 oz., white/red selvedge ID, milled in USA by Vidalia Mills on Cone Mills legacy Draper-X3 looms.
Pocketing: NOS 100% cotton canvas, rusty red color.

SPECS

• Classic vintage five-pocket blue jeans pattern and fit.
• Classic mid-rise.
• Button fly, original MF®-branded patinaed tack buttons, brass waist / silver fly combo.
• Selvedge leg outseam.
• NOS cotton canvas pocketing.
• MF® original “M” stitch design on rear pockets.
• Black tea-core cowhide leather MF®-branded patch on rear pocket. Will age with normal wash/wear.
• 100% cotton threads construction, black tonal stitching.
• Coin pocket with concealed selvedge.
• Selvedge button hole fly placket.
• Hidden back pocket reinforcement rivets, with top pocket bar-tack stitching.
• Unmarked copper riveting for pocket reinforcement.
• Original MF® paper pocket flasher, black VDL14 edition.
• Made in California, USA, in an ethically-responsible and small family-owned factory.

SIZING/FIT

*This particular fabric and cut run a bit big in the leg, the fit is more like Lot54. Some may consider sizing down. If you need assistance with sizing please reach out to [email protected]

The Californian Lot64 VDL14 black denim 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.
• Wear briefly before fully-dry to shape and set creases, then hang until fully dry.

These Lot64 VDL14 MF® Californians are considered true-to-size, but run a bit more generous in the leg than most of our other Lot64s. They actually feel more like our Lot54 cut. (See MF® Californian fit references here.)
At 5’7 ~145 Lbs., I opted to size down in the VDL14 and went for a W29, for a snug waist and classic 1950s-60s silhouette. (Please note that I am wearing a W30 prototype in the photos.)
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: 

At 5’7 ~145 Lbs., I opted to size down in the VDL14 and went for a W29, for a snug waist and classic 1950s-60s silhouette. (Please note that I am wearing a W30 prototype in the photos.)

CARE

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

If I were a fashion blogger I would start with “One of the problems with classic black denim jeans is what to not pair them with…”
Instead, as illustration, below is a plethora of smashing MF® outfits, in all kinds of awkward poses and situations. Same black jeans, and too much time on my hands.

We acquired some very cool yardage of black selvedge denim for this project, with the simple intention of releasing an unpretentious, classic cut, home-grown pair of solid black Mister Freedom® Lot64 Californian.

Milled by Vidalia Specialty Mills in Vidalia, Louisiana, this black selvedge denim twill fabric has quite the historical background. The looms it was produced-on — a few restored vintage 1940s Draper X3 looms — were purchased sometime in 2017 from the iconic Cone Mills White Oak Plant by a North Carolina demolition contractor by the name of Will Dellinger (JW Demolition).
Familiar to all heritage denimheads as the American mill responsible for Levi’s® golden age good looks, Cone Mills folded its domestic operation in 2017, looking for greener pasture and off-shoring to China and Mexico.
The machines were in turn procured by Vidalia in 2019. Apparently 46 machines total.
Of note, Cone still has somewhat of its legit USA denim-producing legacy going strong thanks to the dedicated crew at Proximity Denims since 2021.

If the above chain of events sounds like a whole season of Dallas, it’s probably because the world of American Denim carries about the same amount of intrigue.

What is less plot-driven and more transparent is that the premium denim fabric of the Mister Freedom® Lot64 VDL14 is a black warp x black weft twill, 14 Oz., milled in Louisiana, and that our jeans are cut/sewn in California, USA, the combination of which is bound to make you look fabulous and feel fantastic for years to come. Dress ‘em up, dress ‘em down, go Jailhouse Rock or 30 Rock, these classic black jeans will tell the story you choose.
Please note that these Lot64 VDL14 run fuller in the leg than our typical Lot64s, with a silhouette closer to our Lot54. Be sure to read the sizing section and check the measurement chart, as some may decide to size down one inch from their usual Lot64 size.

The Mister Freedom® CALIFORNIAN Lot64 are designed and made in California, CA in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co. Cut from Vidalia Mills premium selvedge denim milled in USA.

Read the full blog about the Lot64 Vidalia