MF41 Utility Jacket - OG-107 Cotton Sateen

SPECS

PATTERN:
Revisited pattern of the US Army Spec No. PQD 45 M-1941 UTILITY Jacket.

FABRIC:
100% cotton, vintage Mil-Specs cotton-back sateen, OG-107 color, 9 Oz., milled in Japan.

DETAILS:

• Revisited pattern of the classic US Army Spec No. PQD 45 M-1941 UTILITY jacket.
• Unlined, all clean seams.
• Elegant curved notch lapel.
• Waist length, complimenting one’s natural waist.
• Side cinch straps, mil-specs metal sliders.
• Bat sleeve’ pattern with gusset for arm hole comfort.
• Double chest pockets, expanding box pleats.
• Back panel expansion pleats.
• Large inner chest pocket, locked in panel construction.
• Burst of Glory’ type metal tack buttons, black. Color will chip with wear.
• Adjustable cuffs, fancy shirt-sleeve style.
• Chainstitch construction, 100% cotton thread, tonal.
• Woven rayon label “MFSC NAVAL CLOTHING TAILOR” on the inside waistband, stamped sizing on neck.
• Made in Japan.

SIZING/FIT

The Mister Freedom® UTILITY Jacket OG-107 comes UN-WASHED, cut so that actual measurements match the labeling after the initial cold soak/line dry shrinking process. Recommended protocol:

• Cold soak for about 30-40mn, with occasional hand agitation.
• Machine spin dry cycle, and line dry.

This jacket is considered true-to-size.
At 5’7 ~145 lbs., I opted for a SMALL, my usual current size in mfsc jackets, with enough room for a Medalist sweatshirt.
The size that will work best for you depends on your body type and how you like your clothes to fit. Measure a jacket of a similar style you own and compare to our size chart, reflecting rinsed measurements.
This is how we measure.

CARE

Launder when needed.
Turn garment inside out to avoid marbling during laundering. Machine wash, cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.
Excessive and irreversible shrinkage may result from using hot water and heat dryer.

STORY

Full credits to the folks at the “Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot” for coming up with this garment pattern circa 1941!
The design was adapted from civilian denim workwear styles popular at the time, and would briefly become the new US Army work/field jacket during the early years of WW2. The M-1941 jacket was issued in olive green HBT, under the moniker “Jacket, Herringbone Twill, Specification No. PQD 45.”
Incorporating commercial fashion designs in US military uniforms had become a thing in the late 1930s, as it was thought a “new look” would help boost morale for the troops, and instill “pride in uniform.”
The resulting modernized design of the M-1941 Utility Jacket proved fancier-than-needed in the field, not fully-practical in the front lines, and costly to manufacture. Additionally, intricate patterns and overly complicated tech-packs limited the amount of contractors able to deliver regulation uniforms on time, not an ideal situation during wartime production.
Read here for interesting specifics on WW2 military field uniforms. 

For us, that pattern was a perfect candidate to play with for one of our “might have been” MF® garments.
After updating the fit and tweaking a few things, we released a 2×1 denim version in 2015 (blog post), followed by a Melton wool/indigo twill CDO model.
For our Survival School venture, we thought of a matching top to the Mechanic Trousers, and the UTILITY Jacket pattern was selected as the companion of choice for a smashing OG-107 tuxedo! Right on time for the Holidays.
The fabric is a 9 Oz. vintage Mil-Specs cotton-back sateen, in that classic military shade of Olive Green we all love. Milled in 2024 as close as it gets to its 1952 GI ancestor (and I don’t mean the contemporary overly-slubby commercial renditions), our OG-107 cotton sateen is bound to age as gracefully as that of vintage fatigues.

The MF® UTILITY Jacket, OG-107 cotton sateen 2023 edition, is designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and manufactured in Japan in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co. Fabric milled in Japan.