Iron Heart Jeans

[Max Power]

^Do you have examples? (Serious question, I did not find another brand yet that makes shirts that appeal to me more - in terms of fit, fabric and construction).

 

^^ Yes, the sizing part is definitely true. There are a few brands that interest me, but I simply can't fit in. I also knew about the status of IH in Japan - when you look at magazines, IH rarely appears and it is among many other small brands, not counted as big player. Besides the western markets I think that the indonesian denim hype helped them too, as they offer slim fits in heavy denim. And this works like a charm to 18 year old denim fans over there.

[Double 0 Soul]

The phrase "achieving a look" does not sit comfortably with me, I generally buy clothing to suit my needs rather than to come across as something that i am not. Your own look will develop in time. A lot of folk on here sit behind a desk while dressed in "work wear" and have a less than active outdoor lifestyle or dress in motorcycle apparel without actually owning a motorcycle. Who are these people trying to fool? You dont need 21oz denim to work a computer and you only have super combs because you sit on your arse all day.

That said we are all a little guilty of the above sometimes.

 

I agree with max the noobs like IH because its so accessible.

[big truck]

What's wrong with achieving a look? Isn't that what you were doing with your RMC deck jacket, watch cap etc? I don't mean that in a bad way, I really like that look. It doesn't matter if you aren't a 40s/50s naval man. If you like a look why not wear it?

 

The point I made, if it needs to be made clearer, is that for all the over reaction IH gets, ultimately they make fairly standard flannels with not that inspiring designs and a ton of modern cut and thus undistinguished jeans. You can get that in a lot of places. From a distance it is little different to the type of shirt and denim you get on the high street. Close up, of course, it is entirely different but I presume that the people who buy have some interest in how they look. So posting close ups of the flannels does not really address what I said.

 

No beef with the quality of it all or the people who sell it but if their stuff was a similar weight to other JP brands, where would the attraction/selling point be in the brand? Is the quality so much better than others? 

 

Maybe the accessibility is it's strongest point. I remember when the IHUK site was essentially 2 pages, one selling 634s and the other being a couple of photos of faded jeans. There was the odd pair around here. The brand has done a great job of marketing itself outside of Japan so good for them. But from a design perspective, I think the clothes are sometimes underwhelming and some have a weird 70s trucker type vibe.

 

Remaining as objective as I can because I prefer 40s and 50s stuff, I still don't understand the fairly rabid love IH gets in certain quarters. That said, I would still like to see the 634 line developed with some more interesting denims and a little bit more on the rise 

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 10, 2015 by hoggreaser

[Maynard Friedman]

It's funny, some people comment how great the IH flannel shirts look while others say they are uninspiring. I'm sure these dichotomous views are valid for any other brand - one man's meat is another man's poison, horses for courses, yada yada...

Any brand that inspires such devout following will also have its detractors, I think some of the MF stuff is almost so costumey as to be practically unwearable, some looks really good and some ok. Flat Head seems to be experiencing a renaissance around here lately, I have a couple of pairs of jeans and 3 of their shirts, which I think are their standout items. I look at their t-shirts, however, and cringe at the logos, which just seem childish or awful-looking. I don't think I'd wear one for free, let alone pay £100 or whatever they cost, regardless of their quality. Plain ones are acceptable as far as I'm concerned but I'm still not prepared to pay that much for t-shirts.

There does seem to be a reaction against perceived 'newbs' and their attraction to 'magnet' brands such as IH but not everyone is going to hunt for obscure brands on Rakuten and then engage a proxy.

I still like Double 0's idea of customising clothing with pearlescent buttons - could be the next big thing.

Stick it in yer family al-bum!

[Double 0 Soul]

Ok that may have come across a little harsh i will try to clarify now that you have shattered my 40,s Naval delusion.

If you have to "achieve a look" that translates to me as i dont have the look already but i aspire to that look of the moment/brand even though it does not necessarily fit into my lifestyle. My condemnation was not directed towards the people who pursue and stick to a certain style but the people who "costume it up" for a need of a better phrase.

Eg-

Monday-Rockabilly

Tuesday- Biker

Wednesday- Cop

Thursday- Native American

Friday- Construction worker.

Thats all the village people i can think of but you get the picture.

 

"I dont care if he comes round ere, ive got more beer in the sideboard here let mama sort it out if he comes round ere." They dont write em like that anymore!

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 10, 2015 by hoggreaser

[Maynard Friedman]

Did you just come out on Sufu?

The obscure brand comment wasn't aimed at you by the way Hog, just pointing out the extremes of accessibility and the path of least resistance, etc.

Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, rabbitrabbitrabbitrabbitrabbitrabbitrabbitrabbitrabbit....

Edited August 1, 2013 by Maynard Friedman

[Double 0 Soul]

That being said would you consider IH for its construction if it did not attract the masses?

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 10, 2015 by hoggreaser

[Maynard Friedman]

I admire MF

Thank you Hog, I like you too but I still won't go on that date with you.

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 10, 2015 by hoggreaser

[shoreman]

This was going so well for bit...

[beautiful_FrEaK]

Yep, that was a refreshing discussion to read

[Cold Summer]

 I'm interested in what Cold Summer raised here about the brand presence in Japan, so perhaps this might explain the Japanese lack of appetite for the brand over there as compared to the repro companies.

 

 

 

One thing I will absolutely concede though is a respect for how accessible the guy behind the brand appears to be - I've said elsewhere that if I'm drawn to a brand in many ways I'm interested in the people behind it almost equally as much - so being able to meet him/them and for them to have come over from Japan - well sure that is impressive.

 

One part of it is that IH seems to mostly target bikers - they seem more "serious" in comparison to other, more casual brands that have a bit more of a... playful air to them?  That's my perception anyway.  IH also isn't a strict repro company, for example they use selvage fabrics but modern sewing machines and that sort of thing (nothing wrong with that, I might add.)  So they just don't align quite as neatly with the tastes of the Japanese denim consumer - plus, Japanese are not so much into heavyweight denim.  Most seem to like stuff in the 15 oz. range, so heavier fabrics aren't so much of a selling point here.

 

I have heard that Haraki is a very easy guy to work with, who isn't glued to doing things the Japanese way. 

 

Flat Head seems to be experiencing a renaissance around here lately, I have a couple of pairs of jeans and 3 of their shirts, which I think are their standout items. I look at their t-shirts, however, and cringe at the logos, which just seem childish or awful-looking. I don't think I'd wear one for free, let alone pay £100 or whatever they cost, regardless of their quality. Plain ones are acceptable as far as I'm concerned but I'm still not prepared to pay that much for t-shirts.

 

 

I'm surprised that their graphic tees don't get more hate (probably because the T-shirts themselves are so nice), I can definitely understand why people would dislike them.  I find them endearingly cheesy, but I'm not a fan of the shirts covered in lots of engrish text.  But from the sound of things, they're planning to go in a more subtle direction with graphic designs in the future, as the younger employees have recognized that this is an issue.  Nobody really makes fun of FH's Hawaiian or Rayon shirts, or some of RJB's wilder designs for that matter, but maybe it's mostly because this stuff doesn't make it outside of Japan and people on the forums aren't really wearing it.

 

I'm also surprised that Flat Head hasn't experienced any sort of backlash similar to IH.  Maybe it's because nobody else is quite as much of a stark raving fan as I am? 

[beautiful_FrEaK]

On one side there is the Iron Heart Army (or as they call themselves, the Stubborn Crew) and the other side there is you...only you. That wouldn't be fair

Edited August 1, 2013 by beautiful_FrEaK

[Double 0 Soul]

How would one get "The Stubborn Crew" to agree on anything?

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 10, 2015 by hoggreaser

[corporalclegg]

Not to kick a dead horse but ive been wearing Iron Heart for a few years now and have tried multiple other brands, but always come back to Iron Heart, especially for shirts and jackets.  They make clothing that fits western customers better than a lot of the other japanese companies, and while flannels may not be very intriguing to some, they come out with interesting but subtle fabrics each year.  Most Japanese companies tend to make shirts that I need to have the shoulders be an inch too wide for the length and sleeves to actually fit.  Its also awesome to be able to make suggestions about products to make, colors things should come in, etc, and have those opinions actually be listened to.

[Maynard Friedman]

Cold Summer, you summed up the t-shirts far better than I did. The cheesy Engrish stuff does nothing for me, even ironically, although I'm sure most of the wearers aren't embracing it for that reason. Also, I don't want to plaster myself with motorbike or hot rod club labels, seems a little juvenile, although if that's someone else's bag, then I have no problem with it. Glad to hear FH are moving away from that side of things. I really like FH, just wished they did slightly looser cuts with rises a little higher, even the F350s are a little tight on my (manly!) thighs. My 1005s (still raw) seem like they might be a little looser, plus I won't repeat the mistake of washing them at 60C for max shrinkage!

Edited August 1, 2013 by Maynard Friedman

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 10, 2015 by hoggreaser

[Double 0 Soul]

Its fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 10, 2015 by hoggreaser

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 10, 2015 by hoggreaser

[Sugar Mountain]

I just want to chime in again and say I'm glad we can have these kind of discussions on Sufu without any flaming, negging or the like. People have made good points for both sides and it's cool to move away from sizing and where to kop questions, even if briefly. Cheers!

[rustygoose]

634s @ 10 months &  ~8 washes.

 

Extremely comfy, feels great! & nicest copper rivets out there!

 

& imo, it's a myth that these fade slow.. i don't wear jeans very hard.

 

 

[Maynard Friedman]

Why are you posting pictures of nicely worn and faded IH jeans in an irreverent, gossipy thread?

Seriously, I like them.

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 10, 2015 by hoggreaser

[rustygoose]

Sorry about that, please continue!

 

& hogg, these don't last longer or shorter than any other jeans in crotch..

 

just normal for 10 months i think.

Edited August 1, 2013 by rustygoose

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 10, 2015 by hoggreaser