Fabric recommendation for 555
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@Louisclsu1 As someone who sells 3sixteen and IH denim, I can tell you that all of the Iron Heart denim offerings will provide plenty of variation from the Kuroki Mills denim made for 3sixteen. The Kuroki denim has a lighter shade and more of a sheen compared to IH offerings. Even if you got the 14oz IH denim, while similar in weight, it feels like a completely different pair of jeans and would provide the variety you are looking for.
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My first pair of IH was the 21oz 555. I think that particular denim is the best place to start. It’s soft and comfortable but also very thick and different from 3Sixteen’s offerings — the way the heavier denim creases and bunches up in places produces its own kind of fading. FWIW I like 3s a lot and wore their denim pretty frequently before I got into IH.
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@Louisclsu1 - i would also recommend 21oz. it's super comfortable once broken in, super soft. i'm living in warmer climate but still able to wear them 10 months a year, i switch to sugarcanes only when the temperature rises over 30 °C
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@Alex Thank you for the photo reference! I'm looking for indigo, at least for my first IH pair. I'm intrigued by the vintage 18oz, but it's currently out of stock of my size. Otherwise, a fade to a lighter blue would be great.
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Thank you all for the input!
@popvulture, what cuts of 3Sixteen did you have? Any comparison notes to how the 555 fits?
@guiltyparty , incredibly helpful to know first hand the differences in denim characteristics.
@Germinal , incredible that 25oz wears so easily. I'll likely start my IH journey on a lighter fabric, and graduate to a higher weight class.
At this time, it looks like I'll choose between the 21oz indigo and 17 oz natural indigo (which seems to fade a bit more slowly). It seems from the photos to look similar shade of indigo, but that might just be the poor quality of my screen. I'll take closer look at the measurement charts and read through the respective threads on the forum. Thanks again!
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@Louisclsu1 I had a couple pairs of SL-120x. It’s been a long time, but I’d say IIRC that 3sixteen’s version of straight was still pretty slim, a little more similar to the 666.
Comparing the 555 to the 666, I’d say 555 has a little more room / comfort in the top block while still being slim overall, plus an overall more tapered look.
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Everyone is saying the 21oz for a reason. Such a great fabric that you can wear for 3 seasons easily. Humidity is rough in summer where you’re at and you’ll prob go for the 3sixteen during that time (or shorts). I’m a big advocate of the slubby denim. Easy to wear in 3 seasons (not so great for winter).
21oz:
Substantial weight, but super comfortable. It’s their flagship for a reason. Lovely evo after some hardcore wear.17oz NI:
Had this on a CPO great weight and comfortable. Actually harder to fade than 21oz by a little. A smidge less breathable due to slightly tighter weave. If you plan on keeping these for a very long time. Worth the reward in fades.16oz Slubs
Most breathable denim IH offers. Unique hand and interesting fades. I personally love this weight and breath ability for being outdoors and active. Especially in the summer.18oz vintage
Amazing denim and my next indigo jeans purchase once available in stock. In between 16 oz and 21oz breathability wise. You’ll definitely get a lot of vertical falling in this pair. Lighter indigo hues than all above initially. There is a reason that this denim sells out quickly.Overall you can’t go wrong with IH. Choosing your cut and size will be the most important decision. Base it on how active you want to be along with how long you want to wear them. Another factor is what other pairs you want to rotate in with. If you’ve got the lighter weight vs heavyweight. Each fabric has its own pros and cons. All of them will fade and evolve great. Lucky for you there is a whole forum of fade examples for each of these denim fabrics. Browse through them and look at the results. If any one looks like what you’re going for. You have a pretty good shot at similar results with similar wear time. Good luck and enjoy your first pair of IH jeans!
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I definitely agree that 21oz is the best and pretty much checks all boxes which is why I have an 888S-21 (Indigo) and 888-SB + 888-SBG (Black). That said, I also have an 888S-142 (Indigo) and 888S-142bb (Black) and it surprises me that most people don't suggest 14oz more often in these discussions. I believe that IH's 14oz denim offerings are highly underrated and, whilst they shouldn't be compared to other "more interesting" and heavier denim offerings, they aren't any less substantial or worth the money.
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Thank you all for your help. I went ahead and ordered the 21oz indigo as my first pair of IH. They should be here later this week. I'm excited and appreciate all the feedback and input, which helped me choose the right starting point. As a bonus, I randomly learned about a stockist in Atlanta (@guiltyparty), my old neighborhood. I'll stop by my next trip down south.
I'll post initial impressions soon. Cheers!
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Finally had time to post a quick fit. For my first pair of IH jeans, I'm grateful for the recs to start with the 21oz indigo. I've put in 5 wears and it has started to soften nicely. Other than a snafu of doing the dishes multiple nights without an apron (indigo all over white countertops, discovered by an understanding spouse), its been a delight.
Thanks again for all the suggestions!
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Seconded! They’re gonna be a lot of fun.
