21oz Shinayaka Selvedge Denim
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Exactly. Will it work for everyone? Of course not, but then bootcuts don't, 25oz doesn't, black denim doesn't, non-selvedge denim doesn't…....
I would never buy or wear black denim
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I feel like this is a choice based in utilitarianism and function, both hallmarks of IH design.
You’ve hit the nail on the head there mate. This isn’t about selling out or showing contempt for tradition. It’s about increased application
Thanks for the kind words.
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And just like that, I’m sold.
It is the most notable feature, now at the 100 wears/two washes mark. I’m pretty impressed.
And thank you.
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Fantastic write up my man. Extremely informative and very well articulated. And the icing on the cake is that i can finally entertain the thought of owening a pair of 666's which is completely out of the question for me right now.
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Just got them
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Interesting stuff here. Thanks for the honest review Neph. The overwhelming expectation in the jeans market now is stretch. This is easily proven by looking at the websites of Levi's or Wrangler, where the majority of jeans offerings are now various percentages of stretch material.
The fact is the stretch jeans are more comfortable when new. Most people don't have the patience for their jeans to slowly become that way as it is with 100% cotton.
Personally I won't be giving up my all cottons anytime soon. Call it pride, stubbornness, what have you. Maybe even as sort of an anti-trend. But if I were to consider stretch jeans, it would probably be these.
It also expands the IH brand to people who may not have been interested before. This is a good thing. The traditional fabrics aren't going anywhere for us old-heads. But it is bridging the gap to the new-heads which are essential for the survival of the brand.
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@Cheddar_Curtain thanks for the feedback and thoughts. I came into this as a "denimhead" seven years ago, but truth be told I'm less of a denimhead and more of an IH fan boy now. The idea of buying different brands, and trying a wide variety of denims from them doesn't appeal anymore, been there done that and discovered that IH is "my brand".
The point being that I've become somewhat immune to aspects of the denimhead code. Selvedge fabrics are great, but they aren't a must for me. Loomstate denim is cool and fun, but can be a huge, expensive and ultimately disappointing PITA.
IH has always had sanforised denim first, and unsanforised now and again. Why? Because Haraki-san likes stability in his denim. Most IH denims are stubborn faders and have a flat smooth hand. Why? Because H likes it that way. I have lots of IH wabash, which is one of their best fabrics imho, and it isn't even selvedge (shock, horror), and neither is their duck, which is also fantastic stuff. Why? Because not all selvedge is quality, and not all non-selvedge is shite.
The point being, I would have hated the idea of stretch denim four years ago, but now, my attitude is that if Haraki-san stands behind it then I will give it a go. I won't be uncritical, but nor will I be negatively prejudiced.
Like you, I won't be giving up my XHS, UHR, or love for the break in process. But I'm glad to have the Shinayaka's in my arsenal, and as long as the denim exists it will be up for consideration alongside the others as the functionality and flexibility (in terms of ones wardrobe, not the fabric), are fantastic.
I think this niche of the clothing industry has changed massively in the last few years. In some ways IH never fit that well into the heritage thing in the same way as the more repro orientated .jp brands did. Now that "heritage" is in decline, and now that paying $300-400 or more for jeans is becoming normal for an increasingly large demographic, a lot of customers don't consider themselves "denimheads" or denim purists, in the same way I used to consider myself a denimhead a few years back. These guys will like the stretch I think. So will anyone who wants more mobility and comfort becasue of lifestyle or work, while still having an extremely well engineered pair of jeans made from top quality selvedge denim. In act, so will anyone who is a fan of IH jeans in general.
IH started as a denim brand for Japanese bikers that western hipsters and denimheads often enjoyed. H was never designing for "denimheads" back then. So making a stretch denim is neither a departure from the brand's roots, nor is doing something that doesn't chime with denimhead/purist aesthetics unusual for the brand.
All that being said, with the return of the UHR and a new slubby denim, it looks like Haraki-san will be keeping everyone happy for a while yet
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@neph93 given the impending release of the 888, what’s your recommendation on waist sizing? Does it seem like these will relax more than the standard 21oz (similar to the UHR for example), or should we treat it like we would the flagship?
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@neph93 given the impending release of the 888, what’s your recommendation on waist sizing? Does it seem like these will relax more than the standard 21oz (similar to the UHR for example), or should we treat it like we would the flagship?
tl/dr: Go for standard 21oz dims, but don't worry if the jeans are half an inch smaller in your normal size.
There is no doubt that the waist looses its elasticity first, but it takes a comparatively long time for that to happen. The measurements on mine suggest I gained over an inch in the waist but only after about 100 wears and two washes. In the meantime the elastic kept them comfy. The leg and top block seems to be retaining it's stretch still, probably because it isn't getting the abuse the waistband does.
