IH-1955S - 21oz Selvedge Denim "1955" Vintage Tapered Cut Jeans - Indigo
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In response to your question thevintagefuture, I'd say the top block of the 1955 is slightly roomier than the 888. The latter is pretty body contouring while the 1955 comes in a little more at the waist with a bit more room in the hip. Put another way, it's easier for me to get my hands in the pockets of my 1955. Both have a nice top block -- I prefer the 1955's by a hair. Down below, the ideal would be a blend of the two. So I'm waiting for the 1958 or 855
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@thevintagefuture yeah I would describe the 1955 as:
- Start with the 888
- Add an inch to the front rise
- Graft on the leg of the 634 at the next tag size up
- Taper from the knee
As for top block room, I would say the 888, when worn as intended (eg. not how I wore mine) is a bit roomier than the 1955. One thing that it took me a while to learn is that when there's a bigger difference between front and back rise, it's a sign the jeans should slouch a bit. This is really common with Japanese repro cuts (look at how Full Count describes their 0105 and it's iconic slouched silhouette), and is in line with the "modern taper" that IH was going for with the 888. If you wear them that way (check out TJ at The Shop Vancouver for a perfect 888 fit), there's plenty of room in the seat and upper thigh because all that rise sort of hangs off the top of your hips. If you try to pull them up ala a Cowboy Cut, you'll quickly find that you get really odd vertical creasing in the crotch that isn't there on Wranglers (and the broken twill is much more comfortable when worn tight than IH's 21oz denim haha)
Personally I always tuck my shirts, so slouching is a no go. And if I wear pants that are too tapered, I look like a leg-day skipper, so I dropped the 888 pretty quickly. The 634 is better, and if I wasn't adamant about the tuck thing, I could make it work, but they sit on my body like how low rise jeans in the early 00s used to sit (firmly below my hips and hanging off of my butt). At that spot a snug belt gets really uncomfortable really quick. The plus side though is that if you aren't dead set on shirt tucks, the 634 is a cut that you can get away with upsizing to a significant degree because all you need to do is notch the belt a little bit to keep them hanging from the right spot.
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@KA56 I didn't realize that the 888 was intended to be worn with a slouch. I have a pair in UHR and I like how roomy they are but didn't like those weird vertical lines. I just tried wearing them on the hips instead of pulled all the way up and that fixed it. Thank you for explaining this.
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That’s the first I’ve heard of it as well. I always thought that wearing jeans was more of a personal thing and that’s why there are so many styles to choose from.
If you like to wear your jeans higher on the waist, then find a pair that works for you. The 888’s do that very well but it’s one of the reasons I don’t love the 888’s as much as the 666’s and 634’s because they sit on my comfortable waistline.
When I wear 888’s in the same spot, I end up with diaper butt…
YMMV
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There’s a great thread here about different cuts that illustrate where they sit on the waist: https://www.ironheart.co.uk/forum/topic/12810/graphic-comparisons-between-ih-cuts?_=1742902461518
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It has a lot to do with your body shape too, I’ve got a long torso so would suit high waisted jeans but they won’t stay on my waist whatever I do, so 666 and 634 suit me better as they sit just above my hips, and every pair ends up there even with a tight belt on.
The vertical lines are a body shape thing too, they can happen to me on any kind of cut, but usually on a looser top block, I’m sure it’s because I have a flat arse.
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@pmadison95 said in IH-1955S - 21oz Selvedge Denim "1955" Vintage Tapered Cut Jeans - Indigo:
@KA56 I didn't realize that the 888 was intended to be worn with a slouch.
They weren’t, no idea where that myth came from….
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To their credit, Iron Heart makes jeans for different body types and preferences. I’ve always looked and felt better with higher rise pants. Some guys are the exact opposite. The 888 and 1955 are a dream fit for me up top — similar but not identical. The 634 sits lower but is surprisingly comfortable, probably due to the top block shape and front/back rise differential.
On skinnier guys with no arse, higher rise jeans can sag down and result in diaper butt. On guys that are fuller up top (like me), low rise jeans feel like they’re falling off. Thankfully, this isn’t the case with the 888 or 1955, or even the 634.
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Thanks man! I was worried that the 1955 would engulf my short little legs but I’m happy with them. It’s a chill, but fitted look. That extra inch with the front rise compared to the 888 makes a big difference with comfort for me
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@jischwar Great fit, nailed it!
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@JohnM hahaha I would support a 1958 or the like lol - Thanks for the explanation! I had my suspicion this is how the top blocks are, but I haven't had an 888 to compare.
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@KA56 Once again, super helpful, thank you! Overall I'm really happy with the fit of mine, but the curious side of me would have liked to try on multiple sizes in-store (the singular reason I wish I lived in Vancouver LOL). I sized 1 down from my true waist (Size 32 for my 33" waist) and am pretty happy with it. I could actually probably go 2 down to 31 for a slimmer fit since the waist stretches so much and I have no meat on my bones. But 1 down was the happy median between TTS and the risky 2 down. I figure if I want something slimmer I can throw on my Wranglers or go buy a 634 or 888.
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Re the discussion about how you wear your 888s: Because of my body shape, all my pants tend the slide down to just above my hip bones, no matter how high the rise is. So I have to deal with rise adjustments by just getting different jeans of a better dimension. These 1955s are a sweet fit, but not technically absolute perfection as far as rise and volume goes. That said, I don't care about PERFECT fit as much as I used to, I just kinda appreciate each jean for what it is. And if I happen to find the perfect jean then that's even better. I'm really enjoying the super high rise of these 55s right now; it's like having a big giant bulletproof diaper hahaha
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@jischwar your pair looks like a GREAT fit on you! How did you size, by the way? Did you go with your true waist measurement or down from that?
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@thevintagefuture thanks! I have large thighs so ask for the smallest waist and largest thigh for a size 33. These were 32.5" and 13.25" Thigh which is my sweet spot measurement. I can't size down bc thighs need to be 13.25"+
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@JohnM definitely my experience too.. I am ahem.. fuller in the backside department too and only the higher rise cuts work for me. Tried 666 and 777 and felt like I was exposing myself every time I bent down.
The 888 worked but my wife laughed at me with how loose they were so I’ve been strictly 555 since then. Seems a little strange as I’m a fairly big guy wearing the slimmest cut but the rear rise of the 555 is perfect for me and I always seem to get a bit of stretch in the waist and thigh and end up with a perfect fitting pair of jeans. -
@DeeDee85 that exposing yourself (in Germany we call it construction worker cleavage) was the same for me which 777, that's why I tried and went exclusively whith the 555 from then on what worked great for me. But sometimes the smaller thigh/knee measurements caused the top block to get pulled down even more, so I still have to be carefull especially with the 19L because the rise on them is lower than with the other fabrics.
That's where the 1955s are a lot more reasuring. I get your wifes view, I never tried the 888 but these cuts are like @thevintagefuture said the most opposite styles possible for now. But my girlfriend likes the more relaxed style and I am getting more used to it everyday I wear them. It's maybe not for everyday or every outfit but I think they are a great addition!!
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@FlavourFade very similar to the English version of “builders bum”
I could have perhaps seen myself in the 888’s but when my wife walked in the room I knew it wasn’t happening by the look on her face
that’s me coming from a history of wearing somewhat slim fit Levi’s etc too, so the 555’s are perfect for me.
