IH-888S-UHR - 21/23oz Ultra Heavy Raw Selvedge Denim High Rise Tapered Cut Jeans
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Sometimes, you put it out in the universe and it happens. I lobbed a restock notification on these beasts after the announcement that the fabric is no more, thinking I would never get a pair.
Sure enough, the fine folks at IH UK reached out with the good news that they had a pair of tag 34 show up at the shop. I hardly believed it, reading the email.
But here’s the rub; I’m concerned that they might be a wee bit bigger than I’d prefer. In the 888-XHS, I’m a comfortable tag 33. In the 633-SBG 21 oz, a tight tag 34. When measuring these pairs and others the IH way, I seem to fit best in a waist around 34 inches. The UHR that’s coming is on the big side at 34.7 inches, raw. Dare I say girthy?
I know shrink is expected and I also know that the waist is likely to stretch back out to pre-shrink dimensions. And therein lies my concern. However, if the rest of the measurements shrink as expected, the jeans should fit well.
The IH UK crew have been great about this, trading a few emails with me, as I faffed over measurements. Shout out to Shaun and James! I’ve read the entirety of this thread.
Because this denim isn’t coming back, and because I’ve never owned a pair of UHR, I jumped at the chance to give these a go. So I ask; am I headed for disappointment with the big waist? Or do I go for maximum hot soak, wash, and medium tumble dry? And YOLO this pair and embrace the extra waist room?
Safety third
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@Bobcat-Sig I believe you made the right call. As you said, they’re not coming back.
If I were you I would hot soak for at least an hour with agitation every 15 minutes. Maybe even longer than one hour.
Then wash, 40C, low or no spin.
Hang dry until bone dry. Not in the sun.
(I would not tumble on first try, if it goes south you lost your only shot)If the fit after that is right on, I would consider wearing them with a belt to mitigate that the waistband stretches back to raw measurements.
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@Sunnergren Thanks for sharing. I appreciate it. A little encouragement is always good. I also realize the irony of obsessing over measurements and specs of denim - a fabric meant to be used, abused, and faded.
Much like we say when chasing set up on motorcycles; “How about you ride the bike?” Same here: I should try these on first. I’m probably fussing too much over excess material in the waist, but I’m a fervent belt-wearer.
Putting aside measurements, what do the Iron Heart faithful like to see waist in feel when first trying on these jeans; two finger width? Three?
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@Bobcat-Sig for everyone, I guess that would be all across the board. I personally like none, but don’t want it to cut into my waist. If I can slide a pair of jeans off without unbuttoning them, they are way too large for my tastes. I have also found that if they are too big in the waist, they are generally too big overall and have a sloppy appearance.
That’s me and my $.02 though…
“our policy of no discussions regarding politics, religion, asparagus, and other controversial issues.” - Andrew
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@Bobcat-Sig what is the measurements currently to your 888XHS? If you are comfy now thats sort of would be a good benchmark to start. And then compare that to 34.7 inches to gauge if you think it will be too big/small....
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@goosehd This. @Bobcat-Sig these will stretch right back the post soak measurements pretty quick. Mine did in probably less than a week. If they're too big for your liking now, they're not going to get any better.
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They should fit well pre-soak, as they won't stretch back out any further than they are now.
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@goosehd said in IH-888S-UHR - 21/23oz Ultra Heavy Raw Selvedge Denim High Rise Tapered Cut Jeans:
@Bobcat-Sig for everyone, I guess that would be all across the board. I personally like none, but don’t want it to cut into my waist. If I can slide a pair of jeans off without unbuttoning them, they are way too large for my tastes. I have also found that if they are too big in the waist, they are generally too big overall and have a sloppy appearance.
That’s me and my $.02 though…
I appreciate it, @goosehd
I await the jeans. They should arrive Monday.Regarding the big waist, I’m fortunate in that department in that a lifetime of skiing, hiking, bicycling, and mountain biking have given me a proper backside. A pair of jeans would need to quite large for me to slide them off without unbuttoning. We’re talking a half inch here, maybe an inch, in the pair that’s inbound.
As to the measurements elsewhere, the specs are maybe .1 or .2 inches larger. But we’ll see how they fit when they arrive.
@cyclops said in IH-888S-UHR - 21/23oz Ultra Heavy Raw Selvedge Denim High Rise Tapered Cut Jeans:
@Bobcat-Sig what is the measurements currently to your 888XHS? If you are comfy now thats sort of would be a good benchmark to start. And then compare that to 34.7 inches to gauge if you think it will be too big/small....
I re-measured a few pairs, including two Iron Hearts. The 888, when measure the IH way, are a bit over 34 inches. I have a pair of N&F in a weird guy cut that measure out to 35 inches, which is fine, if a bit wider in the waist than I’d like.
So by those measurements, I’m on the big side of what I like by about a half inch. However, I think I’ve tried to convince myself that there’s enough shrinkage in these pairs. Which, might be a bit of wishful thinking. Still, I’m going to give them a go. They arrive Monday.
I appreciate everyone chiming in. It’s been super cool to dive deep on stuff like this. I mean, who knew that such detail could be discussed with like minded aficionados.
I’ll be back with an update on Monday. In the meantime, the waiting game continues !
Safety third
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@Bobcat-Sig just remember to follow the instructions re: soaking and washing. For one of my pairs i had to wash twice and it got all the shrinkage out to look and feel normal....
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@Bobcat-Sig , I'm anxious to hear of the updates.
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I’m a bit delayed in updating, but the UHRs arrived Monday to much excitement. However, I had to travel part of this week, so I wasn’t able to open my Christmas-in-September box.
But first, the surprise that was in the box…
I’ve been lusting after these for years, but more on that in the respective thread.
To the hallowed 21/23 oz denim. First impressions are that it’s clear why these are different. Crispy! And long. That 37-inch inseam is no joke.
With the waist on these measuring in at 34.7 inches, it’s clear they’re big. It’s been a minute since I put on a fresh pair of 888-XHS tag 33, so I don’t have an immediate gauge on how it should all drape when they are fresh off the shelf. Overall the UHR is borderline baggy. I know that about a half inch of shrink is expected most everywhere that’s not the waist or inseam. Which, if that’s the case, it would tighten things up nicely.
To the waist, as that’s the biggest concern. They aren’t so big as to slide off while buttoned, but I can fit three fingers perpendicular to my belly or hip between the waistband. On my XHS, it’s two fingers.
My other benchmark was the belt fit, knowing that these will stretch in the waist and that I’m a dedicated belt-wearer. And this was telling; when buckling my favorite belt, there was denim bunched up over my backside.
I’m torn here. On one hand, I’m willing to try for maximum shrinkage here and see if that and belt keeps things tidy. On the other, these might be too big.
I’ll get some fit pics tomorrow so I can get some proper advice from the experts here.
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@Bobcat-Sig scroll up to see other peoples before and after measurements. I think that might be a good way to judge how much it shrinks in the waist to gauge whether that amount of shrinkage would work for you....i think look at post 600 etc
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Thanks for the reminder. I read and re-read this thread while I waited for my pair.
What I learned from that was an inch in the waist (maybe more?) shrink is expected, which would snug these up where I like them. But what I’m also seeing is that the waist will stretch back out to pre-shrink measurement, which I don’t want. Has that been your experience with your pair? Did the waist stretch back out after initial shrink?
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@Bobcat-Sig too big now, too big later. A pair of UHR jeans should fit well out of the bag as yes they shrink, but will stretch back out with wear…
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Yeah i agree with Goosehd here. But only you can judge with the facts/info in front of you. Have a think and go with your gut so to speak. Think about the pros and cons, and whether the risk is worth the reward
What was your measurements of your old comfy 888XHS? How far apart is it to 34.7inches? And then weigh up what others have measured in terms of shrinkage of the waist and just do a bit of maths to see if its too much etc....
I just got my spare size 33 out of storage. It has shrunk down to 33inches after two washes (measured the IH way) from 33.8inches....
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They should fit properly brand new.
When soaked/washed, they will shrink roughly 1 inch in the waist. With wear, they will stretch out to their "brand new" measurement. They will not stretch past their pre-shrink measurement.
When I ordered my UHFs, I ordered my usual 888 size. When recieved, the waist fit just like all my other pairs. When they shrunk, I had to really struggle to get the upper buttons fastened. After about an hour or so of wear/walking, they were back to their pre-shrink fit and were very comfortable.
If your brand new/dry/not soaked pair is too big now, they will be too big later.
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@cyclops said in IH-888S-UHR - 21/23oz Ultra Heavy Raw Selvedge Denim High Rise Tapered Cut Jeans:
Yeah i agree with Goosehd here. But only you can judge with the facts/info in front of you. Have a think and go with your gut so to speak. Think about the pros and cons, and whether the risk is worth the reward
What was your measurements of your old comfy 888XHS? How far apart is it to 34.7inches? And then weigh up what others have measured in terms of shrinkage of the waist and just do a bit of maths to see if its too much etc....
I just got my spare size 33 out of storage. It has shrunk down to 33inches after two washes (measured the IH way) from 33.8inches....
My current 888-XHS measure out to just over 34 inches. That's over a half-inch difference, which didn't seem to be a lot on paper, but when tried on, it seems to be a lot. I think the issue is that while these jeans will shrink, the waist will stretch right back out to something that's probably too big. I was hoping (and ignoring the fabric physics of cotton) that wais shrinkage would be permanent.
On your 888 pair, did the shrunken waist measurement of 33 inches remain, even after wearing?
@VegaS10 said in IH-888S-UHR - 21/23oz Ultra Heavy Raw Selvedge Denim High Rise Tapered Cut Jeans:
They should fit properly brand new.
When soaked/washed, they will shrink roughly 1 inch in the waist. With wear, they will stretch out to their "brand new" measurement. They will not stretch past their pre-shrink measurement.
When I ordered my UHFs, I ordered my usual 888 size. When recieved, the waist fit just like all my other pairs. When they shrunk, I had to really struggle to get the upper buttons fastened. After about an hour or so of wear/walking, they were back to their pre-shrink fit and were very comfortable.
If your brand new/dry/not soaked pair is too big now, they will be too big later.
Fair. I was hoping that somehow, the waist shrinkage would be permanent, like the other measurements of the jean. What I'm reading there is that isn't the case.
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One year of wear on this pair now. Regarding sizing, these are the only 888s I take a 33 waist. All my other pairs are 34 waist. It was a big leap of faith but you have to trust the measurements. I always ask the crew for a pair with an exact 34 waist, which got me a size 33 with an exact 34 waist. And I agree with the others - the need to fit prior to washing or they will always be too big.
