Best Iron Heart Models for Western Wear?
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@Appfaff May you live to be a thousand years old sir!
This is exactly the type of insider knowledge I was looking for. I only help your generosity helps other transplants assimilate. It's definitely the Wrangler Slim Cowboy cut I keep seeing everywhere.
I'm still working up the nerve to get my first pair of cowboy boots and hat without feeling like a total poseur. Seems like Tecovas is the way to go for Californian refugees like myself. Signals that I'm a hipster and not pretending to be a real cowboy.
Thanks again.
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@shelbington - I have 5 pairs of Tecovas, so I can stand by the products and agree the value - price is good. Easiest "entry" is the Zip Side boot - no stitching on the forefoot, so it feels less western, but you get the silhouette. If you had to buy one boot to get started though, I would spend the little extra and get their roper boot or standard R (Round) Toe in their light brown ostrich. It's easily the most wearable color (I even wear mine with black) is more dressed up for office wear, and immediately gets positive comments.
I will also say, don't discount getting an entry level Lucchese Roper (They call it the Sunset Roper Boot, I think it's $500-600 as opposed to the Tecovas at $300-375) - the comfort is higher than the Tecvoas, and the silhouette is a bit more "shaped" as opposed to very uniform. It will be closer to $700-800 for ostrich or lizard at Lucheese, and the Tecovas would be $400-475 range for exotics.
For the hat, go to a good hat store, get yourself a 6x American hat and have them trim the brim down to a 3.75 to 4-inch brim. Do a low cattleman crease and low taco brim with a shallow dip. That's how My hats are shaped, although mine are all 4 1/4 brims (I actually shape my own hats at home). For a cheaper option, Resistol (Owned by Stetson) does an unpressed 6x hat which you can have the same thing done, stetson only sells their higher end hats non-precreased. Stetson hats are not hard either, and I like my felt's super stiff.
Good Luck!
Adam
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@shelbington SE is actually in Austin. and the several times i’ve been there they’ve had a more than decent collection of IH. though i fall into the 40-42 category.
back on target…. i wear boots with all the IH cuts but 777. I dont own 888s.
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@Appfaff
Excellent, informative breakdown. -
You are welcome @Heritage_Guy !!
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The thread I’ve been looking for all of my (IH) life! Ok… more like recently. Love it all the same.
@Appfaff great break down. Just what I’ve been after. In fact, I write this as I wear a black pair of Wrangler 13 MWZ and Lucchese blue sueded hornback caiman boots, on my way home from El Paso.
On the 888 and 13 MWZ comparison, I would not have likened those two together. While the 888 is a glorious jean with a high rise, I find the taper too much for my western preference. While the hem fits over boots, it just doesn’t jive with what I’m used to. I think this means I need to give it another look.
I tried on some Cinch White Labels at Starr yesterday. Good value and spot on the more relaxed fit.
I’m absolutely keeping your notes on hats. That’s my next frontier. My Red Bull KTM is a good look, but isn’t quite up to the level of a proper U.S. hat.
Thanks again for the awesome detail here!
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Your welcome @Bobcat-Sig - I will add, the 888 size by determine the level of how close they are to the standard cowboy cut. My size 36 13mwz were obscenely close in shape to my size 36 21oz 888-od,
But the wranglers will keep their leg opening more open than the 888s will as you go down in sizes.Feel free to hit me up
About hats - one of my favorite topics haha
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@Appfaff My man. Thank you. I'll slide into the ol' DMs about hats and other western things. I don't want to run afoul of the hygiene we have here on the forum.
You've sent me down a rabbit hole on comparing my 25 oz 888 and 13 MWZ. My sweet wife is going to wonder why I have my jeans spread out on the island.
Back to IH denim. I'm all but convinced that some flavor of 634 would be a great way to find the intersection between Japanese denim and western wear. What was it about that cut that didn't do it for you? Was it the lower rise?
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@Bobcat-Sig - Oh I love the 634 cut - I actually was wearing the 6634 cords in my WAYWT photo with my American chocolate felt and lucchese sport coat
The rise on the 634 is quite high on me, so I find no issue with them, I actually really like the look of sized down 634s stacked with boots, especially ropers.@roydub87 I grew up in the TCU area, so pretty close to the stockyards and downtown in a historic neighborhood, so western was just "clothes" most of my life. Even as a punk rock kid in high school, I wore black cowboy boots with my size 2 girls levis jeans to rock shows hahaha.
