Bobcat Sig Jeans Advice
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I am moving the discussion here for which @Bobcat-Sig is asking for advice/guidance on the next pair of jeans he should pick.
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This is very much a ‘where do I post this question’ question.
I’m after my next pair of denim. And after getting frustratingly punted from Reddit’s largest subreddit related to this, I come to one of the nicest places on the internet to ask my fellow denim heads; where would I post here to ask about which jean I might buy - Iron Heart and otherwise? I know we have a multitude of threads for many makes outside of IH, but what about a question that spans some of these?
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@Bobcat-Sig here is a good as place as any! Then once we've narrowed it down, you can ask more pointed questions over on the respective thread.
What weight are you looking for
What colour are you looking for
What cut of bottoms to you prefer to wear
How hot it is where you live
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@AdamJ you're the best. Thank you.
Here's how I'm thinking about this new pair; black, western-style cut. Or at the very least, accommodating to cowboy boots. No denim weight that I'm targeting. Most seem to come in between 13 to 19 oz, but I'm good with any weight. If I were really pressed, I might trend to something lighter since I'm flush with heavyweights, including three pair of IH. And as for weather, I'm in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. It's not unlike much of England.
The options (all pictured) are what I'm working through:
My standard (the standard?) is the Wrangler 13 MWZ. They offer an accommodating top block and look great with boots, hence the Cowboy Cut moniker. The black MWZ 13 is always an option, but it's not selvage.
[Source: wrangler.com]Wrangler Blue Bell black. Selvage, similar cut to the 13 MWZ, albeit with a much higher price. Bonus is that it comes in a 34 inseam, so no hemming. Oh, and a leather patch!
[Source: wrangler.com]Freenote Wilkes Western. I had this noted from a while back. Fits the bill, except the leg opening is narrow at ~8". And the pockets are a bit low on the seat.
[Source: Freenote Cloth]The ol' AI Machine suggested the Fullcount 1101. They look sweet, and I don't yet own a Fullcount. Issue here is that the inseam stops at 32 inches. Very little is left for stacking.
[Source: Blue Owl Workshop]Brave Star Mojave. This was the original inspiration... and the usual Brave Star caveats apply. I have one pair of Mojaves, but I get some bucketing with my boots due to the tapered knee. And there's always rolling of the dice with the fit and finish here - I ordered a pair of their Desert Bone Mojave, and I swear it was Skinny Straight with Mojave pockets... I have two pair of True Straights that kind of work, but I don't like the 8-inch opening to wear with cowboy boots. Still, the Mojave remains a strong contender.
[Source: Brave Star Selvage]Iron Heart 634. While currently available in indigo, I don't think black is currently available. Also a strong contender, albeit with a lower rise.
[Source: IH UK]Others I considered and aren't quite hitting the mark:
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TCB 50s: much bigger thighs
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Sd'A Regular Straight: similar to the TCBs, big thighs
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Sugar Cane 1947 Straight: I already own two Mister Freemdom pairs that are manufactured by Sugar Cane. I also have a pair of Sugar Cane Okinawa fiber blend. So maybe?
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Iron Heart 1955: Close, but the thighs are bigger than I typically pefer and a bit too much taper, with the hem coming in under 8.5 inches
What else should I consider?
Safety third
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@Bobcat-Sig have you tried the compare tool on the website? This lets you add up to 4 items to have the measurements of these at a glance.
Do they have to be black or would overdyed or indigo/black also be an option?
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@Tago-Mago Great questions. Yes, I have tried the comparo tool and seem to land on the 634. The biggest driver in this quest is the leg, its taper (or lack thereof), and hem measurement.
As for color, no, it doesn't absolutely need to be black. It's merely a preference. As you'll probably see in the Show Us Your Boots thread, I have a raft of new pairs that will pair well with black or dark denim. Indigo is always an option, certainly. Overdyed is not a color I've yet experienced. It's certainly intriguing.
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@Bobcat-Sig one cut that has only been available at Iron Heart Germany so far is the 684, a relaxed straight fit. This will be released in a few different denims in the future, including 14oz black/black.
Here are the measurements for the first model: IH-684S-16-GER.
You could also check the Hall of Fades to get an idea of how the different denims develop over time
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@Tago-Mago said in Random questions to which you seek an answer:
@Bobcat-Sig one cut that has only been available at Iron Heart Germany so far is the 684, a relaxed straight fit. This will be released in a few different denims in the future, including 14oz black/black.
Here are the measurements for the first model: IH-684S-16-GER.
You could also check the Hall of Fades to get an idea of how the different denims develop over time
The 684 looks like an interesting cut. A little big in the legs, but exciting that there may be more coming! Thanks for suggesting those jeans.
I'll check the Hall of Fades for the OD results.
@goosehd said in Random questions to which you seek an answer:
I have been able to wear 666’s, 634’s, and 684’s with cowboy and engineer boots. However, those are the only jeans that I wear, so I don’t know if any others work
I know, helpful, not helpful…
LOL, all good. Confirmation that the 634 works well with cowoby boots helps. I know we have some here that sport western boots, but we seem to be heavily skewed towards work and heritage boots. The 666 is a cut I'd love to try, if only for the name, but my Viking legs just won't fit, nor will my backside.
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@Bobcat-Sig I,comfortably,wear my 555s over western and engineer boots. I’m pretty sure that when Mike at Ship John designs his jeans,Wranglers are his inspiration. Might be worth looking into.
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@sabergirl said in Random questions to which you seek an answer:
Vintage wrangler cowboy cut is closest to a 666. Those things are crazy skinny in the top block, especially the thigh. I think if you grabbed a pair and measured, you’d be surprised to see how close they are.
You aren't kidding! I think the issue is that the hem isn't big enough for what I seek. Still, I wrote off the 666, thinking it was too skinny for me. And reality, it's not. Which is great because this means I have another IH cut I could fit into. Great news! Now I need to try on a few pairs...
@Jett129 said in Random questions to which you seek an answer:
@Bobcat-Sig I,comfortably,wear my 555s over western and engineer boots. I’m pretty sure that when Mike at Ship John designs his jeans,Wranglers are his inspiration. Might be worth looking into.
Yes, I know this cut well. I have an early pair of Ship John Shavers - they feature a Ship John leather patch. I bought them early in my denim journey and didn't realize what they were. While I've continue to wear them, they are probably too skinny for my legs, and the top block is too restrictive. They've produced some sweet fades, which I'll share at some point. I also have a pair of Holcombs that feature the brass-tacked tag to the pocket. Those are much more accomodating, but no quite the same at the 13 MWZ. I like this pair of Ship John a great deal.
Safety third
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For what it’s worth…
For years before I ever started wearing IH denim, I always thought the 666 was super slim. I think a lot of that had to do with the product pics that I noticed typically featured thinner people.
I’ll try to keep this short, but I’ve had people more than once think I was wearing 634s when I was actually wearing 666’s. I think on certain body types, like myself at 6 feet tall, 220 pounds with a somewhat athletic build, they can look and fit completely different than you might expect. They certainly aren’t too slim for a bigger guy and fit over engineer boots just fine, which is pretty much all I wear. I have one pair of the 25oz XHS indigo in a size 36, but all my other 666s are a 38W.
@selveldgesteps
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@Bobcat-Sig One other thing that, if nothing else,you might find interesting as a fan of Wrangler jeans,is the collaboration that Imogene and Willie are doing with Wrangler. The jeans that they’re putting out are based off of the 10 MWZ jeans.
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@northsouthdenimguy said in Random questions to which you seek an answer:
For what it’s worth…
For years before I ever started wearing IH denim, I always thought the 666 was super slim. I think a lot of that had to do with the product pics that I noticed typically featured thinner people.
I’ll try to keep this short, but I’ve had people more than once think I was wearing 634s when I was actually wearing 666’s. I think on certain body types, like myself at 6 feet tall, 220 pounds with a somewhat athletic build, they can look and fit completely different than you might expect. They certainly aren’t too slim for a bigger guy and fit over engineer boots just fine, which is pretty much all I wear. I have one pair of the 25oz XHS indigo in a size 36, but all my other 666s are a 38W.
Another vote for the 666. I love it. I'll give that cut a look. The areas that always hamper me are the seat; I have a healthy set of glutes, much to the delight of my wife. Thighs and calves are always thing. Thighs less so now that I'm not skiing 100+ days a winter, but calves can play hell with tapered fits, especially skinny taper.
I'll see if my guys at SE PDX have a few pairs of 666 to try.
@Jett129 said in Random questions to which you seek an answer:
@Bobcat-Sig One other thing that, if nothing else,you might find interesting as a fan of Wrangler jeans,is the collaboration that Imogene and Willie are doing with Wrangler. The jeans that they’re putting out are based off of the 10 MWZ jeans.
I saw those. Super cool! But it sold out almost immediately. It was so popular that some guys managed to make the female cut work for them, to which I tip my cap. That's dedication!
I think my plan now is to snag a pair of Wrangler Blue Bell in black, along with a standard pair of black 13 MWZ. I'll also find a weight in the 634 that I want to try. The 19 oz LHT looks promising, as does some of the lighter weights.
I appreciate all the input. This place is truly great.
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@Bobcat-Sig On the Self Edge homepage today I just noticed a colab with 3Sixteen's new boot cut--I didn't know 3sixteen had a new bootcut. Not sure links are allowed in posts here but it's literally on the SE homepage and their new arrivals page. It's their 14oz kibata denim, one in indigo and one in black.
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@twinning Sweet! Good catch. I'm gravitating towards heavier denim; 16 oz plus, but I'll for sure give those a look. Thanks for the heads up.
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This has been a great discussion around Iron Heart and western denim.
As I mentioned earlier in this thread >> https://forum.ironheart.co.uk//post/990816 I ended up with two pairs of Wrangler, one of which is Japanese selvage. Pretty cool. They are currently line drying after an initial cold soak.
But let's talk picking a 634, as this is the Iron Heart forum, after all. [@goosehd if there's a general 634 thread where this is better served, I'll gladly move this discussion there]
I'm leaning towards a heavier fabric, something more than 15 oz. I was sold on the 16 oz slub indigo over-dyed black, but wasn't quick enough with the trigger last week. The 16 oz slub indigo looks like a great option, although I have three other pairs of slubby Japanese jeans that work with boots.
The 19 oz seems like a great option; an atypical twill and a fade that seems to streak vertically a bit, which I dig. It's also not a weight I've had in Iron Heart or any other denim.
The 18 oz vintage seemed super cool, but no restock in the near future.
What else might I consider?
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@Bobcat-Sig I highly suggest doing two things:
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View this Hall of Fades which exhibits some of the best examples of the different denims that have been faded over time and wear.
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Pick one or two of those examples and start doing a deep dive in the respective threads where you will see some other very good examples of those jeans being worn and faded.
Asking us what jeans you should wear or buy next is next to impossible as @Giles has mentioned on numerous occasions that if he would ask 100 people what their favourite jean was, he would get 101 answers.
These topics are great and serve a purpose, but your input on what your’e looking for gives us a start on where to guide you.
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