Best Iron Heart Models for Western Wear?
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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.
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@Appfaff I grew up in NRH and stomped all around the metroplex for the better part of 2 1/2 decades and that sounds like the scene
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@roydub87 awesome man! Yes, I spent a lot of my high school years in NRH - it’s crazy how much everything that direction has grown. We spend two weeks in FtW during Xmas every year and every time I am just flabbergasted how things have changed. It’s sadly not the place we grew up, that’s for sure (but I guess nowhere really is anymore)
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@shelbington I'm nowhere even close to the expert @Appfaff is, I just got like my second, first "real", pair of cowboy boots but I'm obsessed with them. And I'm in the same boat, trying to find the jeans I think go best with them.
I'm from the midewest but living in Louisiana the past 3 or so years, so I see a little western style wear but I haven't spent time in Texas at all so I have no idea what the etiquette is or what to look for in a fit. That said, figured I'd post some pictures to give you an idea of how different jeans compare.
Brand new 1955-142, hemmed to 32"
1955 from the side
888-SBG cuffed to 34", bonus cat
888 from the side-ish with cat
634S never hemmed, so 34"
634 from the sideThe 634s are my favorite look. The 888 or the 1955-142-OD (not pictured) are probably what I find to be most comfortable all around, but even that is a close call.
The boots are Resistol stonewashed suede that I just picked up half off on Cavender's website sale. I also have a pair of Freenote Wilkes that I can get a couple pictures of but they are so, so skinny around the calves I don't think they look very good (but I'm not in Texas, maybe that's how people do it!?) I also hear that Freenote is doing another version of the Wilkes in like more of a "rider's cut" whatever that means, higher back pockets for sure and maybe more of a boot cut, hopefully.
Cheers!
Terryedit to add: 1955 and 634 are tag 34, 888 is a tag 35
