IHSH-85- The Johnny Cash Too - Superblack 12oz Selvedge Denim Western Shirt
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I bought this as my first IH shirt and thought I'd share my experiences with sizing/washing in case others can benefit.
As it was my first shirt I sought some general advice both here and directly from @Madame Buttonfly . In addition I measured a couple of Nudie shirts I own that fit well. Based on all of this I was faced with a choice between XXL (which would fit over the shoulders but be a little roomy elsewhere), or XL which would be the best fit P2P but potentially small over the shoulders. I opted for the XXL given that some shrinkage could be expected and that shirts that are tight over the shoulders can look rubbish and be uncomfortable.
When the shirt arrived I was impressed with the fabric and construction. The hardware was also excellent. The fit left a little to be desired however. The shoulders fit fine but the shirt was too wide P2P, and in the waist and very long as well in the arms, but especially in the body. More so than expected. To cap the disappointment, the XL was sold out and returns from Norway would be a pain in the ring.
So the only thing to do was to give it a wash and see what happened. I took measurements before the wash, The shirt had not been worn other than for 2 minutes to ascertain fit, so the measurements were "from the box". Using the IH approved measuring method I got these results in CM (the listed measurements from the website are in brackets):
P2P - 60,5 (59,9)
Arm - 69,2 (68,6)
Shoulder - 50,1 (49,3)
Length - 81,2 (80)So the shirt seemed consistently (although only marginally) bigger than the listed measurements. Either that or my measuring consistently sucks. For the wash I used the machine on 60 degrees, with a low spin cycle and no tumbling. I also didn't bother with soap or detergent as the shirt hadn't been worn. I let it hang dry. The measurements post wash:
P2P - 59,1
Arm - 67
Shoulder - 48,2
Length - 78So all in all some pretty decent shrinkage. The end result is also a shirt that fits really well (thank the gods!). It'll be interesting to see how much it stretches with wear, but regardless that will be stretch caused by my body so will only affect areas that need it. I'd like to point out that although the shrinkage appears negligible (-1,4 P2P, -2,2 Arm, -1,9 Shoulder, -3,2 Length) the overall effect on the fit is very noticeable. The other lesson learnt was that listed measurements can vary somewhat from what you get. That's not a criticism, but is useful to know.
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Glad it's going to work out for you! You may get a little more shrinkage with a tumble-dry, if you want.
Thanks
I don't think I want anymore shrink, also according to the washing guidelines on here tumble drying can create some unfortunate marks on the Superblack fabrics? -
That's pretty much the same experience I had with the XXXL. I'm glad it worked out for you too.
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@sabergirl that's good to know, I picked up a couple after the wash, nothing dramatic though. @DrBabyhorse I read your posts initially. They helped. Thought it would be interesting to document it.
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Thanks very much @neph93! Delighted to learn you got the shrinkage you needed, and it’s extremely helpful that you documented exactly what happened with the shirt.
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@Madame Buttonfly Thank you for the help! Of course, if you want me to thoroughly test and document any other products, feel free to send me some clothes
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An XL is now available.
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Purchased the -85 from the Web site today. Got the L. I wash everything in cold, so I'm feeling confident based on the measurements that this will be a perfect fit even after some shrinkage from the soak. I've been lusting after the -85 for some time now. This is a welcome addition to my IH collection!
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IH-85 and a 92! Great combo @Surf Monkey
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IH-85 and a 92! Great combo @Surf Monkey
Thanks! I'm loving the 92. I'm wearing it today. Can't wait to get the 85. Matt at Iron Heart UK made sure to contact me after my order and double check the measurements before shipping. Excellent service! Above and beyond the call.
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Small and Large added back in to stock.
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Got my large -85 today and it's great! Just a touch larger than I'd expect, so that's perfect. Looking at the shrinkage reports it looks like it'll stay about where I want it. This thing has the same awesome heavy feel of the -07 Hickory stripe but a more dressy look. Love it!
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Any expected restocked soon?
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I can't seem to decide wether to get the western or work shirt. Pretty sure I will need a large in either since there will be some shrinkage. I learned from the 62 not to go TTS when there is room for shrinking.
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I can't seem to decide wether to get the western or work shirt. Pretty sure I will need a large in either since there will be some shrinkage. I learned from the 62 not to go TTS when there is room for shrinking.
You may want to consider an XL. Look at the measurements. Even though IH says they build them a little big to account for shrink they actually run a little smaller than some of the other IH large sized shirts. I have the western cut in large and it's just big enough. An XL would have been ideal, even though I wear a large in every other model of IH shirt I own.
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I can't seem to decide wether to get the western or work shirt. Pretty sure I will need a large in either since there will be some shrinkage. I learned from the 62 not to go TTS when there is room for shrinking.
Based on my experience, I think this would depend on how you want to use it. As stated earlier it's a heavy duty shirt and imo works well for layering over the top of another shirt if that's what you want. If you're more interested in a slimmer fit on its own, or over a t-shirt then I would consider TTS. I documented the shrinkage I got from a XXL earlier in this thread (I sized up one because of shrinkage, and because it was my 1st IHSH and I didn't know better). While it was a decent amount of shrinkage, it wasn't a whole size down. The shirt as it is now is still definitely bigger than my XL 64 for example. I've used it a lot this winter so it may well have stretched out a bit, but I wear it over a tee plus henley, or a tee plus shirt all the time. If I wanted to use it as a regular fitted shirt I would have gone TTS.
