Averaging one pair of Iron Heart's heaviest denim every decade. Cheers to sustainability.
Very happy with my decision to size up here! 45-minute warm soak at 85F did the job of getting out the necessary shrinkage while also keeping as much indigo as possible.
Digging having more room in the top block + waist as I age, along with enough leg opening to finally accommodate engineer boots.
And now I ask myself, to cuff or not to cuff?
Well, I've decided to give them a 30 minute cold soak. As I said, they fit just about perfect right now, but we all know how that goes with the "stretch" of everyday life. And I'd rather suffer early then potentially change my fades later.
They're super long right now too, so an inch off the total length will be a good thing.
I think getting the shrinkage out now is a good call for the reasons you mention. I don't think 30mins cold is going to do much to them though and then you're not really any further on. When it comes time to wash them properly, exposing them to warmer water over longer time will just shrink them at a later date.
You might be right but I don't intend to ever let them touch hot water, so I don't think the shrinkage will ever be a factor.
Now then, we'll see if I'm whistling a different tune when I try to squeeze into the freshly dried 25oz Kevlar tubes in the morning.
Well, I've decided to give them a 30 minute cold soak. As I said, they fit just about perfect right now, but we all know how that goes with the "stretch" of everyday life. And I'd rather suffer early then potentially change my fades later.
They're super long right now too, so an inch off the total length will be a good thing.
Thanks to everyone for weighing in. Hoping my experience can help someone in the future!
Well, I'm just trying to do my due diligence by the fabric. I can wear them for a few weeks and hot soak if they're getting too loose, however, I'd like to keep as much indigo as possible. Do y'all feel like more comes out when you hot soak?
Yes, that would be a no duh moment on my part. Just curious what seems to be the going wisdom with XHS and hot vs cold soak…
Lightly sanforised so they will shrink a little. I didn’t bother washing/soaking my 666XHS until they had 3 months wear on them. When I did they lost about half an inch in the waist and nearly an inch in length. No biggie but the fades behind the knees didn’t quite match after the wash.
They are by no means ruined, and I still wear them, but if and when I buy another pair I’ll hot soak first.
Thanks. I was talking to Alex or Adam via email and I one of them seemed to not recommend hot soaking. Thoughts vs cold?
Just picked up a pair of these to become my dailies. Purposefully sized up to give me some "flexibility" in being a dad, weight gain/loss and actually having the ability to bend over etc.
What's the consensus on soaking with these? I can button the top button now but also don't want them to become saggy. Since they're sanforized, they may not need a soak? Also want to keep them as dark as possible…
Pleasantly surprised by the light weight and great construction on this little number! Should be very versatile.
Word of advice to anyone about to pick some of these up - if you CAN button the top button when you first get them, they're too big and you need to size down. I ended up getting my actual tag size and, 4 wears in after a cold-soak, I can button the top button!
Three days in after my cold soak and loving these! STILL can't quite get the top button done, but I have faith that I'll prevail…sometime...soon...hopefully.
The weight and density of them makes everything else seem...quiet.
Here's a hump-day shot of my hump. Love the "marquee" arcs!
Welp, I didn't want to purchase 1-hour Progressive Cold-Soak Denim insurance, but I'm trying to take less risks in my old age.
Don't you go a-shrinkin', little buddies.
(fingers crossed)
The biggest ??? with these seems to be whether or not to soak them. With my Iron Heart / Selfedge 301s-SEXIH13 23oz collaborations (www.instagram.com/wabisabifades), I chose not to let them touch any water until 1 year, and I feel the fades speak for themselves. But these were rinsed, not unwashed, like the Pronto's we're discussing. My gut is to do the same, but, then again, I also had to invest in a pretty costly overhaul repair job with Indigo Proof…Guess we'll see how much room I have when I try them on for the first time...
Welp, I just got the LAST pair of 32's! It's been 4 years since I got my last pair so it was time, right? Someone please reassure me…IT...WAS...TIME...
Without going into detail on the incredible depth and texture this has, here's a pic of me in the M under a regular fluorescent light (y'all have seen plenty of the bright light versions and how it wakes up the differentiation in indigo shades). I wear a M in most IH, so if you're considering, stick with your regular size.
Also, to echo other's sentiments, this is my favorite IH purchase thus far! Keep up the good work, mates! But not so often. My wife is starting to notice.
All good. Thanks for the expertise, friends. I feel like the biggest glutton for punishment wearing IH gear here in the Texas heat. Really looking forward to cooler weather. With that said, this jacket is modern armor. I'll post some Texas-style fit pics soon. Keep up the good work, mates.
Hmmm. I thought all denim, even rinsed, shrinks a little on the first hot wash. Would combining that with a hot dryer session work? No big deal as I can just layer to fill out either way.
Just got this in a Large after returning the medium that was super-fitted but wouldn't allow any layering. The Large could be just a smidgen tighter though, so my question is, will this shrink at all and how to go about doing that? Generally, I'd wait for as long as possible for the first wash to "lock-in" the best fades, so I'm not sure how to go about this. Perhaps y'all can shed some light here?
