Best posts made by nurlank

@Luijim78 & @Oaktavia thank you guys so much for the insights.

Hey community.
Been a long time lurker.
After I got my IH-777s-21 today (the very first IH jeans ever) I decided to share some pics after I saw some ask for fit pics.
I am on a thinner side (legs and butt). So came out right.
Though I expect that down the road the butt area will stretch and get a bit baggy which is OK.
But the feeling is awesome

Some feedback after having worn my new 777S-21 for 2+ weeks.

1. Gave them a soak in lukewarm water for 40 mins with some agitation. The inseam lost around 3/4 inches. Waist and legs became a bit snug, but still comfortable. They stretched out back after a couple of wears + maybe 1/2 inch on top of it. Then I got them hemmed to 33 inches.
2. The fabric is pliable and no stiffness from the very first wear. The break-in period lasted for a day at most. Still there is a feel of the new pair of raw denim though I was surprised that I didn't have to struggle with buttons as if someone took care of the button holes for me.
3. The butt area is not getting any baggy which I expected right off the bat. But it's only been 2 weeks, so curious how it's going to go. Waste area stretched 1/2 inch, just my size and I still don't need a belt.
4. One thing which surprised me is the speed rate of fading. I've been reading and watching videos saying that the 21-oz ones are stubborn faders. But not with me. A couple of weeks in and I have some fades already going on:

• I wear them per 10 to 12 hours/day. Working my "office job" from home most of the time I sit still, though I do occasionally move around the house, go pick my kid from school and take my 2-hour evening walks. But no any demanding physical job or activities, like hiking.
• The fades are popping up on honeycombs, whiskers, front part of legs, crotch and stack creases (I am a stack guy and don't cuff them up). The area of hidden rivets is losing indigo too. It is pretty much same "fading rate" per a time unit as I've seen with my another pair of Japanese denim, which is an infamous and well renowned fast fader.
• My co-worker and friend (a denim head with a 30-pair collection) was surprised too. He assumed that the fast fading might have happened because my particular pair may have been sitting in the warehouse for years. In his opinion the indigo dye's grip may have loosened up. I am not an expert in this and not sure how much his assumption is true.

In anyway, I really like this pair which proved to be beyond my expectations. The construction and overall quality is 11 out of 10, really nice.

As for faster-than-expected fading, yes, I expected it to last longer in case I need to go to the office, but even if it fades faster, it's OK too.

Sorry for the quality of pics. The fades are way more visible in person. I regret I took the pics under direct sunlight, but will do my homework before taking next picture to update you guys.

Especially on the first pic you can see some strong fades in the whiskers and watch pocket areas.

I wear my pair for only my daily 2 to 3-hour evening walks and grocery shopping trips. Around 15-20 hours per week. My estimate is that the net wear time is around 3-4 months.
Gave it a tub wash. Tons of indigo dye went off. The color changed drastically. Fades are becoming 3D: whiskers, honeycombs... even the front pocket bags' fades started protruding from the inside.
The fabric became more dense and thicker. As overall I am happy with the result and going to wash it more frequently, probably once a month.
P.S. Decided also to have some fun. I don't have a leather conditioner. Just of curiosity I applied a thick 1-mm layer of unsalted butter onto the leather patch in the evening. In the morning the whole layer disappeared, not even oily residues. The leather patch ate it all

Wow! Thank you all a lot.
It seems 19 oz one is going to be my choice.
Greatly appreciate your insights and sharing tons of experience.

@Giles @Ikeaparty @chrisjohnnick
Thank you guys so much.
I'll probably take a risk - presoak them and wash them on a regular cycle

@Denimhead-0 awesome, nice look

6-month review:
I am an overly picky customer in terms of quality checks. Sales people must be cursing me.

But even I am really happy with the superior quality of 777s-21 and definitely can recommend as a kick-off pair for IH first timers.
All the seams, details have been done at 11-out-of-10 quality. Neat and clean work.
I wasn't that lucky with 19L pair, had to return having some issues with inner seams, but will give 19L a try another time.

As for the 777s-21:

1. the test I am constantly giving this is almost daily (average) 5-mile walks, up and down the hill, with multiple squats to lace up shoes or scratch my ankle. Usually only 2-3 hours a day, but pressure they experience is probably more than they would get from a 8-hour wear by a person with sedentary lifestyle. I turned them inside out and checked the seams (fly, inseams, outseams, etc.). They are still going strong, not even a sign of going sideways. Worth it's price and a good investment.

2. After a prolonged 3-hour soak the fabric became denser, thicker and sort of rougher (only 3 hand washes so far). This affected the way they fade. Fades started popping up all over the surface. Not just honeycombs or whiskers. It became kind of uneven and sharper, which I like. Sorry, photos don't reflect the colors in full.

3. I will keep on long-soak + hand wash practice until creases and fades set up, and then want to give them a good machine wash. For some reason I am into rather vintage fades.

4. They did stretch in waist, but tend to get back if stay on the hanger for a couple of days. I would say width fluctuating back and forth based on frequency of use. This must be true about 21 oz, not sure how other fabric types act. But definitely they are very pliable and easy to wear, not that tight like used to do when I newly got them out of the package. Also no baggy saggy backside or knee bubbles. This is a pleasant surprise.