Stone Island
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I tried using the search function and only found threads within the marketplace so I figured I'd ask my questions here. I am new to loopwheel cotton in general and would like to give it a try as far as tees and fleece (crewnecks, hooded zip/pullover sweatshirts). My understanding is that Ironheart and similar brands make super heavyweight loopwheel cotton fleece (tees/crews/hoodies as mentioned) but they differ from traditional heavyweight fleece that I own (namely 3sixteen, Reigning Champ, Dehen 1920 tees/crews/hoodies) which just feel more course and rigid as well as abrasive for lack of a better term but do feel warm.
I imagine that Ironheart fleece would feel like selvedge denim (which I don't enjoy and can't wear due to lack of breathability and mobility - I am an athlete with big quads and need to wear stretch denim with 3-5% elastane such as Tailored Athlete/Legend London jeans to feel comfortable), but it seems that I'm misguided about loopwheel cotton from what I've read.
So here's my primary question: how does heavyweight loopwheel cotton fleece (Ironheart mainly but I'll try Samurai and other brands at my local store called Brooklyn Clothing) compare to Stone Island's double brushed cotton fleece (FW22-23 season but any experience is welcomed)? I need comparisons for crewnecks and hoodies specifically (both zip and pullover).
I personally absolutely adore SI garment dyed double brushed fleecewear - it's very soft to the touch and warm, fits me perfectly and is very breathable/easy to layer which makes sense given that the brand is a sportswear/techwear/streetwear hybrid of some sorts.
As far as tees go I like Dehen tees the most when I want a relaxed fit to cover my torso as a drape and 3sixteen dyes/regular HW tees for a tighter slim fit (both pocket tee versions which is my personal preference). I'm excited to try Ironheart heavy tees (both the long 6.5oz and 11oz ones as well as Samurai). I'm not sure I'm a fan of the so called slub aesthetic with loopwheel tees but that's just from videos so I can't really tell, I don't like melange colorways with standard fleece. Also I realize that SI is much more expensive than Ironheart (the crews are $415 CAD from the new season and $478/523 CAD for the hooded pullover/zip hoodie while Ironheart is $228 CAD for the new 11oz crews and $364 CAD for both types of hoodies).
Thanks for your time, any input is appreciated!
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That’s interesting, because I find my natural IH sweatshirt and my indigo dipped hoody to have slub, especially compared to something like The Strike Gold, which is much flatter by comparison. Nothing outrageous, but definitely some horizontal slub on mine. Granted they are old, ones undyed and the other garment dipped, so perhaps that makes the difference or things have changed.
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Glad I have em then, they’re perfect! And I like the length.
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Seems like no one really knows as I can't find direct Ironheart vs Stone Island experiences from forums and Reddit especially amongst athletic builds/lifters, looks like I'll just need to have go through personal trial and error to compare and see how layering works out. I have a Heddels Plus membership and still couldn't find much.
What I can say for sure is that I cannot wear any heavyweight JP selvedge denim regardless of the fit and composition. My denim needs to have at least 5% stretch for a proper beltless and comfortable muscle fit (my waist is a 30 but quads force me to 34-36 with IH 21oz denim (the one with stretch and also the one that's meant for lifter quads, I forgot the model number but I've tried several pairs in store with staff help). I've been into raw denim as a hobby for most my life but ever since I became a competitive powerlifter I've had to use real muscle-fit stretch denim (Tailored Athlete with 5% elastane). Does this simply mean that the heavyweight JP streetwear fashion lifestyle just isn't mean for me if I have to skip the raw denim portion? I've always loved heavyweight fleece in the past for layering with a bomber/varsity jacket/softshell/leather jacket/Dehen outer knitwear like the moto hoodie/flyer's club jacket, and it gets very cold here in the winters (-45C sometimes). I also love my Vibergs once sneaker season is over.
I'm just trying to understand why exactly is Stone Island fleecewear so much more expensive than Ironheart heavyweight fleece if it's of higher quality considering the loopwheeled aspect - I must be missing something.
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I'm just trying to understand why exactly is Stone Island fleecewear so much more expensive than Ironheart heavyweight fleece if it's of higher quality considering the loopwheeled aspect - I must be missing something.
A simple answer in my humble opinion. Overheads.
Stone Island has a number of dedicated stores, including in central london, along with the fact that they pay the likes of Errolson Hugh (Acronym) to design for them. That cost has to be covered somewhere (other than by increasing volume of production of course).
Plus there will be the pyschological aspect of pricing what is otherwise perceived as being a mainstream, luxury brand (i.e. there are people in this world that will simply perceive something as being better if it is more expensive, rather than taking the time to consider what goes into it.)
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Stone Island seems to be more of a "fashion brand" to me. Prominent branding and all that, I think there are potentially some high R&D and sourcing costs on certain garments, and to Cutlasshound's point, bricks-and-mortars to fund. I do enjoy their aesthetic and their technology, particularly the Black Project, but I wouldn't assume the price difference is due to relative quality, and I also wouldn't assume a fleece is higher quality just because it's loopwheeled. I will say that you can assume Iron Heart's is high quality just because that's always been my experience, even if my fleeces are apparently of an older variety.
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@Hyperflux I suspect the lack of comparisons online is due to the lack of a crossover audience. Be the change you want to see and pick up an IH hoodie. Then you can tell us. I’ll be surprised if you are disappointed.
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I already have multiple heavyweight hoodies and garments in my wardrobe (both zipped and pullovers, crewnecks, and pocket tees) from 3sixteen/Reigning Champ/Dehen 1920 which are the main brands I've been into the last few years. Since it's the middle of summer right now I've only been wearing my black/indigo/midblue Tailored Athlete stretch denim/shorts along with all my Dehen heavy duty pocket tees/garment dyed heavyweight 3sixteen tees for color/pima 3sixteen tees (all under 5.6oz so not truly heavyweight now that I have more knowledge on heavyweight JP streetwear) along with Ultraboost sneakers for comfort and being conducive to physical activity outdoors.
Before temperatures warmed up I have been using outerwear/layering via my Dehen black varsity jacket, RC black satin stadium jacket for warmer nights, leather perfecto jacket with band tees when I go to metal shows, and a generic Arc'teryx softshell for rain/wind. My footwear was also just Vibergs on most days.
I just recently discovered Stone Island at Less17 locally (and did my research/purchases online to prevent impulse buys on the spot which clearly didn't work), and then subsequently discovered Brooklyn Clothing who carry Ironheart, Samurai, SDA, PBJ, Pure Blue, Momotaro, TSG, and UES (one of the only stores in Canada I believe). That opened a new world to me as far as what true heavyweight fabric constitutes of (heavier denim up to 25oz, 11oz tees/14oz crews, 12oz SHW flannel, and all the additional Dehen layering knitwear like their cardigans/shawl sweaters/submariners which I never thought of.
After doing some decent research last weekend (mainly Reddit, forums, and content creators/hobbyists like Cameron O on YouTube who compared all the loopwheel tees side by side twice just recently, I've decided I need to try the following for loopwheel heavyweight cotton tees: Samurai (SC-01/03), IHT-1610L and the 11oz/14oz tees and crews respectively, Merz B. Schwanen, and Tezomeya). Of course I'll refrain from taking off the tags and wearing my most expensive Stone Island purchases this weekend so I can return them in the event I get my hands on an IH zip hoodie, hooded sweatshirt, loopwheel tees, and flannel in the next 30 days if time permits.
Off-topic but am I the only one who doesn't necessarily enjoy the slubby look/qualities that appear on heavyweight tees and fleecewear (crewnecks/hooded sweatshirts) from the loopwheel process? I can't seem to link hyperlinks here since I'm a new member but watch Cameron O's latest comparison video titled "The 8 Best PREMIUM T-Shirts Money Can Buy" on YouTube, it was made 2 weeks ago. I am looking to give loopwheel cotton an honest shot for both heavyweight tees and fleecewear, I can appreciate the hobby of gradual cosmetic changes as is the case with denim fades and the extra labour that went into production in order to achieve a superior product in terms of quality in the end (for a very small niche hobby group). I much prefer monochromatic, clean colorways with no melange/heather like effects, but I'll probably evolve my taste over time.
