What makes IH special?
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Continued…
- What do you particularly like about their products?
Where to start? The quality, the design, the fabrics? The unique Japanese flavour that plays around at the edges and underneath the more obvious American inspirational sources? All of these things are important to me, but it’s all been written about before.
For me the attraction to the brands products is fundamentally based on both practical and emotional values. I have a connection to the products both because of the simplicity and usefulness they represent in terms items of everyday items of clothing and also because of the way the products speak to me.
I love that I can wear the same IH garment to my day job as a high school teacher, walking in the mountains, chopping wood at the cabin or going for a night out on the town. There is a combination of practicality, ruggedness, class and style that makes all these things possible. I have a pair of IH-666-XHS that I trashed one summer doing a major landscape gardening job that involved a lot of construction, wall building and wallowing about in mud. I wear them to work about twice a week now. They are my favourite Saturday night jeans as well.
I grew up as a metalhead in the 80’s and was part of a 90’s punk/crusty subculture. Market biker stalls and Army surplus stores were my Hennes & Mauritz. I wore leather jackets, off-brand jeans and pewter and leather jewellery. I had combat trousers, field jackets and combat boots from a variety of western militaries, all bought for a bargain and worn in a fashion that was most un-military. With IH there is a large element of personal nostalgia for me in rocking a pair of H-san’s cargo pants with a big pair of 8” IH/Viberg collab work boots, or an IH M65 with IH SBG denim and engineer boots. It’s an extremely well-made version of what I wore when I was a young man. That personal, nostalgic association extends to the vests, tops and jewellery IH either makes or sells via the IHUK website, from their curated partner brands. Because of IH I get to wear the clothes and jewellery I wanted to wear when I was 18 but couldn’t afford.
So, to summarise, they protect me from the elements, they’re hard wearing, they’re utilitarian, they look great, and they feed the needs of my midlife crisis…
- What is it about the weight of clothes? Why is it so appealing when it’s heavy?
The obvious things are the durability and toughness of the fabrics. That has a functional appeal. Living in the north of Norway the insulation and warmth they provide is very useful.
From a denimhead point of view there is no doubt that the way the heavy denims and duck fabrics develop is more interesting. The folding, creasing, and draping is that much more pronounced and the resultant evolution of the fabric from wear and tear is fascinating stuff. The 25ox XHS is an excellent example of this. It’s a very dark indigo when new and stiff like cardboard initially. The creases become thick and rigid when they form and as the indigo gets stripped the fades tend to be very high contrast. This reveals the intricate build of the fabric via the vertical fading that occurs. It creates an effect and a depth of fading that you just won’t get with a lighter denim. Add to that the way the denim almost magically softens and you’ve got a seriously fascinating bit of fabric.
Initially the weight was very interesting to me. I enjoyed having something substantial to wear, something I knew was there. However, after a while you just don’t it notice anymore. It doesn’t feel like you’re weighed down or inconvenienced when you’re wearing IH, it just feels like a natural but meaningful extension of yourself.
After a while it becomes more about solidity and robustness than heaviness. I don’t own any of IH’s 14oz denim, the lightest I’ve had is the 17oz. While I don’t doubt its quality, I suspect it would feel odd to wear such light jeans now. I’d feel like I’d lost a leg or something.
That being said, one recent experience suggests that the heaviness has its own seductive quality. I love IH vests and especially the IHV-02 work vests. They are made of 12oz wabash amongst other things. Last year IH remade them in 21oz wabash. I bought both iterations and I haven’t worn the 12oz ones since. Having a sharply cut vest in such heavy fabric just feels great. The vest is that much more real in a way.
- How many IH items do you own? What’s your favourite and why?
Fucking loads. So many it isn’t even funny anymore. Quite a lot. I keep meaning to catalogue them, but it is an intimidating task. Soon after I bought my first couple of items, I made the decision that I was going to build an entire wardrobe out of IH gear. It just seemed like the sensible thing to do. After nearly five years as a customer/fanboy I have now about three wardrobes full.
A rough count suggests I have about 12 pairs of jeans, 5 pairs of non-denim pants, around 15 shirts, about 15 vests (some waistcoats, some outerwear), approximately 10 jackets/coats, about 20 t-shirts, three hoodies, five sweatshirts, about nine thermal sweaters (these are the most versatile, most worn pieces I own), three pairs of collab boots/shoes, three pieces of IH jewellery, two belts, one wallet and about 10 pairs of socks. Oh, and an apron. I love that thing.
A favourite item is impossible to choose, trust me I’ve tried. If I was to choose a favourite denim it would probably be the XHS but the UHR is in the running. My favourite non-denim fabric is probably IH wabash, but again the 17oz brown duck is close on its tail.
When it comes to individual pieces then this winter’s coat is the IHW-13-GR, a 26oz Melton wool M65 that just sums up the combination of utility, style and precision design that IH represents for me. It’s amazing and a current favourite right now. I also have a vest in black and grey, striped, 11oz jersey fabric, cut in a peculiarly Japanese style that wasn’t released in the west that I adore.
The one true prestige piece I own though is the IHV-26, a vest, cut like the IHV-02 work vests, but done in a beautiful indigo-dyed bit of front quarter horsehide. It’s finished with exquisite gold stitching and copper buttons. It is not for everyone, that’s for sure. It is a horrifically expensive bit of kit that should probably only be worn by bona fide rock gods, but I care not. Only a very few were made, and they weren’t sold outside of Japan. I acquired it from a fellow moderator on the forum, Anthony Love. His Japanese wife managed to nab it for him, but it didn’t work out and I took it over. It’s just unreal and I’m eternally grateful to him for the giving me the chance to own and wear it. I remember wearing it at an IH party in Gosport. Haraki-san, Tom-san and Sarina-san were there and saw me wearing it. They immediately had an animated discussion in Japanese while pointing at me, and then H just gave me a thumbs up from across the room. For an IH geek like myself it pretty much made my day.
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@Lennarton I get a brick and mortar shopping experience with Iron Heart from the comfort of my home. I get reliable measurements on every single item, and I can understand how an item fits well before I try it on. I can't speak to other Japanese brands, as I only have personal experience with Iron Heart, but the quality and thought in every piece is clear once you have it in your hands.
I've told this story before, but this seems like a good time to tell it again. I went to Iron Heart's 10-year anniversary party in NYC in 2012, and afterwards, we wandered the streets in a pack and found ourselves at a bar somewhere. I was sitting next to @Giles at the bar chatting, and we were having a conversation about the quality of Iron Heart. He asked me to take off my hickory striped western shirt (IHSH-07) and turn it inside out. He then proceeded to point out the attention to detail in the finishing of the shirt, and that it looks just as good inside-out as it does right-side-out. The seams, the stitching, and the overall construction was clearly head and shoulders above anything else I'd ever seen. Over the years I've owned many different items from Iron Heart, and the consistent quality is still just as good as it was that night in the bar, and if anything, it keeps getting better.
No other brand that I've ever seen takes customer feedback like IH. No other brand has a community quite like IH. And no other brand has customer service like IH. I can order something from the UK to California, and it usually arrives in 3 days. That's faster than I've received things from New York, or even California sometimes.
I'm sure other Japanese brands are making awesome stuff, but it really comes down to the experience overall. From the minute you interact with the IHUK website, or an IHUK team member, to the minute you try on your new item, and the whole wearing experience after. And knowing that IH offers free repairs brings the whole experience full-circle. The customer support is second to none, and while other brands might be making high quality clothing, nobody creates the experience quite like Iron Heart.
THAT is what makes Iron Heart special.
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@Lennarton So don't buy them. We can't make enough, so we'd rather sell to people who really appreciate what we do. And we have zero problems with people buying from other brands...
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@Mizmazzle yes, that´s what I already know. But I only some of you can exactly say why it´s the best in their point of view. Most say something about the costumer service. What about the prices, the cuts, the quality. I can´t see arguments.
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@goosehd thanks. I´ll read it
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I don’t pretend that there is a perfect brand out there. I love PBJ’s denim and simplicity but loathe their cuts (corny, dated skinny jeans, low rise, generally bad fit for me personally. And obvious disclaimer: that’s just an opinion. Other people like it and that’s fine! Same basic synopsis of RGT). RMC is amazing but for the price isn’t always as well built as IH. I like brands like Sugar Cane and Stevenson but I guess in the end I just prefer IH’s denim — I haven’t found a cut that’s the Goldilocks pair for me, but that’s ok (wish the 634 had just a liiiittle higher rise). Bottom line is that I like the way they fade better than any other brand, and above all the customer service and COMMUNITY
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I agree with you this person has that edgelord contrarian vibe, but hey, I don’t mind professing a bit of IH love with my cup of coffee.
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@Lennarton said in What makes IH special?:
I can´t see arguments.
I only see one person arguing here. It’s something we have a low tolerance for so maybe just accept our answers to your question and move on.
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@seawolf thank you. we have an IH shop here in Hamburg, Germany. I can cofirm the customer service is well. They´ve called me after an Email with some question in it. It was a bit surprising, because I was wondering where did they get my number from ?! At the end they tried to persuade me to buy a pair of jeans about 329€.
So you have your own story with IH. Like most of you. Maybe it´s just a point of view which clothes Made in Japan are the best. I own a "The Flat Head Single Rider Jacket". It´s also high end quality!
As far as I can read most of you are from North America. And I think IH is perfect for most of you. Because it fits in the Heritage clothes wich is originally from America. It´s just a new interpretation and Made in Japan which gives the good old vintage look a new style. -
@Giles it´s just a question. Don´t mind.
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@Lennarton incorrect as most of IH’s clients and members here on the forum are from all over the world.
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Iron Heart fits me well. It's the same reason I like PBJ jeans.
If Sugar Cane didn't have short arms, if Real McCoy wasn't so baggy, and so on, I would buy those other brands as well.
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@Lennarton said in What makes IH special?:
@seawolf thank you. we have an IH shop here in Hamburg, Germany. I can cofirm the customer service is well. They´ve called me after an Email with some question in it. It was a bit surprising, because I was wondering where did they get my number from ?! At the end they tried to persuade me to buy a pair of jeans about 329€.
So you have your own story with IH. Like most of you. Maybe it´s just a point of view which clothes Made in Japan are the best. I own a "The Flat Head Single Rider Jacket". It´s also high end quality!
As far as I can read most of you are from North America. And I think IH is perfect for most of you. Because it fits in the Heritage clothes wich is originally from America. It´s just a new interpretation and Made in Japan which gives the good old vintage look a new style.Did you create an account with IH Germany and enter your phone number? If so, that's how they got it.
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@DrPat thanks. that´s a good and short answer
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@DrPat I know. I didn´t
