@xtcclassic:

Nice! I hope you’re not going to stop wearing the older pair, they’re just getting started!

The new ones are just backups in case of a catastrophic failure in the crotch region, which, by the way, does not show any sign of giving anytime soon.

I’m planning to give the worn pair a soak/light wash using Atska sport wash (super mild detergent with no scent whatsoever, HIGHLY recommend for the folks that don’t know about it) and then they will continue to be my dailies until they (or I) die.

@neph93:

Great comparitive shots @heatx. Thanks for posting.

No problem. I will say that these are the absolute most stubborn pair of raw denim I’ve ever owned. It took nearly 9 months to start seeing any kind of contrast. With that said, they’re also super breathable and once I got past the initial break-in period (about 3 months), they became a super comfortable daily wear.

Also, a bunch of people told my they were going to stretch a lot, they did not stretch a lot. They stretched MAYBE 1/2in IF that. I did wear a leather belt and a daily appendix carry firearm holster, they still did not stretch.

Well, here it is. Two years, worn almost daily, compared to brand spankin new. No soaks, no washes. That will change very soon.

Received my pair back from IH last week, freshly hemmed. They fit great. Very happy with this pair. I ended up going with 31" which should give me a bit of leeway in case I want to cuff with boots… They stack great too.

I received my pair of IH-77S-21 this morning and it turns out they fit perfect. I could barely button the top button and they feel great once I can actually get them on. Great pair of jeans. Now to send them back to IH in the UK for a proper hem! I've attached a few fit pics and will take a few more once I get the hem service.

@Dion:

Just keep in mind that the fabric can stretch (a lot) and if you want to play it safe wear a belt so they won't end up being too big in the waist. The 21 oz is the perfect first step into the real denim world, Congrats!

Yeah, unfortunately the 26 is the smallest size offered by pretty much anyone without going with something bespoke. I know PBJ has an unsanforized 27 in their xx-013 cut, which I may end up picking up if these don't work out… but I was very happy to see that Iron Heart offers their denim in my size, so let's hope these 777s do work out.

Out of all the raw denim I've owned, I've never had anything stretch too much and that's probably because I generally wear a belt with my denim. Recently I've picked up a belt that has some stretch to it, which I will probably retire for a new veg tanned belt from Tanner Goods.

@neph93:

Boom! Congratulations. The 21oz is a great place to start. Let us know how it goes @heatx

I live in Florida and, as I'm sure you know, it gets fucking hot here in the summers… I wear denim year round, so I was definitely a bit wary of ordering 21oz jeans. But, from what I understand, the Iron Heart 21oz is their most breathable denim so I decided to pull the trigger.

I'm a small guy, 5'6" 120lbs and my waist measures just slightly above the 26" mark... I ordered the 26 in a 33" length so that I have room to cuff. I have a few pairs of Red Wings, but I mainly wear sneakers (Adidas UltraBoost mostly)... I was looking for a tapered, super slim cut... these should fit the bill perfectly! Stoked.

Just placed my order for a pair of these. This will be my first pair of Iron Hearts… can't wait to try them out!