Random questions to which you seek an answer
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Any thoughts on how to explain this place and our shared obsession with normal people? I'm still struggling to find the right words.
I sometimes wonder if the nerdy interest in clothes, is common in personality types who also like people but aren’t always great with people.
I’m basing this on a conversation that was had with @Chris once. So many people who go to the parties in Gosport have qualms about parties and social situations, but are able to relax and have fun there.
Of course I could be just projecting [emoji1]
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That is a great question, @ARNC
From the outside looking in it probably looks like a) a weird hobby: getting hung up on super expensive, overbuilt clothing that doesn't look super expensive (so what's the point??), and b) narcissism: posting and commenting on pictures of ourselves wearing said super expensive clothing.
I think you either get it or you don't. It's like some people get jazzed about collecting stamps, or coins, or watches, or cars. Here we get jazzed up about collecting quality, ethically-made, overbuilt, stylish heritage wear. It makes me feel good to wear Iron Heart… The way the fabrics feel and weigh, the cuts... I know that it has at least a more ethical supply chain and workforce than most fashion. And most of it is classic and timeless and will look as good in 100 years as it does today. For me the main thing is quality in everything IH does.
I got into this forum because I got into Japanese denim after tiring of a streetwear rut I was stuck in, and read about this Iron Heart brand that made super heavy denim. Given the costs of the garments, I lurked and researched for a while, but once I saw what a nice place it was, I joined the fray.
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Any thoughts on how to explain this place and our shared obsession with normal people? I'm still struggling to find the right words.
I sometimes wonder if the nerdy interest in clothes, is common in personality types who also like people but aren’t always great with people.
I’m basing this on a conversation that was had with @Chris once. So many people who go to the parties in Gosport have qualms about parties and social situations, but are able to relax and have fun there.
Of course I could be just projecting [emoji1]
Hmm… well I AM an introverted misanthrope... But you guys are tolerable, from a distance...
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@mclaincausey I can certainly relate to both comments and I’m open to other obsessions (UHHH people can tell you what happens twice an hour at my place :))
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Any thoughts on how to explain this place and our shared obsession with normal people? I'm still struggling to find the right words.
It's usually a fruitless conversation to try and explain why I like Iron Heart so much. But I tell people I have a very deep and rich enjoyment of this particular brand of clothes. Not all expensive Japanese clothing is as good as Iron Heart… I've been disappointed with mostly everything I have ever bought from other brands. I only occasionally will buy something from another brand now because it is something that Iron Heart does not make. Or maybe a particular colorway of something I have been longing for.
Points for discussion:
-this stuff is not made by slave labor in a sweatshop
-this stuff is extremely rare, sometimes like 200-300 of a particular piece is made
-they are the best shirts and jeans that money can buy
-they fade/ age beautifully
-Durability- I have stuff I have been wearing since 2013 I wear a lot and it still holds up. It will most definitely outlast me.
-having the particular 'personal idiosyncrasies' I have, I very much enjoy how the clothes feel. There's really nothing else like how a pair of 25 XHS feels or 21oz denim.
-being fortunate enough to wear this stuff has had a significant impact on my world view and outlook on life. It is like a spiritual experience for me. The clothes have like an ethereal positive vibe about them. I feel happy and spiritually uplifted when I get to wear my favorite shirt and jeans- the stuff retains it's value EXTREMELY WELL... I resold two shirts last week for over $550. No other brand has this kind of cultural significance to such a niche audience that enjoys this stuff so much, that would be willing to pay this much for something that is second- hand.
- as a consumer, and being a a member of this forum, we have a small hand in the creative process and our feedback is actively received and has an impact on what is made.
-lastly, it's my money and I can't take it with me, and IDGAF if you don't like it or not
Edit: I forgot to write that the price has two business day international shipping built into it. I know any time I have shipped anything to the UK it did not take two days and was like $70...
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@Filthy:
Any thoughts on how to explain this place and our shared obsession with normal people? I'm still struggling to find the right words.
-Durability- I have stuff I have been wearing since 2013 I wear a lot and it still holds up. It will most definitely outlast me.
-being fortunate enough to wear this stuff has had a significant impact on my world view and outlook on life. It is like a spiritual experience for me. The clothes have like an ethereal positive vibe about them. I feel happy and spiritually uplifted when I get to wear my favorite shirt and jeansAgree heartily with everything Mike said, but to call these ones out, I am a "buy it for lifer" because I'm a tree-hugger and sustainability matters to me. I also do have an eye and appreciation for quality, but it's important for me to have fewer, nicer things that last and were ethically created. Take that with the quality thing and IH is the answer.
And the second thing quoted would sound ridiculous to most people, but it resonates with me. I just feel good wearing the garments.
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Right on McClain.
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Any thoughts on how to explain this place and our shared obsession with normal people? I'm still struggling to find the right words.
I sometimes wonder if the nerdy interest in clothes, is common in personality types who also like people but aren’t always great with people.
I’m basing this on a conversation that was had with @Chris once. So many people who go to the parties in Gosport have qualms about parties and social situations, but are able to relax and have fun there.
Of course I could be just projecting [emoji1]
If you're implying that I'm not great with people, well, yeah, you're right.
I do have fun at every IH gathering I've ever been to, regardless of location, though.
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Thanks @Filthy , @mclaincausey and @Chris.
I definitely appreciate the quality and longevity - if I have something I like I want to wear it for ever (4-5 years minimum).
Mike, it's funny you should mention the spiritual aspect you feel. As an outsider to the brotherhood (despite the efforts of some of its members), it's not for me to say (and maybe requires some arcane process to confirm your status) but I tend to think of you as the spiritual head of the Bibbist Order
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Ah…. Fair point. They a bunch of nutters.
Guilty as charged
[emoji1]
The sad thing is that I’d be in the club if it wasn’t for the fact that me owning a pair would test (and probably irrevocably damage), the already frayed and decrepit edges of my poor wife’s sanity.
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@neph93 I mean, owning a pair to use whilst you’re working on the house sounds reasonable enough, and then of course they start just working there way into life outside the building works
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@neph93 I mean, owning a pair to use whilst you’re working on the house sounds reasonable enough…
I think at this stage in the game that strategy would be as transparent as a white tee shirt on Samantha Fox ca. 1983. Just the sight of them would be enough to tip Hot Ingrid over the edge (the sight of the bibs that is, not Ms. Fox in a wet tee).
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