21oz Shinayaka Selvedge Denim
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I would definitely try to come.
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More than a little jealous that you get to try it out, but I know you’ll give us a thorough reporting until it’s available.
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Heck yeah Neph!! Does this mean we get to see you in 555s for the next few months [emoji7][emoji7][emoji7]
At W34 I’m lucky they were my size. That is to say my size in the waist. Whether they are my size in the thigh is up for debate [emoji23] So yes Mr. Pfaff you will be seeing me in 555’s for a while. Apologies in advance [emoji6]
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As stated I received the 21oz indigo "Shinayaka" jeans in a W34 555 cut yesterday evening. It seems the lot number will be IH-555-SST although because they are a sample the patch is not stamped. These jeans have 2% polyurethane in the weft, otherwise they use the same cotton and weave as the satandard 21oz Iron Heart denim. Upon taking them out of the bag I was struck by how they appear just like a regular new pair of Iron Heart jeans. The weight, colour and texture were exactly what I'd expect from a pair of IH-555-01 or something similar. So I put them on and wore them for the remainder of the evening.
What follows is an initial review based on first impressions. I will take in the colour, texture and hand of the denim, the hardware and construction, and the fit and feel of the denim. I'll also mention the differences I can percieve when compared to regular 21oz.
For anyone familiar with the flagship 21oz denim and the way it is put together into jeans, you can probably hop over this paragraph. Everything about the stitching, buttons, patch and design will be what you have come to expect. The weave looks exactly like the 21oz. The warp in the twill presents as thick, diagonal, stripes, heavily saturated with indigo. The weft (which contains the polyurethane), appears off-white, perhaps slightly more muted than on the OG 21oz, which may account for the slight difference in colour seen in the comparison shots @Giles posted here: https://www.ironheart.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=14626.msg651635#msg651635.
Without a side by side comparison you wouldn't think twice, although I feel like the denim is similar in this respect to the 22oz denim which has a brown weft. The overall result is a very dark, inky indigo jean with an even, flat hand and a regular, robust twill pattern. Very "Iron" in other words.
The stitching is the same polycotton contrast stitching you find on the 21oz. The one major difference to the 555-01 is the contrast stitched arcs. The construction is impeccably done and very solid. Over-engineered, as always. The selvedge ID, thick leather patch, branded nickel hardware and copper rivets are up to standard IH spec and the hidden pocket rivets are present too. So far you would not know the difference between these and any other pair of IH 21oz.
That changes when you put them on. Even the 21oz denim is heavy and crisp and resistant the first wear. If you have fitted properly then the waist should bite a little, the area behind the knees should crunch a little and the front of the top block should crease in such a way that is abrasive. If you are like me and have big thighs then you should also feel some restriction in that area. Not so with the Shinayaka.
At this point I should make a few things clear. I take more or less a W34 in IH bottoms, maybe a W35 in some models, occaisionally a W33 in the the 888. I have chunky thighs meaning that the 555 cut, and many iterations of the 666 are generally too tight over the upper leg. In some cases I can't even get them over my thighs, in others they are very restrictive and liable to blowout early in the crotch. This makes me sad as I am a fan of both cuts. My second pair of IH jeans were the IH-555-01 in W34 and they had almost exactly the same measurements as these. I wore them regularly for many years and they are now seeing out their days at the Gosport Retirement Home for Faded Pants. But they were pretty damn tight and borderline uncomfortable even after 500 wears and many, many washes. This pair are more comfortable after two hours of wear than my 555-01 were after five years.
The 555-SST are still tight on me. Actually they are pretty damn tight. Of course, this may not be a look for everyone, and people will probably point and laugh at the 46 year old high school teacher in tight jeans, (ask me if I care). However they are in no way restrictive or abrasive. Obviously they will fit others differently and if I was buying for myself in the future I would go for the 777 or a sized down 888 in this denim. I have to say, the chances of that happening are pretty good, even for a self avowed masochist like myself, who loves nothing better than a new pair of gnarly, well fitted XHS or UHR.
The truth is that these jeans are just so damn good to wear. The wasit fits perfectly, I don't need to wear a belt with them and yet they don't bite when I sit. The fabric moves with me when I move, instead of moving against me and while I haven't tried Christophe Loiron-style high kicks, I'm tempted to think I could do them. I could certainly break into a run without thinking twice. I could definitely work construction in them without any problem (and come October when I start renovating a house, I may just do that). It is a truly surreal thing to have the familiar experience of heavy thick denim, worn tightly, but still have freedom of movement and a sense of true comfort I'd associate with jersey cotton or sports apparel.
I'm excited about what is to come. How will they fade? Will the stretch mean that I avoid early crotch blowout? This is by no means certain as I am built to blow most jeans and of all the pairs I own, only my 888's have been spared that so far. Time will tell. I also have a feeling that the polyurethane will make these a little less breathable than the regular 21oz. Again, we shall see.
If I have any reservations, apart from my personal fit in this model, it is with regard to fading. As we all know heavy denim offers special fades because of the thick creases that form, and remain between wears. The peaks and troughs of these creases are more prone to having the indigo rubbed out of them. When I picked my the IH-555-SST up this morning after a night on the floor, there was still evidence of the honeycombs that has occurred the night before, however, there were no whispers evident in the top block, nor any stacks to be seen. They had dropped out. The elastic in the denim may mean the fabric resists permanent creases forming, although it is early yet, and they may just take more time. Obviously this will affect the way the indigo fades and the patterns that produces. One thing is for sure, I'm looking forward to finding out what happens. Watch this space for more details.
I wrote earlier in this thread that as an IH fanboy and lover of the rugged, heavy duty pleasures of badass denim, I've been deeply sceptical and dismissive of both lighter denims and stretch denim. Based on first impressions, I defy anyone not to recognise the Shinichi Haraki DNA coursing through the Shinayaka denim. There is no question it is Iron Heart. For me it carries on all the tradtions that we have grown to know and love, but takes them to the next level.
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If that's not a glowing review I don't know what is.
Really looking forward to hearing about how these will evolve over time. -
Hows the feel through the thighs Rueben?
Looks like there is some give?
I would never look at these and think stretch. They look totally like normal. -
@neph93 That's a great fit - looks really good.
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@dinobarnesberlin @Giles @AdamJ @grassfedyogi thank you all…
If they were regular 21oz today would have been a day with moderate discomfort, but I would also have expected them to "give" and stretch quite a bit. As it is they are not uncomforable in the least, but I can't grab much more at the back of the thigh now than I could this morning. My hypothesis is that the 2% polyurethane has a bit more fabric memory than cotton and resists the more permanent stretch than cotton has. That may well mean that the knee-bagging that @xtcclassic mentioned may not occur. That being said I'd imagine that some permanent changes will occur with time, it is after all still 98% cotton. I suspect they will just take longer and be less radical.
They look really great Reuben. You're def not "trying to hard"
No harder than usual at any rate
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They look fantastic @Neph93 !!
FWIW I have had plenty of stretch jeans fade - my “throw away” jeans I used to regularly wear to the gym when leading classes would definitely get fade patterns - especially if you wear them to the extent of their stretch abilities
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Rueben! Dope write up! I’m already sold man!! Can’t wait for these
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Great write @neph93 this denim is going to be perfect for me
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Agreed, that’s a great fit @neph93. I’m 40-something and I’d rock that cut if I could.
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Kinda disappointed you look nothing like the skinny legged bird with an exploding muffin top
Great write up and first impressions on this denim Reuben. The particular way you described how freely and comfortable it is to move in them surprised me. Almost too good to be true for something of that weight. Can’t wait to see how they evolve and additional thoughts as you put in more wear time.
