Denim Jackets - New or Vintage

[doug5551]

@Monitor Do you still have your Iron Heart denim jackets and are you still wearing them?

Would greatly appreciate your long term review.

 

[TLW '90]

Ah you’re right.

I’ve seen these Big Smiths floating around eBay lately. Surprisingly well-constructed - blanket liners, big Talon zip, and snap cuffs. You scored yourself a good one there.

Thanks for the clarification.

No problem.
These are definitely a decent quality jacket, a step above the Wrangler jackets from the 80's that I have.
The denim is very noticeably superior.

 

[Monitor]

@Monitor Do you still have your Iron Heart denim jackets and are you still wearing them?

Would greatly appreciate your long term review.

No, none. They're great denim jackets but vastly over-priced. I liked mine but never really understood what all the money went into as you can relatively easily find vintage truckers of equal or better quality & characteristics. I have 1990's Calvin Klein & 1970's Dickies truckers that I kept while selling the IH's as I find both superior.

 

[doug5551]

No, none. They're great denim jackets but vastly over-priced. I liked mine but never really understood what all the money went into as you can relatively easily find vintage truckers of equal or better quality & characteristics. I have 1990's Calvin Klein & 1970's Dickies truckers that I kept while selling the IH's as I find both superior.

Many thanks for the update.

My Brave Heart at $150 plus tax and shipping is very reasonable by comparison and the quality and 21.5 oz selvedge denim is very special and will last many decades.

 

[navetsea]

this jacket looks really sharp on the torso, and square shouldered

 

[Will Zach]

Leather jackets are all well and good, but in South Florida a denim jacket is much more handy. AC is blasting in most restaurants and stores, and if you come in there from hot and humid outdoors, you WILL catch a nasty cold. My 23-oz Wingman Sherman is just a ticket. Carry it in hand whenever I go out.

 

[ton312]

Leather jackets are all well and good, but in South Florida a denim jacket is much more handy. AC is blasting in most restaurants and stores, and if you come in there from hot and humid outdoors, you WILL catch a nasty cold. My 23-oz Wingman Sherman is just a ticket. Carry it in hand whenever I go out.

View attachment 555296

Damn man that thing has gone fully electric jellyfish blue!!! Awesome!!!! Leather is cool but a faded heavy denim like this looks so much cooler IMO.

 

[Will Zach]

Damn man that thing has gone fully electric jellyfish blue!!! Awesome!!!! Leather is cool but a faded heavy denim like this looks so much cooler IMO.

Thanks Ton. There is a story behind these fades. About a year ago I got interested in those Instagram denim fades competitions. I figured, what the hell, I am retired, I have a new denim jacket, lemme try to compete with those young whippersnappers. I had some questions to the organizers, but they never responded, so I did not enter the competition. I thought - let me try anyway! I wore the damn thing as underlayer from December to April/May every day while biking in NJ. Lol. I would not wear it 10 hours a day as an outer layer as most competitors, but 2 hours a day as underlayer in winter while biking, why not. Then I washed it. I probably would not get any prizes for the fades, but they look cool. Heavy denim requires work, but creases hard and creates nice fadez.

 

[ton312]

Thanks Ton. There is a story behind these fades. About a year ago I got interested in those Instagram denim fades competitions. I figured, what the hell, I am retired, I have a new denim jacket, lemme try to compete with those young whippersnappers. I had some questions to the organizers, but they never responded, so I did not enter the competition. I thought - let me try anyway! I wore the damn thing as underlayer from December to April/May every day while biking in NJ. Lol. I would not wear it 10 hours a day as an outer layer as most competitors, but 2 hours a day as underlayer in winter while biking, why not. Then I washed it. I probably would not get any prizes for the fades, but they look cool. Heavy denim requires work, but creases hard and creates nice fadez.

I'm going to have to take a crack at my IH with the Zach technique....I never really thought about wearing a heavy denim jacket as an under layer! The results speak for themselves though, that looks incredible.

 

[ton312]

this jacket looks really sharp on the torso, and square shouldered

Doesn't look bad but infused with panty hose material.

 

[Will Zach]

I'm going to have to take a crack at my IH with the Zach technique....I never really thought about wearing a heavy denim jacket as an under layer! The results speak for themselves though, that looks incredible.

Wearing a denim jacket as underlayer if you want to get quicker/better defined fades makes sense - absent washing, fades are caused by abrasion, nothing else. The overlayer abrades the denim underlayer more than if the denim serves as an overlayer. In the first case the contact is constant, in the second case, incidental. But you still have to set the creases first. I just wetted the jacket at the beginning and wore it until dry. The sleeve creases were set and very sharp and hard!

 

[ton312]

Wearing a denim jacket as underlayer if you want to get quicker/better defined fades makes sense - absent washing, fades are caused by abrasion, nothing else. The overlayer abrades the denim underlayer more than if the denim serves as an overlayer. In the first case the contact is constant, in the second case, incidental. But you still have to set the creases first. I just wetted the jacket at the beginning and wore it until dry. The sleeve creases were set and very sharp and hard!

I’ve done the soak and wear til dry but never got close to those fades. Admittedly, I didn’t keep most of them long enough but I think the key must be as you said, abrasion. Pretty brilliant method. I’m doing it!

 

[navetsea]

Doesn't look bad but infused with panty hose material.

I didnt really listen to his description, lol 4ways stretch.

 

[navetsea]

Leather jackets are all well and good, but in South Florida a denim jacket is much more handy. AC is blasting in most restaurants and stores, and if you come in there from hot and humid outdoors, you WILL catch a nasty cold. My 23-oz Wingman Sherman is just a ticket. Carry it in hand whenever I go out.

View attachment 555296

Wow such hi contrast fades, but at the same time also looking not totally broken in yet the button placket still looks very straight and the lower half of the front stiil looking plank ish, it will look great for many years as it breaks in, was it 23oz?

Very cool nautical look overall

 

[Will Zach]

Wow such hi contrast fades, but at the same time also looking not totally broken in yet the button placket still looks very straight and the lower half of the front stiil looking plank ish, it will look great for many years as it breaks in, was it 23oz?

Very cool nautical look overall

Yes, 23-oz. Still pretty stiff. I don't know how to soften it, maybe beat it with a stick? But it is softer than when it was new, for sure.

 

[navetsea]

Yes, 23-oz. Still pretty stiff. I don't know how to soften it, maybe beat it with a stick? But it is softer than when it was new, for sure.

Panzerfaust?

 

[Will Zach]

Panzerfaust?

... Lol... It is a Sherman....

 

[TartuWolf]

I can't really imagine wearing duck canvas type 1 jacket that I got a month or two ago as an underlayer because it's just so abrasive - almost like sand paper. I feel like it would wreck the lining of anything that would be covering it.

 

[Trenchfriend]

@TartuWolf
Yeah, and type I isn't even slim-fit as type III is.

 

[ton312]

I can't really imagine wearing duck canvas type 1 jacket that I got a month or two ago as an underlayer because it's just so abrasive - almost like sand paper. I feel like it would wreck the lining of anything that would be covering it.

Carhartt chore coat would be my choice. I’ll use this:

Size medium but fits like 2XL. I can easily get my IH under it.