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Denim Jacket Picks, Iron Heart Outerwear, and How I’m Approaching Black Craziness
It’s two weeks away, but sales have already started. What used to be one day now stretches across most of November. I struggle with that; it’s putting a lot of pressure on small brands and independent shops to sell for less.
The stuff I feature here—and my own Weirloom jeans—are made to last, and making clothes like that costs money. The thing is, I like a good deal too. I think we’re all wired that way. That’s the contradiction: knowing why things cost what they do doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate paying less.
I’ll come back to that later, along with my guide to finding the best denim and menswear deals. First, something I’ve spent weeks working on: a new denim jacket guide.
Finding a Denim Jacket You’ll Keep Wearing
I’ve surely faded more than 30 pairs of selvedge jeans, but only a few denim jackets. I wear my jeans all day, while jackets might only get a couple of hours. And not all year. That’s a lot less time to develop those fades.
Buying the wrong size doesn’t help. In 2009, I picked up a Levi’s Vintage Clothing Type I at Cinch in London. I went for a Small when I should’ve bought a Medium. It’s so short that I need to wear my jeans higher and tuck in to make it work. It’s my special-occasion denim jacket now.
That’s one reason I paid particular attention to fit in my new denim jacket buying guide. After several weeks of work, it’s finally live, with 17 jackets across three budgets and advice to help you find one you’ll actually wear.
The Military Details Iron Heart Changes
Repro purists might call what Iron Heart does to classic military jackets blasphemy. I get it. On looks alone, I sometimes prefer the originals myself. But I’ve always liked that Iron Heart isn’t afraid to break a few rules.
That attitude was already obvious when I first encountered the brand’s jeans back in 2010. Even the rear pockets were positioned with someone sitting on a motorcycle in mind.
The same thinking runs through the brand’s outerwear. I’ve taken a closer look at the FW26 collection to see what happens when Iron Heart gets its hands on these military classics.
Things Worth Your Attention
Before we get to Black Friday, here are five other things I wanted to share this week:
A $30 million story – Sprezza looks at how imogene + willie built a serious business while keeping production in the US. I’ve followed the brand since its early raw-denim days, and its Wrangler collaboration caught my eye. Cultizm now stocks a good selection of the brand.
Same Supply Jacket, different cloth – Redcast has restocked Rogue Territory’s waxed-canvas Supply Jacket alongside Freenote’s waxed Riders Jacket; it’s the same Supply Jacket shape I featured in 15 oz. selvedge denim in my new jacket guide.
More room in your jeans – Blue in Green has brought back its exclusive selvedge-denim orSlow Super Dad, a roomy cut that fits with the five jeans I recommended on Instagram earlier this week. For other orSlow options, both Blue in Green and Cultizm are worth checking.
Wouter’s denim in a museum – To celebrate 15 years of Long John, my old friend is putting 25 pieces from his collection on show at the Levi Strauss Museum in Buttenheim, Germany, from 22 November to 24 January.
One last Fade Off thank-you – This was my way of marking 15 years of Denimhunters by putting the attention on your worn denim, and more than 150 joined in. Thanks to everyone who entered or voted, to Indigofera, Tellason, SOSOBROTHERS, Brave Star, Freenote, and Brund for the prizes—and especially to Peter and the team at Brund for hosting our Copenhagen gathering.
Where I’m Keeping Track of Black Friday Deals
There’s little point in printing a string of discount codes here when they may have changed by the time you click. The Denimhunters sales guide is where I keep relevant deals from the brands and shops I follow together, throughout the year—not just in November.
Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be adding new offers as they appear. If you’re looking for something in particular, start there—and bookmark the page so you can check back as we get closer to Black Friday.
From the Archive: Jackets With a Naval Past
The military designs in the Iron Heart story have a longer history than their place in today’s wardrobes.
Bryan’s guide, Unsinkable Style, compares N1 deck jackets, peacoats and duffel coats, while our Attention on Deck article looks closely at the N1’s origins, construction, and what to look for if you’re buying one now.
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