Could you introduce yourself?
I am Jason Pecarich, founder and proprietor of Division Road, Inc. – the heritage retailer with a luxury presentation. My career has been in design, manufacturing, product development, and retail, working on everything from buildings to furniture, garments, and footwear. Regardless of the medium, my approach is to take inspirations ranging from the avant-garde to the historical and translate those into timeless goods while collaborating closely with the craftsperson that is actually making the product.
Could you introduce us to this piece? Where does it come from? How old is it?
This is the Iron Heart 33-T 12 oz. Selvedge Denim Western, which I picked-up in early 2018 when we introduced Iron Heart to Division Road, so it’s a little more than five years old. I’ve never had a collection of western wear or that type of Americana style, but I stepped out of my square with a RRL raw denim Western back in 2006, maybe even before, when they made some really good stuff. It became one of my signature style pieces and over a ten-year period I wore and evolved it to light denim blue perfection with great fades, some rips and patches, and a patina level that I didn’t want to push any further so I hung it up in my personal archive. I picked up this Iron Heart Western to replace it.
How did you find it?
I personally had several Iron Heart pieces before we brought in the brand, mostly denim jeans and a couple of their ultra-heavy flannels. I always wanted one of their seasonless denim or chambray shirting pieces. The refined fit and length combined with exceptionally high-quality denim and over-the-top construction details including selvedge line reveals on the placket and cuffs, triple stitch chainstitching throughout and run off at the hem, selvedge side gussets, and the additional front and back yoke panels really make this one of the best Westerns out there. The proprietary 12 oz. denim is quite heavyweight for a shirt – this piece can handle a variety of conditions and continues to look better by doing so. It essentially became my signature Iron Heart piece and remains my most worn shirt for the past several years.
Do you remember the first time you wore it?
I remember clearly when I selected it, and as soon as I put it on, I knew it was one of those pieces that would become me. I think Western shirts are stylistically versatile and look good with anything be it streetwear, prep, tailoring, or workwear. It’s a piece that bridges the gap to make an outfit completely different. Whenever I pick up a piece I know will be a mainstay in my wardrobe, I spend the first month or so wearing it regularly to figure out all the ensemble possibilities. That period is the most exciting and inspiring from a style sense. The years that follow are comforting.
What are your memories related to this piece?
This is still one of those pieces I will wear weekly and it’s usually a key garment for my travelling. I think it’s been to every maker’s factory that we partner and do collaborations with. It’s been to the Viberg, Tricker’s, White’s, and Dehen 1920 factories several times each. I also wear it to many market weeks, sourcing trips, and on holiday. So, the journey in this garment has been not only the wear itself, but the places and experiences it’s had. This was my go-to piece when planning our relocation and repositioning during the pandemic, so it’s got a lot of can-do attitude from exploring not only the globe, but the possibilities for Division Road. I look at this Western as my hard work piece, armor for the unknown, discipline by doing – it has a lot of well applied creative energy embodied into it.
Are there any signs of wear? Have you ever repaired this piece?
The wear on this piece is significant for a denim Western, which take a while to break-in and fade dramatically. Jeans always go quicker as they are often worn more and get more stress, flex, and friction. I would say this piece is at “mid-stage” and showing my life journey well. One pocket shows my ring that I’ll often put in a safe pocket and the other pocket reveals my snus can fade, which is my replacement vice from quitting smoking some eight years ago. The collar and cuffs show how I like to style this piece, and the whole thing has conformed to my body so well over the years it’s like a second skin. No repairs yet as with Iron Heart it’s pretty tough to get a seam to bust or even to wear through the fabric, but it’ll certainly happen in some decade.
When do you usually wear it? Do you remember the last time you wore it?
I wore it the day before we photographed it, and the day after. Every time I put it on, I fall in love again. I still like dressing up a piece like this with a casual blazer or tailored outerwear, and conversely just wearing it open, sleeves rolled up with sneakers, derby’s, or boots. With a wardrobe staple like this, it gets worn for any occasion and I still play around with it stylistically as equally as grabbing it without consideration. When you make something yours, it just works.
