Selvedge Denim

Selvedge denim has seen a revival in recent years, as more people move away from mass-produced garments in favour of traditional craftsmanship and quality fabrics.

Selvedge denims are woven on small, vintage shuttle looms which produced narrower width fabrics with a clean, self-finished edge or "selvedge." Historically, a coloured line was woven into the selvedge as a hallmark, to identify the specific mill where the denim was made. In turn, this edging was incorporated into the production of jeans and garments as a sign of authenticity and quality.

While selvedge denims originated in the US, by the '60s denim production had shifted toward mass manufacturing, and many of these old shuttle looms were decommissioned and sold. Japanese textile makers began acquiring these machines and studying traditional denim-making techniques in order to preserve and revive the traditional process.

The weaving of selvedge denim denotes a slower and more traditional craft process. There will often be variations in the surface, due to inconsistencies in the weaving process, which gives each denim a unique.

Some of our selvedge denims are raw, which is an unwashed, stiffer fabric with more structure, while others are washed and faded with a soft handle.

You can browse our selvedge denim collection here.