What Is Selvedge Denim? Everything You Need To Know About Selvedge Jeans

A term you may or may not have heard when buying jeans is selvedge and selvedge denim, but what does it mean?

If you’ve read my blog, you’ll know I love this type of denim. I own a few pair of jeans which are selvedge, and it’s been my preference for a number of years.

What Is Selvedge Denim?

Selvedge denim (or salvage as some may call it) get’s it’s name from it’s manufacturing process which creates a ‘self edge’. Old shuttle looms are used to produce tighter woven strips of fabric.

They are self-finished which prevents fraying, curling or unravelling.

Selvedge simply means Self Edge.

You will see this strip, and stitching which has is the trademark of selvedge denim. The line of stitching is usually coloured, a lot of the time red stitching is used.

Shuttle Looms are not as economical and slower than their counter part, so unflavoured for mass producing denim.

Their counterpart is projectile looms, mass production is a lot faster and cheaper. They are unfinished and frayed until it’s stitched, usually using an overlock stitch.

Selvedge is sometimes written as selvage. The spelling differs from brand to brand, but it is the same fabric.

These are my Nudie Jeans Black Selvedge Denim

Is Selvedge Denim Better Than Regular Denim?

Selvedge denim is usually better than regular denim. Since the whole process is more time consuming and expensive, the quality of a pair of selvedge denim jeans is usually higher.

But this is not always the case.

Quality is subjective, there are other things to take into consideration. That includes the fit, weight and quality of the overall finish of the final product.

My first ever pair of selvedge denim were from Japanese brand Evisu. They produce high quality jeans, and from that moment I never looked back.

I picked up a pair of H&M Selvedge jeans which I thought were reasonable quality. Not only for their cheap price, but were better than some high end label pairs of non-selvedge jeans.

When you pair up selvedge with a good brand like Nudie Jeans, great things happen. My Nudie Selvedge Jeans are one of my favourite pairs of denim.

They’re premium and will last a hell of a long time.

I say usually, because there can be exceptions to that rule.

It had a bit of a resurgence, a lot of high street and budget brands are showcasing their offerings. I tried out a pair from ASOS and was not impressed at all.

At £40 they were on the low end of denim of any kind. When you hear the word selvedge you think of luxury, and these were definitely not that. I have plenty of plain old regular denim which were better quality, fit, feel and finish than those.

As a general rule of thumb, a pair of selvedge denim jeans is better quality than non-selvedge. This is because the manufacturing cost is usually higher, in turn better fits and qualities of jeans are produced.

There’s little point in producing cheap selvedge when the manufacturing process is harder than for standard jeans. This is reflected in price.

What’s The Difference Between Selvedge Denim And Raw Denim

Selvedge Denim and Raw Denim Are Not The Same. In simple terms, raw denim describes denim that has not been washed, and is also known as dry denim. Selvedge denim describes the process in manufacturing the denim.

Raw denim, which is sometimes called dry denim, is exactly what it sounds like. It’s when the denim has not gone through a wash or been treated. When you buy it from the shop and get it home, it’s pure, raw, and will evolve over time.

A lot of denim connoisseurs love dry denim because it’s like owning a living piece of fashion.

It will change over time depending on your own personal usage, and you can wash it whenever you like. Most guys will wait 6-12 months after you’ve worn them in before washing.

The opposite of this is washed denim.

This process means that they’re already had some dye taken out through the wash. They’ll have shrunk a little bit, and by the time you get them home they’ll probably remain much the same in their lifetime.

There may be changes, but these will be far smaller and less noticeable than raw denim.

Any marks or distinctions such as tears, rips or distressing will be there as you buy them, rather than evolving through time.

Selvedge denim can be used in either raw or washed pairs of jeans.

I personally own a pair of washed denim from PRPS, and I really like them as a smart pair of jeans.

Dry denim is quite coveted, but is harsh, and takes a while to break in, and even then may never become as soft as washed denim, so personal preference can take precedence in this case.

Selvedge denim can be washed or raw denim. As I’ve covered above, selvedge uses old shuttle looms. The final denim jean could be left or put through a wash.

Not All Selvedge Is The Same

As mentioned above, not all selvedge denim is the same.

Just like everything else you can get good and bad from different brands and menswear fashion labels. There’s different denim from different places, with Japanese selvedge being touted as one of the more premium.

Wearing my Levis 511 Selvedge Denim Jeans with Converse trainers

What Is Special About Selvedge Denim?

There are plenty of special characteristics about selvedge denim that I’ve already spoke about. The fact that the manufacturing process is longer and better quality denims can be used is one.

For me, the person that’s wearing it, I know that it’s a premium piece of clothing which I really love. I take care of my selvedge jeans, and love to wear them.

For the onlookers, they’ll know that I am wearing selvedge by rolling up the cuff at the bottom. If you like to show off your denim, that’s one way of doing it.

Selvedge Denim Weight And Fit

Selvedge denim is just the raw material used to create the jeans, you’ve also got to think about the fit and weight of the denim.

Denim weight varies a lot, and can be considered one aspect of quality, but it comes down to preference too.

The weight is usually measured in oz per square yard, so more is heavier.

A pair of light jeans will be under 12oz, with 12-16oz mid-weight and everything above that, 16-32 very heavy weight.

You’ll usually find a pair of jeans being 11 – 16oz, and most brands do not advertise the weight of their denim.

As we know with everything in fashion, the fit is key. Getting the right fit is critical to looking good in your clothes.

How Can I Tell If Jeans Are Selvedge?

The most obvious way is to roll up the leg and see if you can see the strip. A common name for this is red line selvedge, because of the red thread which you can see in the strip.

It’s worth noting that the colour can be different, red line is widely used.

If you own a pair it’s fashionable to turn up your jeans and show off your selvedge. This is common, so a lot of jean makers create there selvedge jeans with longer legs, in anticipation that they’ll be rolled up.

Verdict

I love selvedge denim, and I think that everyone should experience a really good pair of jeans. You can check out more of my outfits with selvedge denim which includes how I style the jeans

It’s one item of clothing that you should wear quite a lot of, the same as a favourite jacket or pair of shoes, and can last a number of years.

Good selvedge denim is usually expensive, but it should be seen as an investment because of it’s longevity and timelessness.

If you found this useful, check out the rest of the men’s style guides. If you’re looking for fashion tips, that’s where you’ll find some easy to follow advice on your clothing.