Selvedge Denim Jeans

'Selvedge denim is the turn-up trend'

With denim jeans remaining the menswear staple it becomes easy to overlook the simple differences which define the perfect jean. To avoid becoming subject to the rush of the purchase, take a short while to consider the benefit of a finer fitting jean.

Selvedge denim used to be the penchant of denim-spotters - an exclusive group of jean-enthusiasts who remarked on the beauty of denim made on traditional shuttle looms. Remarkably durable and highly expensive, they could only be purchased through premium brands such as APC and Nudie. The recent explosion of Selvedge into the mainstream ……. Now means less expensive jeans brands developing cheaper varieties with even cheaper, although lower quality, models available in high street stores such as GAP.

Their age old technique produces a continuous cross thread weft. As the weft loops back into the edge of the denim it creates the ‘self-edge’ from which its name is derived. Shuttle looms require a narrow, longer piece of fabric, an added cost for traditional jean makers. To economise they used the fabric up to the Selvedge edge. The self-edge produces a durable hard-wearing jean with a clean edge adding to its popularity in contrast to the frayed edge of modern single thread denim. Two Selvedge edges are visible on a turned up cuff, while it remains a popular trend, its provides a point of additional detail and distinction.

The expensive nature of the denim and the restriction to 30inch jeans led to the technique dying out in the 1950s only to be revived by the Japanese in the 1980s ahead of the ‘premium denim’ craze. Selvedge came to symbolise the premium jean, an irreplaceable sign of quality and workmanship. The high-quality of the jean was coupled by real indigo dyes, to produce the dark denim that is returning to popularity along with the Selvedge jean.

The popularity of dark denim and the turn-up provides the perfect contemporary alignment for the return of the Selvedge denim jean, and with the increasing variety on offer from this model it is a trend that all men should take on board.