The Nudie Jeans Guide to Selvage Denim

To claim that we love selvage denim would be quite an understatement. Calling it love wouldn't be fair because it's too important for us to call it just that. But what is selvage denim, and what makes it so unique? For the layman, it's a white stripe with colored, contrasting yarns woven into the outseam of someone's cuffed jeans. To others, it is craftsmanship at its finest – the pinnacle of denim engineering.

All denim fabrics are woven on weaving looms. The yarns running from top to bottom are called the warp, and the yarns running from side to side are called weft. The interlocking of warp and weft is what creates the weave. In essence, all weaves are created equal; selvage denim is produced on old shuttle looms. One single thread pushed back and forth on the loom, in continuous motion, creating a self-bound edge on both sides. That's why it's sometimes referred to as selvedge denim or, in some cases, self-edge denim.

So, the self-bound edge is a beautiful detail, but it also keeps the fabric edges from fraying. For jeans, the selvage is mainly used for the outseam since it can be secured with a single seam alone, making it great from a construction perspective. As a technical term, the selvage is actually used for all woven fabrics.

The contrasting yarn in the selvage is called selvage-ID. The color of the contrasting yarn was a signature telling which denim mill had made the fabric and for that mill to differentiate the weaves they produced. Today the most commonly used color is red but, at Nudie Jeans, we have our very own orange selvage ID. In a nod to history, we also opt for various other colors internally, especially for the limited runs but also for the running. For example, "Dry Selvage" features an orange ID, while "Dry Ace" carries a Sakura ID.

So, is selvage denim superior to non-selvage denim? Given its historical significance, and since it is a part of our heritage, we will always hold selvage denim in higher regard than non-selvage denim. Because in all aspects, it's true craftsmanship. The process is slower and the output lower, which is reflected in the price tag. Add to that machinery, which may sometimes be more than 100 years old and needs a lot of maintenance. Then you need artisans who know their way around these looms. The mills that produce selvage denim have an incredible eye for detail, which becomes evident in the fabrics – both in the dry state of the fabric but even more so once they are worn in.

So, we won't claim selvage denim is superior based on technical qualities. Still, we will argue that it, in most cases, possesses more excellent aesthetic qualities. And for that reason alone, we regard selvage as the finest denim there is.

Our heritage 13.75 oz. selvage denim that has been with us since day one. It's made by the almighty Kaihara, Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The Dry Selvage is known for its unmistakable stiffness and mesmerizing blend of green and redcast aging trajectory. It comes with our very own orange selvage ID, and we proudly offer it in multiple fits.

Okayama prefecture is the birthplace of Japanese denim, and micro-mill Shinya in Kojima embodies denim craftsmanship to the fullest extent. This 14.2 oz. selvage denim features a deeply saturated pure indigo tone and a rustic ring spin character. Dry Ace is a true testament to Shinya’s artisanal craftsmanship, and we proudly offer it in multiple fits. Dry Ace comes with Sakura selvage-ID.

A pitch-black 12.75 oz. stretch selvage denim woven by our longtime partner Bossa, in Adana, Türkiye. Both warp and weft have been yarn-dyed with sulfur black, rendering a black denim that ages with high contrast. The slubby yarns render a salt and peppery grain and streaky texture that makes this denim widely different from regular black denim. Dry Black Selvage features an orange selvage-ID.

A robust 15 oz. rigid Italian selvage denim woven on vintage Ruti shuttle looms by Candiani in Lombardy, Italy. The Twilight Selvage features a pure-indigo dyed warp with a unique brilliant super blue hue and subtle redcast, reminiscent of twilight skies. The slightly irregular ring-spun yarns and dense fabric ensure that the denim ages beautifully, rendering a slight vertical streakiness and marble texture. Candiani employs a special dyeing technique allowing very superficial absorption of dye, giving the Twilight Selvage its fast-fading property. Twilight Selvage features a red selvage ID.