The Details-
Selvedge Denim
Selvedge (also spelled “selvage”), considered the cashmere of denim, is produced by hand on shuttle looms, an old-fashioned and laborious process that results in small batches compared to the traditional machine loomed denim found in most jeans. Derived from the phrase “self-edged” it is named such because a single continuous cross-thread, or “weft” runs the whole length of the jean, giving the fabric a solid edge which will not unravel. The selvedge itself is the white and red line pictured above. Roll up the pair of jeans you are wearing right now and note that the seams have had to be sewn down to keep it from fraying, which is unnecessary with selvedge. Because of the time consuming process, generally only the finest threads are used to make selvedge denim, and it’s priced accordingly. A pair of selvedge jeans tends to begin at several hundred dollars and can reach into four digits. As the only way to identify a “superior” pair of selvedge is along the inner seam, those donning them will often cuff their jeans to subtly display the quality, similar to leaving a functioning cuff button open on a finely tailored suitcoat.
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