Selvage denim is a premium type of denim fabric with natural edges that resist unraveling. It is made on traditional shuttle looms, which create the denim’s own edge. Selvage denim is more durable and expensive than regular denim and is often used by designer and premium brands. It is different from raw denim, which uses natural indigo dye and is not washed or distressed at the factory.
Selvage denim is a particular type of denim fabric that features natural edges that resist unraveling. Selvage, which is also sometimes spelled selvage, is a corruption of the term self-edging, which refers to this feature of the fabric. This type of denim is popular with designer and premium brands, and commands a higher price than regular denim.
What makes selvage denim unique and more expensive than regular denim is the fact that it is made on traditional shuttle looms, rather than more modern projectile looms. As a shuttle loom works to weave the denim into a continuous thread, it eventually reaches the end of the fabric. By finishing this end, the loom creates the denim’s own edge.
For decades, shuttle looms were the primary tool for making jeans in America, until the popularity of denim clothing exploded in the 1950s. To meet demand, manufacturers switched to projectile looms, which were much more fast and used less fabric per pair of pants. It wasn’t until the 1980s that Japanese designers saw a niche for selvage denim. By purchasing many of the old American ferry looms, they began producing so-called premium denim and charging more for it. Since then, selvedge denim and the old shuttle loom weaving methods have regained popularity and are in great demand despite their expensive prices.
Projectile-woven denim has frayed ends and must have separate seams to finish the length of the fabric. A good example of this is a typical pair of denim jeans. With separate threads, rather than one continuous thread, used in the weaving of the cloth, the crotches and other ends are uneven and prone to fraying. On a selvage pair this will not happen, even beyond the cuff. Additionally, projectile loom jeans are generally lighter in weight and less durable than selvage jeans.
In both modern and vintage jeans, the ends of the fabric are sewn with contrasting threads in color to the denim. This is usually red, but sometimes it is green, white, yellow, or another shade. The original reason for this was to signify the end of a piece of cloth. It remains a stylistic effect, used to help identify a piece of denim as selvedge.
Although both are commonly used to make premium jeans, so-called raw denim and selvage denim are two different things. Raw denim uses a natural indigo dye, as opposed to synthetic dye, and is not washed or distressed at the factory. It is up to the buyer to put on raw jeans, and special care should be taken, such as cold water washing. Jungle denim generally requires no special care beyond regular denim.
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