Turn up the cuffs on a pair of premium jeans and you'll often see a clean, finished edge running down the outside seam, sometimes with a thin coloured line. That's the selvedge, one of the most talked-about details in denim.
What does "selvedge" mean?
Selvedge comes from "self-edge": the edge of the fabric finishes itself as it's woven, so it doesn't fray. It's made on traditional shuttle looms, where a shuttle carries the weft thread back and forth across the full width of the cloth, turning at each edge to form a tight, closed border.
Most modern denim is woven on faster projectile or air-jet looms, which shoot individual weft threads across and leave a loose edge that has to be overlocked. That's non-selvedge denim.
How to spot selvedge jeans
- A neat, finished edge on the inside of the outseam, visible when you turn up the cuff
- Often a coloured line in that edge (red is the classic, hence "redline")
- No overlocked zig-zag stitching along the outseam
Is selvedge better?
Not automatically. Selvedge tells you how the fabric was woven, not how good it is. Shuttle looms are slower and make narrower cloth, so selvedge is usually produced in smaller runs, often by mills known for quality. But a well-made non-selvedge jean can outlast a poorly made selvedge one.
What you're really paying for is the character of the fabric: slubby textures, deep indigo and the way it fades.
Looking after selvedge jeans
Selvedge denim is often sold raw, so read raw vs washed denim before the first wash. When it comes to alterations, protect the details: ask for an original or chain-stitched hem, and have legs tapered from the inside seam so the selvedge line survives.