Selvedge color – The Stories That Come in The Weave

Currently, jeans from raw selvedge denim are very popular. The colored thread woven into the edge is a kind of „identification mark“, indicating the quality of the jeans and the traditional approach to their production.

We all know (probably) that now the fashion for such jeans has covered almost the whole world and selvedge denim jeans are made by almost all manufacturers from really very serious Japanese companies that emphasize the highest quality of the product. Alas, the quality of these jeans will be completely different and even though with the use of selvedge-denim, they will not be able to automatically equate the mass-market product with high-quality Japanese jeans, produced with a painstaking „handicraft“ approach.

In today’s article, we will talk about real quality jeans, manufacturers who value their product and value their reputation.

Talking about production, a piece of info to keep in mind is that shuttle-type machines can weave only a very narrow strip of denim. The edge left at the actual edges was not required to be cut and specially treated with an overlock (as is done in modern mass production). In the old days, on the external seam, there was simply an uncut edge of the Selvedge, which has now become popular due to its special characteristics.

A colored thread woven into the edge of the roll of denim was the main way to distinguish which particular manufacturer the denim was intended for. For Levi’s, it was a red or rather pink thread, for Lee – blue, for Wrangler, an orange thread was woven into the edge of the roll.

Currently, Japanese manufacturers are not so much trying to replicate the American classics (although, of course, classical repro-jeans have not disappeared at all and are still available). This also applies to a thread woven into the edge, which can often carry a certain semantic message.

Oni Denim

Oni always emphasizes the denim itself, its unique texture, its coloring methods and its beautiful fading. Oni also uses a different colored thread, woven into the Selvedge.
Here are some examples:

ONI-622NXX 17OZ NEW XX LOW TENSION SLUB DENIM RELAX TAPERED

NXX denim from Oni has been released relatively recently, the main difference being a slightly higher density, 17OZ. A characteristic for such denim is that they are very dense, of a dark saturated indigo color and the texture expressed in small vertical „stripes“. A bright red thread is woven into a bright white selvedge. For those who prefer to wear jeans tucked up, it will look very impressive and beautiful, the white and red colors strongly contrasting with the dark indigo. At the same time, the red thread is the most classic and easily recognizable of all.

 

ONI DENIM 575 22OZ NATURAL INDIGO REGULAR STRAIGHT

Famous Kabuki denim from Oni, one of the most time-consuming types of denim from this manufacturer. In addition to a very high density, this denim is also stained with natural dyes based on the leaves of the indigo plant. The name of Kabuki is also not accidental. Woven in the selvage threads of black, orange and green colors mirror the color of the curtain in the classical Japanese theater Kabuki, making it a very special tribute indeed.

 

ONI-575DGC 20OZ DEEP GREEN CAST LOW TENSION SEMI-TIGHT STRAIGHT

DGC (Dark Green Cast) denim from Oni has a very interesting color with a greenish tinge. This color is achieved by adding sulphides to the dye. In the Selvedge, a pink thread is woven here, as on some old vintage jeans.

ONI-622ZR-BKBK 20OZ SECRET BLACK DENIM RELAX TAPERED

Finally, the newest denim, ultra slubby Secret denim in a completely black color. In fact, this denim is not as simple as it seems. The weft thread is intentionally colored with a more persistent dye, so that, as fading occurs, it appears through more contrasting black inclusions. The edge-Selvedge itself also has a bright red-white color, which looks very impressive on a black background.

Samurai Jeans

Most of the models from this jeans brand possess an inexpressible charisma and charm, thanks to the use of a very dense hard denim and many interesting details, some of which are the legacy of American jeans classics, and some are completely original details from Japanese culture.

SAMURAI JEANS S710XX19OZ TIGHT STRAIGHT SELVAGE DENIM

The classic and most famous 710th model of Samurai jeans. These jeans are stern and reliable, like the character and spirit of the ancient Japanese warrior and are as durable as the blade of a sword. That is why the distinguishing feature of most classic models of Samurai jeans is a silver thread woven into the silvery fabric. It symbolizes the sharpness and strength of the samurai sword.

 

SAMURAI JEANS
S710XX24OZ-II 24OZ TIGHT STRAIGHT LIMITED MODEL

More density?!  Here comes a version of 24OZ denim. It differs in a even more texture and soft, fuzzy denim with a less pronounced slub than the classic 19OZ model. Here in selvedge it weaves a red and silver thread, perhaps symbolizing a blade covered in blood.

SAMURAI JEANS
S0110XJIINS 17OZ SLIM STRAIGHT JEANS

Very interesting and, perhaps, not quite the most typical model of jeans from Samurai- at the heart of it lie the old Lee jeans design. Here we use left-handed weaving of denim (LHT) and a lighter shade of indigo. As historically done in Lee, a blue thread is woven into the mudflow slug.

Momotaro Jeans

Momotaro is also one of the most famous manufacturers of Japanese jeans. Unlike the aforementioned Samurai, these jeans usually have an average density and a smooth texture. In detail, elements can be traced to one extent or another symbolizing the peach, which is the symbol of the brand.

MOMOTARO JEANS
0701 ‚ VINTAGE LABEL ‚ 15.7OZ CLASSIC TIGHT STRAIGHT

One of the most famous and popular models from the Vintage Label series. The series features a very dark indigo color and the most classic details that mimic the old vintage jeans. In the Selvedge, a pink thread is woven, which symbolizes the peach.

MOMOTARO JEANS X DENIMIO DE002 14.7OZ ICONIC TAPERED

These jeans are the fruit of the cooperation of Momotaro jeans and our store Denimio. This model contains some details that are not typical of this brand. For example, in the selvedge it is not a pink thread, but a thread of olive color.

TCB

If you are drawn to old vintage jeans that resemble closely the old-timer Levi’s, then you probably will be interested in the products of this small brand. Despite the fact that the company TCB has existed for not so long, their jeans are distinguished by a very sensitive approach to production expressed in the selection of denim and details closest to the jeans of the 50’s or 60’s.

TCB JEANS
50’S

For the production of this model, long-fiber Zimbabwe cotton and a rather dark shade of indigo are used to make the model closer to the old 50s jeans. In the Selvedge is woven a light pink thread, almost the same as that found on still preserved vintage jeans from that period.

TCB JEANS 60’S

These jeans are distinguished by a slightly lighter shade of denim, close to the jeans of the 60’s. It is tied with such a denim of American cotton from the San Joaquin plantation. A classic pink thread is also woven into the selvedge.

Selvedge is the most noticeable and traditional detail of classical denim and manufacturers will always try to make a certain emphasis on this detail.As we see, in addition to denim and Selvedge with a thread of cotton threaded into it, Japanese jeans have even more different details and nuances from which, in the end, the same unique Japanese quality is built and weaved into the many making of denim-manufacturing.