Is selvedge denim really worth its price?

"Selvedge".

This is a word that we hear regularly when we take a close interest in men's fashion.

“Want to start a new wardrobe? Start with a good pair of selvedge jeans!”

Everyone will talk to you about it, from the newly initiated amateur to the veteran of sape. It is almost a mystical word that is invoked, a form of argument from authority.

Newbies may be wondering: Why selvedge at all? And what is it exactly? Is it really better than regular denim?

We will take the time here to answer these questions.

Let's start with the basics.

WHAT IS SELVEDGE?

The word "selvedge" is a contraction of the expression "self-finished edge", which literally means "edge finished on itself".

A selvedge canvas therefore refers to a canvas with a finished border, as opposed to an unfinished border, on which the canvas frays. And it is this border that forms the famous " selvedge edging ".

It runs the entire length of the canvas, on both sides.

But a picture is worth a thousand words:

WHY IS SELVEDGE CANVAS SO EXPENSIVE?

The question naturally arises: " How can a simple canvas border justify such a price difference? "

Selvedge jeans are rarely found for less than €100, except for the large entry-level chains that manage to offer them for €50-60 (we will talk about this in more detail later). These are generally Turkish fabrics, sometimes Italian for the best quality/price ratios.

In comparison, the market is full of industrial jeans - non-selvedge - at €40.

If you are specifically looking for a Japanese canvas, it is almost impossible to find one below €130. This is already progress compared to the time when good Japanese canvases were impossible to find below €150.

In concrete terms, it's not the trim itself that makes your jeans expensive: it's everything that goes into making selvedge fabrics.

SLOW AND UNPROFITABLE LOOMS

Let's first look at how denim is woven.

As with any fabric, the weft thread (on denim, it's the white thread, which stands out more on the inside) must go back and forth on each side of the loom, at high speed, which entangles it in the warp thread (on denim, it's the blue thread, which stands out more on the outside), and creates the weave.

On vintage looms, the object that transports the thread on each side is called a "shuttle". And this small shuttle, made of smooth wood so as not to damage the threads, is capable of making "only" 100 round trips per minute . Its particularity is to pass through the top of the loom, then underneath.

When the shuttle makes this "turn", it creates a sort of loop on the edge of the canvas. It is this loop that finishes the selvedge , thus locking the edge of the jeans.

Now compare that to a modern industrial job.

No more shuttle: instead, the threads are propelled by a high-pressure air jet in a sequence that reproduces the tangle that forms the canvas, but without going all the way around the loom. They only make a one-way trip instead of a round trip! And who says "no turn" means "no finished edge", and therefore... no selvedge!

In return, these modern looms offer the colossal advantage of producing 600 to 1,000 projections per minute.

Vintage looms are therefore at least six times slower.

And as with any other industry, "time is money." A canvas that takes longer to produce must be sold at a higher price to cover the cost of the extra labor.

In addition to this, selvedge canvas rolls normally have a width of between 70 and 80cm... Compared to 150 to 160cm for industrial canvas, whose projectile looms weave much wider rolls.

In summary, vintage looms produce half as much fabric, at least six times slower...

If we really exaggerate, we could say that it is twelve times less profitable.

" Can't we modernize selvedge looms with technology to make them go faster and increase output? "

Very good question.

Indeed, in theory we could make more efficient machines, whose shuttle would go even faster, and which would produce on wider rollers, while still being selvedge.

The problem is that the slowness of the weaving is closely linked to the grain of the material .

If you speed up the loom, then the path of the threads will be more stable. If the path is more stable, then it will be straighter... and therefore more regular .

In other words, the higher the speed at which your denim is woven, the smoother and more even the canvas you get... the complete opposite of the authentic charm that selvedge is known for .

To complicate matters further, if you want the selvedge trim to appear on your jeans, each side of each leg (each made from two large pieces of denim) must be cut so that the trim is present along its entire length.

Consequence: the fabric cannot always be used in the most economical way possible . On each pair of jeans, a few dozen cm² are unusable.

This may seem insignificant on the scale of a single pair of jeans, but when producing hundreds or thousands of units, all that canvas can add up to quite a budget.

This is also why on high-end jeans or denim jackets, the addition of selvedge details appreciated by fans (inside pockets, throat of the jacket, ticket pocket, etc.) entails an additional cost. We understand better why some brands make them as visible as possible, in order to catch the eye of insiders.

Now that you know everything that makes a selvedge fabric expensive, let's talk about what makes Japanese selvedge even more sought after... and expensive!

JAPANESE SELVEDGE: EXCLUSIVE KNOW-HOW AND ECONOMIC REALITIES

While the arguments of slow production and low quantities of usable canvas still apply, one must also take into account factors inherent in the economic situation in Japan.

First of all, this Japanese textile workforce is rare and aging (fewer and fewer men and women know how to operate these machines).

Moreover, the cost of labor of a worker working in a country with a developed and globalized economy cannot be the same as that of a worker working in a developing country.

Think about that the next time you're trying to figure out the price of a pair of Japanese selvedge jeans next to a pair made from Turkish canvas .

But if it's so expensive, you might ask, why not just make selvedge like the Japanese... but somewhere other than Japan? Well, it can be done, but there are certain limits.

Here is a little anecdote.

Benoît, the co-founder of BonneGueule, was visiting the factory of a French weaver, producer of denim "made in France". He asked him why, despite the fact that he was using vintage selvedge looms, he was unable to recreate a grain and texture as marked as those of the Japanese.

The boss simply replied that even if he used the same looms as the Japanese, the ability to set them was an essential skill for creating relief in denim .

But these skills are not widely known outside Japanese factories: they are jealously guarded professional secrets .

Moreover, he pointed out that having textured denim is not just a question of weaving: with all the know-how in selecting the variety of cottons, spinning, and dyeing, the threads of Japanese weavers play a primordial role in the final appearance that the canvas will have.

Spinning is therefore just as important as weaving .

TO SUMMARIZE

Here's what makes selvedge canvas much more expensive than standard denim canvas:

• Rolls of fabric half as wide ,

• Production six times slower ,

• An increasingly rare and expensive skilled workforce ,

• Know-how that is difficult to reproduce outside Japan if you want the same look (Japanese threads, technical knowledge not widely disseminated).

Now you know why it is such an expensive commodity.

Now let’s talk about what made selvedge so successful.

THE LITTLE EDGE THAT GOES UP, UP...

We will not dwell on the history of selvedge, as it is not relevant to the purpose of this article.

To be brief: originating from the United States, selvedge canvas was taken up by the Japanese who wanted to reproduce the American "vintage" aesthetic, ultimately taking it even further than the original.

This journey is the story of the entire "Ametora" style, which is explained in detail in the book of the same name, " Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style", by W. David Marx. It is a book that we have been highly recommending for years at BonneGueule. If you want to understand the history of selvedge, but also of fashion in Japan in a broader sense, this is the book for you!

Why has selvedge been elevated to the status of must-have ? How did a word of pure textile jargon designating a technique from the past become a sort of market standard?

Until the early 2000s, almost no one could say what selvedge was, except for a few textile professionals and vintage reproduction clothing enthusiasts.

In fact, it was men's fashion blogs and forums that were at the origin of its democratization .

Eager to understand men's style at a time when it is totally neglected by the media, several enthusiasts have started trying to establish standards, advice to follow for men eager to take care of their style: what is the right length for a coat? What colors to wear? What does a trench coat look like?

In this surge of curiosity, some have become interested in the roots of jeans - perhaps the iconic garment of our era - in an attempt to find their quintessence .

Around the 2010s, forums and then blogs ended up leaving their mark on the market: more and more high-end brands boasted of offering Japanese denim or selvedge canvas . It became an object of desire in the eyes of the somewhat sophisticated consumer.

And naturally, the phenomenon has only grown...

It was around 2015 that selvedge became something common.

After Uniqlo and its €80 Japanese selvedge, Gap got in on the act. Brands like Gustin were launching, and the whole concept was based on the brand's ability to sell American selvedge jeans for less than €100.

Finally, the popularity of selvedge is closely linked to the change in the way we consume information: without access to the Internet in all homes, without this way that consumers have of educating themselves with ever more specific research, of organizing themselves into communities, into forums... we would never have witnessed the advent of the "selvedge phenomenon".

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF SELVEDGE?

"We understood why selvedge was expensive, and why it was highly sought after. But in concrete terms, what are the advantages of buying selvedge rather than standard denim?"

This is another perfectly legitimate question. Let's go through it point by point.

MORE SUSTAINABILITY

First of all, selvedge has a reputation for being a bit more solid.

We read everywhere on the internet that the edging has something to do with it, since the canvas does not fray during its weaving. Its integrity would therefore be better preserved, and it would be more durable.

Now, what makes selvedge fabrics often more resistant is above all that they are often heavier fabrics .

Mechanically, these denser materials increase the lifespan of your jeans.

AN AUTHENTIC CHARM

When respected, the tradition and history of clothing give authenticity to our pieces.

In the eyes of enthusiasts, this simple little border is the sign of a garment that has been made in practically the same way for decades. This little piece of history gives a soul to the garment that does not leave everyone indifferent.

A SIGN OF QUALITY... OR ALMOST

If you want the nicest, best-aging cottons, the most beautiful dyes, the best fits, the most carefully detailed jeans... chances are you'll find all of that in a pair of selvedge jeans.

On the other hand, this won't stop you from coming across some very average selvedge canvases, sometimes even worse than the best industrial denims.

IT GETS BETTER WITH TIME

Patina is not quite inherent to selvedge jeans, but rather to raw jeans. The two are often confused (especially because many raw jeans are selvedge, and vice versa), but a raw canvas is a canvas that has not undergone industrial washing, and whose dye (often indigo blue) will gradually fade in order to leave a gradual patina, which will embellish the jeans over time .

In our article on raw denim maintenance , we explain this phenomenon in more detail and give you all our advice on how to age your jeans properly.

ARE ENTRY-LEVEL SELVEDGE WORTH IT?

We come to the last big question you're probably asking yourself: " Is it worth investing a larger sum for selvedge jeans? "

In general, entry-level selvedge jeans are worth the money . When you compare them to similarly priced industrial canvas jeans, it's often worth the detour.

At best, you'll get all the benefits listed above for cheap. At worst, you'll get none of them without any particular drawbacks. If you have to choose, you might as well take it.

On the other hand, keep in mind that it will not reach "the same quality" as a pair of jeans at three times its price (unless of course we are talking about brands that are three times too expensive for what they are, but they are rarely mentioned in our columns...). And this is even if it says "Japanese denim" on the label.

The least virtuous ready-to-wear brands have managed to get around the price of selvedge: outsourced production, compromise on ethics, lower intrinsic quality... Keep this in mind when purchasing.

FAUX SELVEDGE: FIVE WAYS TO MAKE A MOCKING ON YOU

We're going to show you five examples of selvedge scams.

Since we're being playful, we're even going to rate each pair of jeans' level of deception out of 10.

You will see, some manufacturers can go far in creativity to imitate selvedge...

First case: "The Sneaky Couture"

Second case: “The Mask Technique”

Third case: "The Devil's Ganses"

Fourth case: "The Cord of Evil"

Fifth case: "The Negotiator"

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AND SUPPLIERS

Now you know how to recognize deceptions yourself.

Beyond the quality of the manufacturing, here is the information you need to keep in mind when you come across "real cheap selvedge"...

Not all selvedge is Japanese , nor American (the other country renowned for high-end selvedge), nor Italian (less high-end than the other two, but still well-known, particularly for the supplier Candiani ).

Some brands can play the ambiguity card very well: what do you think, for example, of a "selvedge made in the purest tradition" ? These are phrases that you can find on the sales pitches of brands and whose aim is to imply "Japanese", without explicitly saying so.

NOT TO FORGET OUR OWN JEANS...

With artisanal selvedge denim, we don't mess around. So we went to get it locally, at Kurabo and Kuroki, in Okayama Prefecture in Japan. We also have an ecological approach, with selvedge fabrics from Candiani, the cleanest spinning mill in the world, located in an Italian natural park.

Our jeans are available here.

And there you have it! You now have mastered all the subtleties of selvedge fabrics. In theory, you will never buy jeans the same way again . Don't hesitate to give us your valuable opinion in the comments, we will be happy to answer them.