Japanese Selvedge Denim

Japanese Selvedge Denim

Denim plays a huge part in all of our wardrobes. We love seeing a wide range of it come through on bolts here at Fancy Tiger. The latest trend is Selvedge Denim. You may have heard the term Selvage denim or rather "Selvedge" denim before. The term comes from "self-edge" which reflects the edge of the denim and its clean finish. We currently have two beautiful bolts in stock! 

Naked and Famous selvedge jeans from Fancy Tiger Clothing
 showing off its coin pocket selvedge edge. 

The demand for production of denim in the mid to late 1900's forced mills to retire their looms and upgrade to more modern machinery for a faster more efficient production. The vintage looms have made a come back world wide with the production of Selvedge Denim. During the weaving process, the cross-thread is one continuous thread that goes back and forth, rather than using individual threads for each cross weave. This produces a clean edge that will not unravel and is used as the garments outside seam. 

Taking denim to a new level, Japan is the leader in selvedge denim production. Unlike modern looms, the vintage looms produce variations and many imperfections in the weave while making a more durable fabric. These characteristics are often what makes selvedge denim so desirable. Shuttle looms create a more narrow fabric and generally produce fabric that is only 32 inches wide. Quality denim is dyed using indigo loop dyeing machines, which are also rare. The deep blue color and the unique fade in the fabric over time, is due to the loop dyeing method. These characteristics are proof of its authenticity and gives you confidence in the quality of the product.

We have a few pattern recommendations for you and would love to see your finished projects! Please don't hesitate to share!

Jamie Jeans by Named

Simple Skinny Jeans by Sew Liberated

Our sister store, Fancy Tiger Clothing has provided a care guideline for your new denim!