To claim that we love selvage denim would be quite an understatement. Calling it love wouldn't be fair because it's too important for us to call it just that. But what is selvage denim, and what makes it so unique? For the layman, it's a white stripe with colored, contrasting yarns woven into the outseam of someone's cuffed jeans. To others, it is craftsmanship at its finest – the pinnacle of denim engineering.

All denim fabrics are woven on weaving looms. The yarns running from top to bottom are called the warp, and the yarns running from side to side are called weft. The interlocking of warp and weft is what creates the weave. In essence, all weaves are created equal; selvage denim is produced on old shuttle looms. One single thread pushed back and forth on the loom, in continuous motion, creating a self-bound edge on both sides. That's why it's sometimes referred to as selvedge denim or, in some cases, self-edge denim.

So, the self-bound edge is a beautiful detail, but it also keeps the fabric edges from fraying. For jeans, the selvage is mainly used for the outseam since it can be secured with a single seam alone, making it great from a construction perspective. As a technical term, the selvage is actually used for all woven fabrics.

The contrasting yarn in the selvage is called selvage-ID. The color of the contrasting yarn was a signature telling which denim mill had made the fabric and for that mill to differentiate the weaves they produced. Today the most commonly used color is red but, at Nudie Jeans, we have our very own orange selvage ID. In a nod to history, we also opt for various other colors internally, especially for the limited runs but also for the running. For example, "Dry Selvage" features an orange ID, while "Dry Ace" carries a Sakura ID.

So, is selvage denim superior to non-selvage denim? Given its historical significance, and since it is a part of our heritage, we will always hold selvage denim in higher regard than non-selvage denim. Because in all aspects, it's true craftsmanship. The process is slower and the output lower, which is reflected in the price tag. Add to that machinery, which may sometimes be more than 100 years old and needs a lot of maintenance. Then you need artisans who know their way around these looms. The mills that produce selvage denim have an incredible eye for detail, which becomes evident in the fabrics – both in the dry state of the fabric but even more so once they are worn in.

So, we won't claim selvage denim is superior based on technical qualities. Still, we will argue that it, in most cases, possesses more excellent aesthetic qualities. And for that reason alone, we regard selvage as the finest denim there is.

Dry Selvage

Our heritage 13.75 oz. selvage denim that has been with us since day one. It's made by the almighty Kaihara, Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The Dry Selvage is known for its unmistakable stiffness and mesmerizing blend of green and redcast aging trajectory. It comes with our very own orange selvage ID, and we proudly offer it in multiple fits.

Dry Ace Selvage

Okayama prefecture is the birthplace of Japanese denim, and micro-mill Shinya in Kojima embodies denim craftsmanship to the fullest extent. This 14.2 oz. selvage denim features a deeply saturated pure indigo tone and a rustic ring spin character. Dry Ace is a true testament to Shinya’s artisanal craftsmanship, and we proudly offer it in multiple fits. Dry Ace comes with Sakura selvage-ID.

Dry Maze Selvage

A graceful 14.25 oz. selvage denim woven by our longtime partner Bossa, in Adana, Türkiye. It’s been dyed in pure indigo to a deep tone, features subtly slubby ringspun yarns, and a uniform diagonal twill texture. Dry Maze Selvage features a red selvage-ID.

Dry Japan Selvage

A textural 13 oz. stretch selvage from the almighty Kaihara, in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. It is constructed from slubby yarns and woven with a very 3-dimensional texture that renders mesmerizing salt and pepper effects. Added to that it has been dyed in pure indigo to a deep tone that ages with impeccable grace. Dry Japan Selvage features our very own orange ID.

Dry Fukuyama Selvage & Dry Deep Selvage

A 12.5 oz. stretch selvage woven by denim powerhouse Kurabo, in Fukuyama, Hiroshima prefecture, Japan. This fabric was created by reverse-engineering a pair of 120-year-old jeans found in a goldmine in the USA. With a rustic texture characterized by long, irregular yarn slubs and a deep, pure indigo tone it ages with irregular vertical streakiness and a salt-and-pepper grain. Dry Fukuyama Selvage & Dry Deep Selvage features our very own orange ID.

Dry Kojima Selvage & Snake Eyes Selvage

A perfected selvage denim woven by micro-mill Shinya, in Kojima, Okayama prefecture. It features a very well-balanced yarn slub that has rendered the perfectly imperfect denim. It ages with grainy, salt, and peppery and slight crosshatch characteristics of fine vintage denim. The aging trajectory is astonishingly satisfying. Dry Kojima Selvage & Snake Eyes Selvage features a red selvage-ID.

Dry Heavy Selvage

One of the heaviest and the most textural selvage denim we have ever used. Woven by the intriguing Yoshiwa, in Okayama, Okayama prefecture. It features a deep pure indigo tone, a distinct stiffness, and notably slubby yarns that are as visual as tactile. This very rugged heavyweight selvage offers an aging trajectory that showcases pronounced twill texture and a very distinct salt and pepper grain. A true testament to Japan's heritage of producing the finest, most innovative, denims. The Dry Heavy Selvage features a red selvage-ID.

Dry True Selvage

A deep dark 13.5 oz. stretch selvage denim woven by our longtime partner Bossa, in Adana, Türkiye. It’s been dyed in indigo and sulfur to a very deep, almost black, tone, features slubby ringspun yarns, and a slight crosshatch texture. It ages to a greyish greencast shade and renders pronounced salt and pepper grain. Dry True Selvage features a red selvage-ID.

Dry Black Selvage

A pitch-black 12.75 oz. stretch selvage denim woven by our longtime partner Bossa, in Adana, Türkiye. Both warp and weft have been yarn-dyed with sulfur black, rendering a black denim that ages with high contrast. The slubby yarns render a salt and peppery grain and streaky texture that makes this denim widely different from regular black denim. Dry Black Selvage features an orange selvage-ID.

Dry Black Selvage

A very crispy 14.5 oz. pitch-black selvage denim woven by denim powerhouse Kurabo, in Fukuyama, Hiroshima prefecture, Japan. With a special sulfur-dyed warp and a reactive-dyed weft, this selvage denim offers a very contrasting aging trajectory. The slightly slubby yarns and textural construction render clear twill lines and a wonderful salt and pepper grain. This black selvage denim is dyed to render the most contrasting wear, making it stand out from regular black denim. Dry Black Selvage features an orange selvage-ID.

Dry Onyx Selvage

A textural 15 oz. coldcast black selvage denim woven by Europe’s denim expert Candiani, in Milano, Lombardy, Italy. With a special coldcast sulfur-dyed black warp and a black indanthrene-dyed weft, this black selvage is special, both due to the coldcast but also as it is dyed to age quickly and with very high contrasts. The denim is heavy, dense, and crispy rendering highly contrasting wear and slub effects, so much so that it actually reflects the rapidness of which indigo denim ages. Dry Onyx Selvage features a red selvage-ID.

Dry Apex Selvage

Developed in close collaboration with Japanese denim powerhouse Kurabo, the Dry Apex Selvage is a 13.5 oz. stretch selvage denim. Woven on vintage Toyoda shuttle looms, this vintage-inspired fabric combines the rustic charm of '50s denim with the modern comfort of stretch. The deep-tone indigo warp, distinctive yarn slub, and slightly 'hairy' surface create a texture reminiscent of vintage deadstock denim. Apex Selvage features a navy selvage-ID.

Dry Twilight Selvage

A robust 15 oz. rigid Italian selvage denim woven on vintage Ruti shuttle looms by Candiani in Lombardy, Italy. The Twilight Selvage features a pure-indigo dyed warp with a unique brilliant super blue hue and subtle redcast, reminiscent of twilight skies. The slightly irregular ring-spun yarns and dense fabric ensure that the denim ages beautifully, rendering a slight vertical streakiness and marble texture. Candiani employs a special dyeing technique allowing very superficial absorption of dye, giving the Twilight Selvage its fast-fading property. Twilight Selvage features a red selvage ID.

Dry Dawn Selvage

A robust 14.25 oz. Italian selvage stretch-denim woven on vintage Ruti shuttle looms by Candiani in Lombardy, Italy. The Dawn Selvage is the stretch equivalent of the Twilight Selvage, featuring a pure-indigo dyed warp with a unique brilliant super blue hue and subtle redcast echoing the colors of dawn. The slightly irregular ring-spun yarns and dense fabric ensure that the denim ages beautifully, rendering a slight vertical streakiness and marble texture. Candiani employs a special dyeing technique allowing very superficial absorption of dye, giving the Dawn Selvage its fast-fading property. Dawn Selvage features a red selvage ID.

Dry Gravity Selvage

An 18 oz. Japanese rigid selvage denim from the esteemed Kaihara Mills. This heavyweight denim, originally released by us as a limited edition in 2015, is renowned for its heavy weight, rugged texture, deep pure-indigo tone, and immensely beautiful aging trajectory. Woven from coarse ringspun yarns on vintage Toyoda shuttle looms, the Dry Gravity Selvage is stiff and dense, offering a unique visual and tactile experience. This denim exemplifies Kaihara's mastery of both selvage weaving and indigo dyeing, making it one of the absolute best denims we have ever used. Gravity Selvage features our very own Nudie Jeans orange selvage ID.