Japanese Selvedge Denim

Selvedge denim out of mills in Okayama and Kojima has a specific reputation because those mills use vintage shuttle looms that produce a tighter, denser weave than modern projectile looms can achieve. The resulting fabric has a texture and character that mass-produced denim doesn't have. The selvedge edge itself is the clean, finished border on the fabric where the shuttle reverses direction. You can see it when you roll the cuff, usually as a thin colored line running along the outseam. Heavier denims, 14 to 21 oz, start out almost rigid and take months of wear to break in and conform to the shape of your body. Breaking in raw selvedge takes months because the jeans are meant to be worn before the first wash, which is the part that people either love or find impractical. During that time the indigo fades in patterns that reflect how you actually move, creasing behind the knees, along the wallet outline, at the whisker lines on the thighs. Every pair ends up unique to its owner in a way that pre-distressed jeans try to simulate but never actually achieve. Prices range from about $150 for entry-level brands to $400 or more for the Japanese makers. The argument for the higher end is that the denim lasts for years and develops more character over time rather than deteriorating. I am interested in this because it represents a completely different relationship with clothing than the one most of us have. A product improves through use instead of declining, and where patience and wear are part of the design intent.