The history and importance of Japanese Selvedge Denim actually starts in the United States. The roots of selvedge denim go back to the early 1900s when Levi’s was making strong denim for working class Californians. It’s popularity continued to grow amongst mainstream culture through the 1950’s when iconic Hollywood stars like James Deen and Marlon Brando adopted the denim look.
During WWII, Levi’s produced their iconic 501 selvedge jeans for American soldiers. After the war, U.S. manufacturers moved away from the slow detail-oriented process of selvedge denim production using shuttle looms, and opted for quicker production with modern wide looms, and began mass producing lower quality non-selvedge denim. Meanwhile, the 501 selvedge jeans gained popularity in Japan because of the denim left behind by U.S. soldiers. Japanese craftsmen began to purchase shuttle looms from the United States which kickstarted the wave of Japanese selvedge denim.
Today, a significant portion of the world’s selvedge denim is produced in Japan using vintage American shuttle looms. But what makes Japanese selvedge denim superior?
Selvedge is the highest quality denim. Shuttle looms produce a tighter, denser weave than non-selvedge which ensures better quality and long lasting denim. Additionally, selvedge denim is renowned for the way it ages over time. The attention to detail and slower production contributes to the premium aspect of selvedge denim.
Our favorite Japanese Denim brands are Hiroshi Kato (in-store now) and Orslow (coming Spring 2025). Kato was “Born in Japan, made in Los Angeles”. Their workshop is in Gardena, but they exclusively use Japanese Selvedge denim to produce high quality denim. Orslow is based in Japan with their denim being made in Okayama Prefecture, known as the mecca for denim in Japan.
Click below to shop our online selection of Kato or stop by the store for a wider selection
