By Sandeep Aggarwal / Source: DenimsandJeans

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Selvedge denim is considered the epitome of denim craft and loved by connoisseurs and longed to be understood by the novices. The vintage manufacturing process of making this fabric on old shuttle looms – which are not maufactured any more – by master craftsmen adds to the mystery and enigma of the fabric. Connoisseurs wear it raw for as long as possible without washing and let the jeans create the story of their life on it with individualized patina . In short its just pure love for the denim heads . Japanese selvedge denim is famous for its quality and used by niche and boutique brands who create their masterpieces and retail at high prices – often going upto $300 or more. The price levels ensured that the normal consumers – who did not understand selvedge properly- kept away as they found it difficult to understand why these jeans should be sold at such prices when intricate dry and wet washing processes were also not applied on the jeans. Also there is limited supply of such fabric ensuring that the highest price consumers could get the fabric and maintain the price levels and the ‘selvedge brand value‘. Thus the enigma of selvedge denim sustained and ensured that only real denim heads would go deep down into their pockets to shell out the price for such jeans. But apparel industry has often been turned upside down by aggressive retailers who want to serve the masses with high fashion at most affordable prices. Selvedge denim being a small niche remained away from the radar of such mammoths and ensured it remained accessible to few. However, there is a paradigm shift when you find that mass retailers can lay their hands on such premium products and sell them at their normal retail prices. We give below prices from few different retail brands who are selling selvedge denim in Europe (Spain and France) at prices which were unimaginable before. Most of them have tried to introduce different versions of selvedge including blacks, stretches and other variants. We just mention one or two variants from each.

Pull and Bear , a part of Inditex Group, is getting aggresive in this category and retailing at Euro 29.90 in Spain . With prominent slub character in the warp the and low crotch , the jeans is again a cool addition to their portfolio and retails at the lowest price among the retailers checked out.. It was quite an unexpected price specially considering that there were no special sale schemes going on.

Uniqlo has grown on the strength of its excellent sourcing capabilities and is able to sell high quality products at reasonable prices. They are supposed to be using mainly Japanese fabrics in their selvedge lines and were currently retailing at Euro 39.90/- . A deep dark color slim fit jeans with high sheen and in raw finish is available at this price. The jeans are available in washed versions also to satisfy the uninitiated customers but it really makes no sense to prewash the selvedge jeans.

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Strange thing was that the retail price for these jeans was same as that of their normal jeans with non-selvedge fabrics. So basically, there was no premium charged for the selvedge and they were not retailing the jeans as special quality deserving special price point.

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H&M selvedge jeans were found to be priced at Euro 49.90 , the jeans are again ones with a clean look with deep mid shades and a nice indigo sheen . They were more expensive than the Uniqlo and Pull and Bear – though really it cannot be claimed that the quality difference can be justified. Again not a special price for Selvedges.

C&A retails their selvedge line of jeans at Euro 49 – same as H&M in deep indigo as well as very light indigo shades. The quality of make up did leave something to be desired as that typical selvedge look was missing. But it is also to be understood that these retailers are trying to sell these jeans to normal consumers who want normal jeans look in their jeans.

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