What is Raw Denim?
In the most basic terms, raw (or rigid) denim refers to a pair of jeans that has been dyed (almost always indigo) but is unwashed and untreated. Most manufacturers pre-wash their denim, ensuring you know the exact look and feel to expect when you buy a pair of jeans. With washed denim, your jeans will mostly stay the same color and fit the same way for years to come.
However, raw denim jeans will arrive a bit stiff and rigid as they haven’t gone through a washing process. They’ll also sport a darker, rich indigo hue since the producer hasn’t treated the denim after it’s been cut and sewn.
Raw denim jeans aren’t inherently better than your favorite pair of light-wash jeans, but they do represent denim in its purest form. And, perhaps most importantly, each pair of raw denim jeans will become uniquely yours, with fades developing as you wear them over time.
Within popular fashion, denim fit and style subcategories have come and gone - the ultra-skinny jeans had their time in the sun, and we’ll quickly brush over the ultra-wide jean phase of the late ‘90s. One iteration that has never faded is raw denim.
Menswear enthusiasts have been evangelizing raw denim for decades. Many of the best American clothing makers, both classic and contemporary, have produced exceptional examples of raw denim jeans. But what exactly is raw denim, and what makes this traditional production method so unique?
Are Raw Denim and Selvedge Denim the Same?
As a quick aside, we feel it’s worth calling attention to another term often used in proximity to raw denim: selvedge denim. Raw denim refers to the wash and treatment (or lack thereof) of your jeans. Selvedge, which developed from the term “self-edge,” denim refers to the style of narrow, tightly woven bands on both edges of the denim fabric once it is woven. A selvedge end prevents the edge of the denim from unraveling and gives it a cleaner appearance.
Selvedge jeans are constructed from shuttle looms, a traditionally correct way of producing denim jeans, resulting in a richer character and a more robust weave that won’t tear easily. If you roll up the cuff on a pair of selvedge jeans, you’ll notice a narrow, carefully woven seam on the inner outseam of your pant legs. In the past, the color of the ticker woven over this edge would have been tied to the exact mill that produced the jeans. Many modern brands choose to pick a specific color as more of a stylistic choice, but we use a more traditional red ticker on our selvedge denim as a nod to our favorite vintage models.
This production process is a precise and labor-intensive method that often demonstrates a level of care and quality control not often found in mass-market jeans. However, many have found ways to replicate this look without the craftsmanship it implies. We’ve worked with esteemed manufacturers, like Kurabo in Japan, to ensure the highest quality expected from selvedge denim.
While many pairs of selvedge denim jeans may, in fact, be raw denim, the terms are not interchangeable.
