Raw denim vs selvedge comes down to two different properties. Raw describes how the fabric is finished: it hasn’t been washed after weaving and dyeing. Selvedge describes how it’s woven: on a shuttle loom, with a clean, self-finished edge. A pair of jeans can be raw, selvedge, both or neither.
Below, we unpack both, explain how denim weight works and cover what to put in your tech pack.
Raw denim vs selvedge at a glance
| Raw denim | Selvedge denim | |
|---|---|---|
| What it describes | Finishing: no wash after weaving or sewing | Weaving: shuttle loom with a closed edge |
| How to spot it | Stiff, dark, even indigo; often a slight sheen from sizing | Clean woven edge on the outseam, often with a coloured line |
| Main appeal | Fades that develop with the wearer | Heritage construction and a neat cuff detail |
| Main trade-off | Shrinkage, stiffness, indigo rub-off | Narrow fabric, more fabric per pair, straighter outseam |
| Cost impact | Can be lower, as no garment wash | Higher fabric cost and yield |
What is raw denim?
Raw denim, also called dry denim, has not been washed after the fabric was woven and dyed, and the jeans are not washed after sewing. It feels stiff, looks deep indigo and usually carries a light starch (sizing) from the mill.
Because the indigo hasn’t been washed down, the jeans fade in the wearer’s own creases: whiskers at the hips, honeycombs behind the knees. The downside: it can rub indigo onto light upholstery and shoes at first.
Sanforized vs unsanforized (shrink-to-fit)
Sanforization is a mechanical pre-shrinking process. The fabric is dampened and compressed lengthways between a rubber belt and a heated cylinder, so most of the shrinkage happens at the mill rather than in the customer’s washing machine.
- Sanforized raw denim typically shrinks around 1–3% on first wash, so it can be sized like normal jeans. Most raw denim on sale today is sanforized.
- Unsanforized (loomstate) denim skips that step and can shrink around 7–10%, mostly in length. It’s sold as “shrink-to-fit”: customers size up, then soak the jeans so they shrink to their body.
Unsanforized fabric is often unskewed as well, meaning it hasn’t been treated to counter the twill’s natural torque. After washing, the side seams can twist towards the front of the leg.
What is selvedge denim?
Selvedge (also spelt selvage, from “self-edge”) is denim woven on a traditional shuttle loom. The shuttle carries one continuous weft yarn back and forth across the warp, looping around at each side, so the edges are closed and won’t fray.
Modern projectile, rapier and air-jet looms insert a separate length of weft on each pass and cut it at the edge. Those open edges have to be overlocked when the jeans are sewn.
Shuttle looms are slow and weave narrow cloth, roughly 30–36 inches (about 75–90 cm) wide, compared with around 60 inches (about 150 cm) or more on modern looms. Mills often weave a coloured ID thread into the edge, which is where the “redline” look comes from.
What selvedge means for pattern and fabric yield
To show the selvedge on a turned-up cuff, the outseam has to be cut along the fabric edge. That has knock-on effects:
- The outseam must be close to straight, so most of the leg taper is taken through the inseam.
- Pattern pieces can’t be nested as freely across narrow fabric, so each pair uses more fabric and creates more waste.
- Selvedge cloth costs more per metre to begin with.
Ask your factory for the marker yield on your actual pattern before you commit. And selvedge isn’t automatically higher quality: it’s a weaving method, and quality still comes down to yarn, dyeing and construction.
Raw and selvedge are independent properties
Because one is about finishing and the other about weaving, every combination exists:
- Raw selvedge: the classic enthusiast jean, unwashed and with a selvedge outseam.
- Raw non-selvedge: dry denim from wide modern looms. Same fading potential, lower fabric cost.
- Washed selvedge: selvedge that has been rinsed or washed, so it’s soft and ready to wear but keeps the cuff detail.
- Washed non-selvedge: most jeans on the high street.
How denim weight works
Denim weight is quoted in ounces per square yard (oz), usually measured on the unwashed fabric. One ounce per square yard is roughly 34 gsm, so 14 oz denim is about 475 gsm.
Weight changes slightly after washing, as shrinking fabric gets a little heavier per square yard, so confirm whether a mill’s figure is before or after wash.
| Denim weight | Ounces | Approx. gsm | Typical uses | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightweight | Under 12 oz | Under ~405 | Summer jeans, shirts, dresses, skirts, light jackets | Soft, drapey, quick to break in |
| Midweight | 12–16 oz | ~405–540 | Most jeans, jackets, workwear trousers | Balanced structure, wearable year-round |
| Heavyweight | 16 oz and above | ~540 and above | Heritage and enthusiast raw jeans, heavy jackets | Stiff, long break-in, high-contrast fades |
Weight affects production too. Heavyweight denim needs heavier needles and machines that can climb thick seam junctions at the hem, belt loops and yoke. Stretch denim usually sits in the light-to-mid range.
Types of denim explained
Classic denim is a warp-faced twill, usually 3×1, with an indigo-dyed warp and an undyed weft. That’s why jeans are blue on the face and paler inside. These are the types you’ll see on mill swatch cards:
| Type | What it is | Look and feel | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw (dry) | Not washed after weaving or sewing | Stiff, dark, fades with wear | Enthusiast and premium jeans |
| Sanforized | Mechanically pre-shrunk at the mill | Predictable sizing, low shrinkage | Most commercial denim |
| Selvedge | Woven on a shuttle loom with a closed edge | Clean edge, often with an ID line | Premium jeans worn cuffed |
| Stretch | Cotton blended with elastane, typically around 1–3% | Comfort and give; recovery varies by fabric | Slim and skinny fits, womenswear |
| Slub | Yarn with deliberate thick and thin sections | Uneven, textured surface and streaky fades | Vintage-look jeans and jackets |
| Broken twill | Twill direction reversed at intervals, so there’s no single diagonal | Subtle zigzag texture, less leg twist | Jeans that need to hang straight |
| Right-hand twill | Diagonal rises to the right | Flatter, crisper face; the most common | Everyday jeans |
| Left-hand twill | Diagonal rises to the left | Softer hand after washing | Softer jeans with a different fade |
Tech pack and manufacturing notes for denim
Denim is the category where a vague tech pack costs most, because fabric, wash and shrinkage all interact. Our denim tech packs are built around these points:
Fabric spec
List the mill and article reference, composition, weight before wash, usable width, selvedge or not, sanforized or not, skew, twill direction and any stretch content. Add the shrinkage percentages in warp and weft from a wash test on the fabric.
Shrinkage allowance
The factory tests each fabric lot and enlarges the pattern by the measured shrinkage, so the finished jeans hit your spec after washing. Your measurement chart should say whether points of measure are before or after wash. For shrink-to-fit jeans, give both, plus tolerances for each point.
Wash recipes
A rinse, enzyme wash or stone wash changes colour, softness, shrinkage and cost. Approve a physical wash standard rather than a photo, and agree a shade band so bulk lots stay consistent.
Construction details
- Chain-stitch hem: a looped stitch that “ropes”, creating a twisted, wavy fade along the hem after washing. It needs a dedicated machine, so confirm the factory has one.
- Seams and thread: felled seams, thread type and colour, and stitches per inch.
- Hardware and trims: rivets, shank buttons, bar tacks, back patch, pocket bag fabric.
- Selvedge outseam: pressed open with the edge visible, if you’re paying for selvedge.
Every detail should be signed off on samples before bulk. Our sample production process runs proto, fit, SMS and pre-production samples, and bulk never starts without a signed-off PPS.
How Fabrickly can help
We write denim tech packs and manufacture jeans and jackets from 50 pieces per style through our denim manufacturing service, with stone and enzyme washes among our finishes. Send your tech pack or a sketch for an itemised quote within one business day via our quote request page.
Frequently asked
Q: Is selvedge denim always raw?
No. Selvedge describes how the fabric is woven and raw describes whether it has been washed. Selvedge denim can be sold raw, rinsed or fully washed, and plenty of raw denim is not selvedge.
Q: Does raw denim shrink?
Sanforized raw denim usually shrinks around 1-3% on the first wash. Unsanforized, or shrink-to-fit, raw denim can shrink around 7-10%, mostly in length, so it is sized up and soaked before wear.
Q: What is a good denim weight for jeans?
Around 12-14 oz suits most everyday jeans. Go 14-16 oz for more structure, 16 oz and above for heavyweight heritage jeans, and under 12 oz for warm-weather jeans, shirts and dresses.
Q: Why is selvedge denim more expensive?
Shuttle looms weave slowly and produce narrow fabric, so the cloth costs more and each pair uses more of it. Selvedge is also often woven by specialist mills from premium yarns.
Q: How can you tell if jeans are selvedge?
Turn up the cuff and look at the outseam. Selvedge jeans show a clean, tightly woven edge, often with a coloured line, while non-selvedge jeans show an overlocked edge with loose threads.
Q: What is the difference between raw and rigid denim?
Rigid means non-stretch denim, usually 100% cotton. Raw means unwashed. Most raw denim is rigid, but rigid denim can also be washed.
— Hasebul, Fabrickly