5 Pairs of Selvedge Denim Jeans for Summer

Five pairs of lightweight selvdege denim jeans to keep your legs from overheating come the warmer days and nights of summer.

Alexander Ramos

While some masochists wear heavyweight selvedge all summer long, those of us intent on being comfortable and chafe-free tend to slip into either non-denim pants or lightweight selvedge to keep the blue flame burning in the warmer months.

If you want to keep rocking five-pocket jeans through spring and summer, this buying guide is for you. We’ve got 5 pairs of summer-ready selvedge denim jeans, most of which are raw Japanese denim that will fade beautifully as you enjoy the sunshine in comfort.

1) Benzak Denim Developers B-07 Relaxt Straight 10 oz. Antique Indigo Selvedge

Based in the Netherlands, Benzak Denim Developers do exactly what their name suggests. They develop contemporary jeans using Japanese selvedge denim, sewing each pair up in Portugal with thoughtful details and hardy construction.

The Benzak B-07 in Antique Indigo Selvedge weighs in at just 10 oz. per square yard but offers the same rich indigo dye and rough texture of mid-weight denim. It’s woven by Japan’s Collect Mills on a wider shuttle loom than traditional selvedge, meaning the jeans have a ‘half-selvedge’ ID on the outseam. While this is a love it or hate it detail, the wider rolls of denim mean less fabric waste, and the half-selvedge detail is actually true to earlier 19th-century denim that inspired this fabric, used by brands like Foremost.

Each pair is sewn up with black-coated hardware, heavy-duty cotton-poly stitching, indigo-dyed batracks/rear pocket bull embroidery, and a curved waistband that elevates the fit of the top block.

Available for €191 (~$250) from Benzak Denim Developers.

2) Sugar Cane 12 oz. Raw Selvedge Denim (2009 & 2014 Cuts)

Sugar Cane 2009 Slim Straight (left) & 2014 Slim Tapered(right) via Franklin & Poe

While 12 oz is flirting with the mid-weight category, it’s still light enough to wear in the summer, especially if you live somewhere that doesn’t get stupidly hot. Toyo Enterprise poster child Sugar Cane is offering up 12 oz. selvedge denim in both its 2009 and 2014 cuts. Despite inflation and tariff mayhem, the 2009 is still under $200 — a complete rarity for Japanese-made selvage denim jeans — and the 2014 is just above that at $210 at the time of writing.

The 2009 is a classic slim-straight, and the 2014 is the slimmest and most tapered cut in the Sugar Cane lineup. As well as being on the lighter end of the selvedge spectrum, these jeans come one-washed, which a) softens the denim for easier summer living and b) means you needn’t worry about shrinkage. Check the measures and be mindful that these will stretch out a little in the waist with wear, snap back to their original size when washed, but stretch out again after a wear or two.

Available from Franklin & Poe for $195 and $210 respectively.

3) Freenote Cloth Rios 12 oz. Vintage Blue Selvedge

Another 12 oz. selvedge coming in hot from Freenote Cloth. Like the Sugar Canes, these aren’t the lightest weight selvedge on the market, but that vintage blue hue just screams spring/summer. It’s a steely Americana blue tone that just slaps with a white tee and some shades.

This selvedge denim is custom woven for Freenote Cloth in Japan before being sewn in the USA into a classic slim-straight cut that suits everybody on planet earth. The large, square rear pockets are a nice detail unique to Freenote, and felled seams give these a super clean look for those minimal summer fits. Each pair comes fitted with Japanese herringbone twill pocket bags, custom rivets and tack buttons, and a leather waist patch from Red Wing‘s S.B. Foot Tanning Company.

Available from Manready Mercantile for $275.

4) Oni Denim 022-SVCH 8.5oz Selvage Chambray Relax Straight Jeans

Okay, chambray isn’t selvedge denim. It’s plain weave. Sorry, not sorry. But we’re talking about summer jeans, here — how could we not include these 8.5 oz. selvedge chambray jeans from ONI Denim?

These are a real curveball, but an interesting one at that. ONI is known for its heavier, highly textured denim products, and these are among the lightest Japanese five-pocket jeans on the market right now. They’re made from 8.5 oz. selvedge Kiraku chambray, woven on vintage looms from natural indigo-dyed yarns. Those looms were adjusted to weave the fabric in an irregular fashion, leaving them with ONI’s calling-card slubby look totally unique in the world of chambray.

The 022 is a straight leg fit with a high rise that allows this slubby chambray to drape nicely with a loose shirt. Each pair is made in Japan and comes with a peek-a-boo selvedge coin pocket, hidden rivets, and a branded cloth waist patch.

Available at Blue Beach Denim for $237.

5) Gustin Indigo x Indigo Superlight

Last but the least (in terms of weight) is GUSTIN‘s classic Indigo x Indigo Superlight Japanese selvedge, weighing in at 7.5 oz. per square yard. GUSTIN has been making these for years and for good reason. It’s hard to find lightweight double-indigo (indigo warp and weft) selvedge, let alone as feather-light as this. The saturated indigo yarns give the look of a heavier jean, but the lightweight fabric means you can rock these year-round without breaking a sweat.

Woven for GUSTIN in Japan, this fabric is built for equal parts fades and comfort. If you’ve never worn double-indigo raws before, they fade with electric blue hues that are to die for. It’s a different flavor of jean for sure, but probably the most intense way to see the beauty of indigo dye.

GUSTIN offers these regularly on a crowdfunding basis, which allows them to produce garments in the USA with far less waste and at a lower cost for the consumer. You can back the active campaign with your choice of 4 fits – vintage straight, straight, slim, or skinny.

Available at GUSTIN for $146.

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