FORTIES ERA SELVEDGE

A VINTAGE-INSPIRED FABRIC, DONE OUR WAY

One of the special releases in our AW25 collection is the 14 oz. forties era selvedge. This denim draws inspiration from fabrics of the 1940s. From its construction to its indigo dye and hand feel, it closely resembles the denim used for Levi’s jeans during WWII. Most brands that use a fabric like this try to recreate their own version of the iconic vintage Levi’s, often with painted arcs, leftover fabric for pocket bags and laurel leaf buttons. We decided to take a different approach. We selected four of our staple silhouettes, two jeans and two jackets, and introduced subtle updates to several BENZAK details.

UNSANFORIZED DENIM & ONE-WASH

Before diving into the product details, we want to highlight the fabric’s most striking characteristic: it is an unsanforized denim. Unsanforized, in this case also loomstate, is denim in its purest form. After weaving, the fabric does not undergo any additional processes designed to ‘improve’ it, such as singeing, skewing or sanforizing. The latter is a method in which the fabric is fed between metal and rubber rollers under steam in order to eliminate most of the shrinkage.

Because this fabric has not been sanforized, it would normally shrink by approximately 10%. This shrinkage would occur if we had not removed it in a different way. After the garments were stitched, we pre-washed them in the factory to remove the initial shrinkage. This process is known as a one-wash.

The wash not only eliminates the shrinkage but also tightens the construction while preserving the hairy, unsinged character of the fabric. The material becomes denser than before washing, resulting in an increased weight per square yard. Before washing, this fabric weighs 12 oz. per square yard, and after washing it increases to 14 oz.

THE NATURAL LEG TWIST

Why did we not simply use sanforized denim so that the garments could remain raw and stiff? First of all, we wanted to stay true to the character of vintage jeans, and this was an element we chose not to modernise in this project. Secondly, washing unsanforized denim creates a unique effect that was once considered a defect. From a purist’s perspective, it is the most authentic outcome. This is the natural leg twist. Because of the high shrinkage, the fabric shifts in the direction of the twill, which creates twisting seams along the legs from left to right, as this is a right hand twill fabric.

The twist is very noticeable on the jeans and closely replicates the look of washed jeans from the 1940s. It is less pronounced on the jackets, although the button placket also shifts slightly in the same direction. There is no need to worry about fit or sizing. We calculated and anticipated the shrinkage, and both the jeans and the jackets match our standard measurements. You can simply select your regular BENZAK size rather than sizing up, which is often required with unsanforized garments.

THREE SUBTLE UPDATES

We kept our BENZAK signature intact but introduced several small updates to create a bridge between our core products and a pair of jeans from decades ago.

1. Thread colours
Our European-made jeans usually feature a single thread colour, with copper used for most styles. For this project we combined copper and brass thread colours, a detail found on certain vintage jeans.

2. Leather patch
We updated the leather patch to a new material that resembles the thickness and colour of patches used on vintage jeans. The artwork includes the style code and size stamped onto the leather, which was also a common detail in the past.

3. Copper-coloured bartacks
The thread colour of the bartacks has been updated to match the vintage aesthetic. We kept the indigo-dyed bull logo embroidery and the indigo-dyed buttonholes. As a result, the garments are stitched with three different thread colours, just like our Made in Japan line.

 

A LIMITED RELEASE

Due to the limited availability of this fabric, the production of this project is also limited. Most pieces will be supplied to our retailers, and only a small number will be available in our webshop. If you miss out, you can contact one of the retailers listed below, as they will carry some or all of the four styles.

 

Casa Denim – Mexico City (MX)
Rode Winkel – Utrecht (NL)
Stilkontor – Leipzig (DE)
Cultizm – online (DE)
Bleu Brut – Bordeax (FR)
Jeanstore – online (UK)
Butterscotch – Long Beach, CA (US)
Edge of Raw – Maastricht (NL)
Denim City – Amsterdam (NL)
Blue Collars – Milan (IT)
Säntis Fashion – Appenzell (CH)

SHOP

men's denim jacket | made in Japan | BDJ-01 COWBOY JACKET 15 oz. vintage indigo selvedge | benzak | front
November 21, 2025
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