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What Is a Selvage? The Finished Edge of Woven Fabric

A selvage is the self-finished edge along the length of woven cloth, formed as the weft turns around the outermost warp yarn.

By ThatPainter Team 2 min read
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A selvage (also spelled selvedge) is the finished edge that runs along each lengthwise side of woven fabric. It forms on the loom as the crosswise weft yarn turns back around the outermost warp yarn, helping keep the edge from unraveling.

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Where to find a selvage

Look along either lengthwise side of a piece of woven cloth. The selvage runs parallel to the warp yarns and the fabric’s length. The ends made by cutting across the width are cut edges, not selvages; they may fray because they were not formed as finished edges during weaving. The Canadian Conservation Institute explains that the two selvages also indicate the width of a woven cloth (Fabric structure).

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How the edge forms

Woven fabric is made by interlacing lengthwise warp yarns with crosswise weft yarns. At each side, the weft turns around the outermost warp instead of ending as a cut strand. This creates the bound edge. Depending on the cloth, the selvage may be more densely woven or use stronger yarns than the fabric body, which can help limit fraying or curling. The National Park Service defines it as the vertical edge parallel to the warp on either side of woven fabric (Glossary of Weaving Terms).

What a selvage looks like

A selvage may be thicker or denser than the cloth beside it, or it may look much like the fabric body. Some edges have loops, fringe, a contrasting stripe, or printed information such as fiber content or origin. These appearances vary: a stripe by itself does not make an edge a selvage. The defining feature is that the edge was formed and finished during weaving. The National Museum of Asian Art describes it as an edge produced during manufacturing that prevents woven fabric from unraveling (“Selvage”).

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Selvage versus cut edge

Feature Selvage Cut edge
How it is made Forms during weaving as the weft turns at the fabric’s side. Forms when fabric is cut across its width.
Direction Runs lengthwise, parallel to the warp. Runs across the width, through the warp and weft.
Fraying The bound construction helps prevent unraveling. May fray because yarns are cut.

What “selvage” means in denim

In denim, “selvage” refers to the fabric’s self-finished edge, not a separate fiber or a guarantee of overall garment quality. Levi’s says the edge can be seen inside the outseam when you roll up a jean leg; a cuff may reveal a contrasting stripe (“What is Selvedge?”). The stripe is a visible detail, while the edge construction is what makes the denim selvage. Fit, fabric and the rest of a garment’s construction are separate considerations.

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Can you sew with the selvage?

Sometimes. A straight seam placed on a suitable selvage can avoid a raveling edge, and the selvage can also serve as a decorative detail. But not every selvage belongs in a finished project: some are bulky, and some are intended to be cut away. Inspect the edge and consider how it will sit in the garment or other project before using it. The American Sewing Guild discusses using selvages in seams and notes that they can carry fabric information (“Selvages: On the Edge”); a Cincinnati Art Museum conservation example describes a dense selvage band that was probably meant to be removed (“Getting technical with textiles! What’s ‘selvage’?”).

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