Latest jean trends

Selvage Jeans as a status symbol

Even if you haven't noticed the tell-tale white side seam peeking out from a smartly cuffed pant leg, chances are you've heard of selvage denim.

Once a term whispered only by denim snobs and jean junkies, selvage has become a sartorial status symbol for men akin to functioning button cuffs or a family tartan.

Cult brands such as Evisu and A.P.C. started the phenomenon in the 1990s, and now selvage is everywhere — Levi's, Ralph Lauren's Double RL and J. Crew all carry it.

A Zippo lighter is wrapped in it, and a soon-to-drop Adidas sneaker is made out of it. But what in the name of Levi Strauss is selvage denim, and what makes jeans crafted from it worth an additional Dh183 to Dh367?

The word, which comes from the term "self-edge", refers to the way fabric is woven. The shuttle looms on which denim was originally made passed a continuous thread back and forth, and where the white thread looped back into the blue threads, a solid, white edge would form.

Selvage denim costs up to four times as much to produce. And although denim-heads may debate whether the weaving process or the vibration of the looms make selvage superior, it technically doesn't mean either of those things.

"All the word really means is that it's been woven on a shuttle loom," said Michael Paradise, co-owner of the Stronghold denim in Los Angeles, which uses only selvage. "But the inference is higher quality."

Todd Snyder, senior vice president of men's design, said, "The word is definitely getting out there," Snyder said. "Men are more savvy now than ever, and they're interested in the details and quality."

The fabric is finding a life beyond the five-pocket jean. On Aug. 15, Adidas rolls out a $150 (Dh550) selvage sneaker with Japanese denim maker Kaihara.

And when Evisu partnered with Zippo in June to swaddle lighters in selvage, they sold out in less than a month — at $149 (Dh547) a piece — proving that the artisanal denim is truly on fire.

it's become so popular that this fall the company will offer eight selvage styles for guys (and one for women) for $150 (Dh550) to $350 (Dh1,285).

The rebirth of the denim skirt

Turning a much-loved, overworn pair of jeans into a skirt isn't a new idea — nimble sewers have done it for decades — but making the results look chic took the happy rediscovery of the mini.

It's a trend that belongs to the street — jean skirts were the coverup of choice at the recent US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, California, and the paparazzi are catching model Agyness Deyn and other leggy style leaders wearing them just about everywhere — but now even fashion houses such as Chanel are turning out super-distressed denim minis.

Of course, there are some big differences between the ones that look hot today and the ones that looked hot 20 years ago. Remember those jeans conversions with a triangle of fabric — think flowers, tie-dye — sewn between the legs? Yeah, well, if you do, resist the nostalgia.

Instead, think of the jean skirt this way: Now that straight-leg boyfriend jeans are chic again, these are the skirt translation. Casual, slung low on the hip, neither jailbait short nor too roomy and unkempt, these minis might be a tomboy's idea of a tolerable skirt. No pleats or detailing, no designer rah-rahs — just the classic five-pocket jean.

And like the old straight-leg Levi's, these skirts like flip-flops, casual sandals and a plain T-shirt or linen. You want casual, not trashy.

You can use any old pair of jeans, either ones you've been kicking around in for years or a vintage pair from a thrift store. Levi's have the trim fit and thick, durable weight that you want, as well as the minimalist styling that makes these skirts instant classics.

The trick is to start with jeans that ride down a little on your hips, that are roomy enough to allow for comfortable movement after you're done and that won't require any additional fabric when you're making the conversion from pants to skirt.

It's an easy cut across both legs, a satisfying amount of seam-ripping, some quick stitching, a wash and dry to fray the edges — and you're done. Call it denim reincarnation.

Jean Skirt How-To

Time: About 45 minutes, plus washing and drying

Materials: One pair of old jeans, scissors, seam ripper, thread, pins, sewing machine.

1. Put the jeans on and mark a spot about 4 inches above the knee with a pin. This will be the hem of the skirt.
2. Measure the length from the top of the waistband to the pin, and mark the distance across both legs. Cut straight across both legs, about an inch below where you marked, to give yourself a little leeway.
3. Turn the jeans inside out. Using a seam ripper, rip out the crotch seams, taking out all the stitches up to the zipper.
4. Turn the jeans right-side out again and smooth out on a work surface. Fold the flap below the zipper over the fabric underneath (left over right), to create a zigzag front seam.
5. Flip the jeans over. Pin the back seam together, eliminating some fabric so that it doesn't flare and so that the centre seam is straight.
6. Sew the front and back seams, tracing the original seam lines.
7. Try on the skirt, adjust the length if necessary and make sure the edges are straight. Sew around the edge of the skirt, about half an inch up from the raw edge.