hats - collecting and cleaning tips

It's clear that the American heritage workwear movement is showing no signs of slowing down, with brands being measured by authenticity more than anything. This is especially clear when examining the niche denim enthusiast community, which claims thousands of members around the globe. In order to reach this unique demographic effectively, you need to think like a denim head, and one way to do that is by using a certain lingo in your product descriptions and incorporating certain design elements into your product or stock. Here are some of those words and design elements that today's denim enthusiast community is looking for in their next pair of jeans. 

Selvedge/Selvage

Selvedge (otherwise referred to as "selvage") denim is named for the "self-edging" process that older shuttle looms used to produce denim. These old looms produced relatively short width pieces of fabric, so the neatly finished edge of the fabric was often incorporated into every pair of jeans, often on the inside of the outseam. This fine detail is highly desirable to many denim collectors and wearers as an intrinsic sign of quality and as a fashion statement, since this type of denim is often equated with high-end, old-school production methods. 

Unsanforized

Sanforization refers to a pre-treatment of denim that eliminates much of the shrinkage associated with the first wash of untreated denim. Therefore, a pair of jeans that is unsanforized is untreated in this way, and is often prized for being more similar to denim as it was made prior to the invention of the process. Unsanforized denim can also be shrunk by the owner to fit his or her exact body for a perfect fit, which is another reason for its desirability. 

Loomstate

Loomstate denim is denim it its most raw form because it is completely untreated once it comes off of the loom. Loomstate denim is prized by denim aficionados because it comes from the factory to the consumer without any modification, and is seen as a blank canvas by denim wearers. Loomstate denim is the best way for consumers to get a perfectly custom set of jeans, right down to the fading patterns and fit. 

Made in the USA

A good rule of thumb for any denim aficionado is that the more American, the better. That's because denim has a very long and rich history in the United States, and many consumers take pride in knowing that their jeans support a (relatively) local company. Denim collectors often also look into where the cotton was sourced from and woven, so companies that perform both of these duties in the US, like All USA Clothing American Made Jeans, have a leg up in the minds of true denim fans.