Once dyed, the yarn is lightly starched to prevent breakage while weaving. It takes many vintage shuttle looms, maintained with care, to create selvedge denim with texture, irregularity, and the character found in the most sought-after vintage denim jeans. These looms work slowly—but that slowness is part of the fabric's soul.
Alongside the vintage looms, modern looms are used for specific applications, from heavyweight denims to finer, smoother fabrics. Old and new work together here, guided by a simple philosophy: respect the past, improve the future.
4-WAY STRETCH SELVEDGE®
Stretch denim is everywhere—but most of it cuts corners. The majority of stretch jeans use filament-twisted yarns, where cotton and synthetic fibers are spun together. It’s cheaper, shinier, and doesn’t fade like traditional denim.
At Kato, we use core-spun yarns. The stretch fiber is fully wrapped in cotton, so the surface remains pure cotton. That means the denim wears in, fades, and softens like vintage jeans—without sacrificing comfort.
Most stretch denim only stretches side to side. Our 4-WAY STRETCH SELVEDGE® stretches in both the warp and the weft, allowing the fabric to move in every direction. It’s comfort you feel immediately, and durability you appreciate years later.
Stretch denim is everywhere—but most of it cuts corners. The majority of stretch jeans use filament-twisted yarns, where cotton and synthetic fibers are spun together. It’s cheaper, shinier, and doesn’t fade like traditional denim.
At Kato, we use core-spun yarns. The stretch fiber is fully wrapped in cotton, so the surface remains pure cotton. That means the denim wears in, fades, and softens like vintage jeans—without sacrificing comfort.
Most stretch denim only stretches side to side. Our 4-WAY STRETCH SELVEDGE® stretches in both the warp and the weft, allowing the fabric to move in every direction. It’s comfort you feel immediately, and durability you appreciate years later.
