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The Big John RARE denim is created by bringing together the craftsmanship and technology of Japanese artisans to produce one of the brand’s finest denim fabrics. Rigid, raw and unsanforized, it is made for those who appreciate traditional shrink-to-fit denim and the character that comes with wear.
Crafted from 15.5oz BG7055 RARE indigo selvedge denim, the fabric is made from 100% cotton and will develop natural wrinkling, twisting, fading and colour transfer when first washed. Avoid chemicals and tumble drying to preserve the denim’s structure and character.
Key details
Model: RARE
Colour: Indigo
15.5oz indigo selvedge denim
BG7055 RARE fabric
100% cotton
Rigid raw denim
Unsanforized
Wrinkling, twisting, colour fading and colour transfer may occur when first washed
Avoid chemicals and tumble drying
Made in Japan
UK Standard Delivery
2-3 working days
Royal Mail Tracked 48
Free over £100
£3.99 under £100
UK Faster Delivery
1-2 working days
Royal Mail Tracked 24
£4.99
UK Next Day Delivery
Next working day
DPD Next Day
£6.99
International Delivery
Taxes & duties paid
DPD
Calculated
at checkout
Next day delivery not available to some postcodes
Next day delivery excludes bank holidays
If you wish to return your order, we offer a full refund, exchange or store credit if returned within 30 days in brand new, resaleable condition (including all tags and product packaging). We provide the returns label. International returns will need to be posted at your own expense.
Read our full returns policy.
Big John is one of the true foundations of Japanese denim, with a story that began more than 70 years ago in Kojima, Okayama - now recognised around the world as Japan’s denim capital. Founded by Kotaro Ozaki as a small sewing factory producing school uniforms, workwear and U.S. military-inspired clothing, Big John became fascinated by the construction and cultural power of the American blue jean. In 1965, the brand produced the first made-in-Japan jeans, marking a defining moment in the history of Japanese denim.
The brand’s pioneering spirit continued into the 1970s, when Big John worked with Kurabo Mills to develop Japan’s first domestic denim fabric. After repeated trials and refinement, Kurabo’s KD-8 denim was approved, setting the stage for fully Japanese-made jeans using Japanese fabric, design and production. Big John went on to push the craft further, creating early Japanese selvedge denim and experimenting with irregular yarns, texture, fading and fabric behaviour long before vintage denim became widely appreciated.
As one of the historic names often spoken about alongside Japan’s great denim makers, Big John helped establish the standards that would later define the country’s reputation for quality, innovation and obsessive attention to detail. Its RARE collection celebrates that legacy, drawing on decades of experience in fabric development, pattern making and denim construction. Today, Big John continues to honour its role as a pioneer of Japanese jeans, creating clothing built around uncompromising quality, distinguished style and the enduring craft of Kojima denim.
Selvedge denim takes its name from “self-edge”, referring to denim woven on traditional shuttle looms that create a narrow, tightly finished edge designed to prevent fraying. Long before it became a marker of premium denim, selvedge was simply the standard: tough, dependable fabric made for hardworking garments. Its roots sit firmly in late 19th-century workwear, from miners and labourers to the early blue jeans developed by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss & Co. in 1873, where durable denim and copper rivet construction helped shape one of the most recognisable garments in clothing history.
What makes selvedge denim special is not just how it looks, but how it is made. Traditional shuttle looms weave slowly, passing the weft thread back and forth with a shuttle to create a denser, more characterful fabric with its own texture, tension and irregularity. These subtle variations, often seen in slub, nep and surface character, are part of the appeal. Unlike modern wide-width industrial denim, selvedge is typically produced in narrower rolls, making it slower, more limited and more costly to manufacture. That slower process is central to its value: selvedge denim represents patience, craft and a respect for the fabric itself.
Although mass production saw many mills move away from shuttle looms in the 1950s and 1960s, selvedge denim found new life through Japanese makers in the 1970s and 1980s. In Kojima, Kurabo developed the first Japanese selvedge denim fabric, KD-8, which was later used by Big John for the first jeans made entirely in Japan. This commitment to recreating and refining vintage American denim helped establish Japan as one of the world’s great centres of denim craftsmanship. Brands such as Studio D’Artisan, Denime, Evisu, Fullcount and Warehouse carried that heritage forward, building what became known as the Osaka Five and helping shape the modern culture of artisan denim.
Today, selvedge denim remains prized by enthusiasts for its authenticity, durability and ageing potential. The coloured selvedge ID, often visible when the cuff is turned, is a small but meaningful detail that connects each pair back to a lineage of mills, makers and traditional production methods. More than just a fabric, selvedge is a celebration of heritage and craft — denim made with intention, designed to be worn hard, broken in over time and shaped by the life of the person wearing it.