“The Cat’s Pyjamas” doesn’t really mean anything, and at the same time, it means everything.
The phrase comes out of the early 1920s in the United States, during the Roaring Twenties, when expressions like “the bee’s knees” and “the cat’s whiskers” were used to describe something exceptional. Playful, slightly absurd, and completely of their time, these phrases weren’t meant to make sense. They were meant to stand out.
The Cat’s Pyjamas Selvedge draws from that same era. Early 20th-century denim was lighter, less uniform, and full of character. At 8.5oz, this fabric would be considered lightweight today, but historically, that wasn’t the case. Mail-order catalogs from the late 1800s were already describing 8 to 9oz denim as “ultra heavyweight,” placing this fabric much closer to what would have been seen as serious workwear.
With its vintage blue tone, lively texture, and easy feel from the very first wear, it’s a peach of a fabric through and through.
The Fabric
The denim is woven in Japan using a vintage-inspired indigo tone that sits somewhere between natural indigo and faded sky blue. The result is a blue that feels distinctly old, not artificially aged.
That blue is paired with a subtle beige weft, softening the overall tone and adding warmth to the fabric. Combined with its slightly hairy texture and slubby surface, the denim takes on the character of early workwear fabrics, where irregularity and texture were part of the material itself.
At 8.5oz, it’s lightweight and easy to wear, especially in warmer seasons, but its dense weave gives it more substance than the number suggests. It keeps the breathable feel of a lighter denim while carrying the presence of something more rugged.
The Details
Staying true to the period, the jeans are finished with a reinforced paper patch instead of leather, reflecting the materials commonly used before leather patches became standard on jeans.
The hardware is tin on copper, paired with stone-colored stitching that ties back to the beige weft and ecru selvedge edge.
Specifications
- 8.5oz Japanese selvedge denim
- 100% cotton
- Vintage indigo tone
- Ecru Selvedge Edge
- Classic selvedge edge
- Tin on copper hardware
- Reinforced paper patch
- Made in Canada
Release
The Cat’s Pyjamas drops April 30 at 11am ET in Super Guy, Weird Guy, Easy Guy, True Guy, Strong Guy, Denim Jacket, and True Girl.
Available online and in-store at nakedandfamousdenim.com and nakedandfamousdenimnyc.com, as well as through select retailers worldwide.
