The latest trend in jeans is over 150 years old

NPR | By Kai McNamee,

Viet Le

Published June 1, 2026 at 3:57 PM MDT

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Selvedge denim – a fabric made with heritage techniques – is having a moment. With inflation top of mind for many, discerning consumers are seeking out jeans that are built to last.

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Kai McNamee

Viet Le

Viet Le (he/him) is a senior producer at The Indicator from Planet Money, NPR's daily economics podcast. Before that, he edited and helped launch NPR's daily science podcast, Short Wave. His career at NPR started at All Things Considered in 2008, first as a booker and then producer. He also spent a couple of years helping to get NPR One off the ground, and worked as an editor on Weekend Edition. But no matter what his professional accomplishments at the network, he will perhaps be most remembered in the newsroom for convincing a Virginia farmer to put lipstick on one of his pigs for an ATC segment.