The fades associated with American denim are more even and consistent, giving a vintage feel to jeans made from American denim. In comparison to the high contrast fading that Japanese denim produces, the blue hues that develop from a well-worn pair of American jeans are very distinctive and easily recognizable. These distinctive fade patterns are even replicated by Japanese brands.
Unlike Japanese denim, American denim often does not have the same slubiness and texture that many denim enthusiasts look for. The denim does have a unique texture, but it is not as pronounced as the texture tends to be with Japanese denim. Outside of changes in weight, or maybe a different cotton used in the production of the denim, American denim mills are not nearly as adventurous as their Japanese counterparts.
That being said, American mills including Cone Mills still produce denim in a similar way to that of the Japanese mills. The denim from Cone Mills is woven on vintage shuttle looms – American Draper x3‘s from the 1940’s – that produce the material slowly and give the denim a texture that is unique and contributes to the fades. They even go so far as to say that the bounce from the old wooden floors of the mill gives the denim a unique character. The indigo dye is also natural, rather than synthetic, assuring a similar rich indigo color and quality fading over time.