You see the unique stacked fits and bold designs of Valabasas jeans¹ all over social media. The brand has a strong identity, but with so many streetwear brands using overseas production, you start to wonder about their origin. Are they just another fast-fashion label?

Valabasas jeans are proudly made in the United States. While the brand is closely associated with Memphis, Tennessee², their manufacturing happens in dedicated facilities within the USA, a fact they highlight as a key part of their brand identity.

In my two decades running a denim factory, I’ve worked with hundreds of brands. Each one makes a critical decision: where to produce their garments. This choice affects cost, quality, speed, and brand story.

When a brand like Valabasas decides to manufacture in the USA, it's a very deliberate statement. They are choosing to prioritize a specific narrative and level of control over the lower costs found overseas.

My friend Dean, a top-tier designer, often looks for partners who can deliver a specific manufacturing story, not just a product. Let's explore what "Made in USA" means today and how different brands approach this fundamental choice.

Where are jeans made in the USA?

You hear "Made in USA" and might picture old, forgotten factories. It's hard to know where the modern heart of American denim production³ really is and what it looks like today.

Today, the primary hub for American premium denim⁴ manufacturing is Los Angeles, California⁵. While other smaller workshops exist nationwide, LA has a concentrated ecosystem of factories, wash houses, and skilled workers that cater to high-end and small-batch brands.

The landscape of American manufacturing has changed dramatically. The giant mills that once dominated North Carolina, like the famous Cone Mills, have largely closed or shifted focus.

In their place, a more specialized industry has emerged, centered heavily in Southern California. In my experience at DiZNEW, I know that creating a production hub requires more than just a single factory; it needs a whole network. Los Angeles has exactly that.

You can find fabric suppliers, expert pattern makers, cutters, sewers, and some of the most innovative denim wash houses in the world, all within a few square miles. This concentration of expertise is why so many premium and quick-turnaround brands, from luxury labels to agile streetwear companies like Valabasas, choose to produce there.

It allows for a high degree of hands-on control and collaboration throughout the entire process, from design to finished product.

Key US Denim Manufacturing Zones

Location	Primary Focus	Characteristics
Los Angeles, CA	Premium & Designer Denim	A complete ecosystem of factories, wash houses, and skilled labor. Ideal for high quality and speed.
The Southeast (NC, GA)	Heritage & Raw Denim	Home to a few remaining heritage mills and small-batch producers focused on traditional selvedge denim.
Other Pockets (e.g., TX, TN)	Niche & Small Batch	Smaller workshops and artisan makers, often focused on custom fits or a local brand identity.

Do Valabasas jeans come with a tag?

When you're checking for authenticity, the first thing you look for is a tag. You need to know if Valabasas clearly labels their products, confirming their origin and brand identity.

Yes, Valabasas jeans come with multiple tags, including a primary brand tag on the waistband and an internal care tag that typically states "Made in USA." These tags are essential for brand identity and legal compliance.

A tag is much more than just a piece of fabric. From a manufacturer's point of view, it's a critical part of the garment's blueprint, or what we call a "tech pack." Every brand I work with, and every designer like Dean, specifies the exact size, material, color, and placement of every label.

It is a non-negotiable part of the final product. For a brand like Valabasas, the tags serve several crucial functions. First, they are the primary visual identifier on a crowded shelf. Second, the internal tags carry legally required information, like the RN number (which identifies the brand to the FTC) and the country of origin.

The "Made in USA" declaration isn't just a marketing slogan; it's a legal claim that comes with strict regulations. Finally, the care instructions protect both the customer and the brand, ensuring the complex washes and finishes on the jeans are maintained properly. The presence and quality of these tags are a clear sign of a professionally produced garment.

Where are The Unbranded Brand jeans made?

You've heard of The Unbranded Brand, a company that does the opposite of Valabasas, focusing on no branding at all. This makes you wonder about their manufacturing philosophy and location.

The Unbranded Brand jeans are typically made in Macau, a special administrative region of China. This allows them to access high-quality Japanese selvedge denim and expert construction at a very competitive price point.

The contrast between Valabasas and The Unbranded Brand is a fantastic case study in branding and production strategy. Both make quality products, but they tell completely different stories.

I see these two opposing philosophies all the time in the industry. It's a choice between highlighting the brand story versus highlighting the raw material itself.

Brand Philosophy	Valabasas	The Unbranded Brand
Core identity	Bold designs, streetwear culture, visible branding.	Stripped-down minimalism, focus on the fabric.
Key Selling Point	"Made in USA," unique stacked fits, trend-driven.	High-quality Japanese selvedge denim at a low price.
Manufacturing Location	United States (likely Los Angeles).	Macau, China.
Reason for Location	Supports the brand story, allows for speed and control.	Cost-effectiveness to make expensive denim accessible.

Valabasas uses its US manufacturing as a key pillar of its brand identity. It's part of the premium, authentic image they are selling. The Unbranded Brand, which is a sister company to the enthusiast-focused Naked & Famous Denim, takes a different path.

Their goal is radical price transparency. They say, "You're not paying for branding or advertising."

By manufacturing in Macau, they can use premium fabric from Japan but keep labor costs down, passing that value directly to the consumer who cares more about the selvedge ID than the country of origin.

Where are jeans made in China?

The "Made in China" label is everywhere, but it often brings up mixed feelings about quality. You want to know if high-quality jeans can really come from China.

Yes, absolutely. China is a global leader in high-end denim manufacturing, with major production hubs in the Pearl River Delta (like Guangzhou and Zhongshan) and the Yangtze River Delta. These regions have some of the most technologically advanced factories and wash houses in the world.

As someone who runs a denim factory⁶, I can tell you that the old stereotype of "Made in China" meaning low quality is completely out of date. The reality is that China's manufacturing sector is vast and incredibly diverse.

You can find factories that produce cheap, low-quality goods, but you can also find factories, like mine, that produce for some of the world's most famous luxury and premium denim brands. The level of skill and technology available is immense.

Many of the most advanced techniques in denim washing—like laser distressing, ozone fading, and waterless finishing—were perfected and scaled in Chinese facilities. For a brand that needs to produce a large volume of jeans with complex finishing at a consistent quality, China is often the best choice.

It offers a complete supply chain, from fabric mills to zipper suppliers to washing experts, all within a small geographical area. The quality of a garment is determined by the brand's standards and investment, not just the country on the tag.

Conclusion

Valabasas jeans are made in the USA, a choice that shapes their brand story. However, quality manufacturing is global, with brands strategically choosing locations like China for different, equally valid reasons.

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