Dearborn Denim Review: Affordable Made-in-USA Jeans

Curious about Dearborn Denim? Our hands-on review will help you decide if this brand’s jeans are worth buying.

Up until the 1980s, a large portion of the clothes you could buy in America was made in America, too. But with the globalization of supply chains and companies looking to make a quick buck, the offshoring of fashion production took hold.

Now, if you’re looking for American-made clothes, you’ll have to do some serious searching to find a brand that’s still around.

Dearborn Denim is one of those brands and a relatively new one to boot. So I decided to take a few pairs of their classic and modern denim styles for a spin and report back to you on how they fit and feel (as well as whether I’d recommend buying a pair).

Quick Take

These jeans are the real deal. If you’re looking for American-made denim at a great price, they’re definitely worth trying on.

The fit runs towards slim or straight (not skinny or tapered), so Dearborn is an awesome brand to get your next pair of jeans from if you like that style.

Pros

• Very affordable for USA made denim
• Classic range of colors and style
• Can choose your exact inseam

Cons

• Tight fit through the hips
• Pretty low rises
• No real skinny fit options

Check out Dearborn Denim here or keep reading to see our full interview.

About Dearborn Denim

Established in 2016 in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, Dearborn Denim’s purpose is contained in its motto: “Making It Right.”

And by their standards, making it right means more than just using the best quality materials and construction techniques for their jeans — it also means designing, cutting, and sewing every single pair right here in the USA.

That makes Dearborn a welcome addition to the current movement toward ethically manufactured apparel. By moving away from the harmful global effects of fast fashion, brands like Dearborn are making more opportunities for fair wages and satisfying lives in the communities they serve and work in.

Up until 2018, Dearborn Denim sourced all of their materials from right here in the United States, too. But with the unfortunate closure of the North American branches of Cone Denim and Denim North America, they had to find a new source for their raw cloth.

Thankfully the solution was right next door (at least in a global sense), and Dearborn now orders all their denim from Cone Mill’s sustainable factory in Paras, Mexico.

What I Like

I tried out two different fits from Dearborn for this review — their slim fit and tailored fit.

I like that Dearborn is sticking with a basic, tried and true selection of colors and washes for their jeans. You can get your standard dark, medium, and light washes, as well as khaki and gray. 

Most of their denim is a 10-ounce stretch cotton (cotton with a little bit of elastane in it). That makes it nice for guys who get too hot in jeans and turns these into a good set of “four-season” jeans. You can also get a 13-ounce pure cotton in some of their cuts and fits if a heavier weight denim is more your speed.

It’s especially cool that you can choose your exact inseam for Dearborn’s jeans, too — a great option for shorter guys to get a tailored, precise look for their denim.

Of the two pairs of jeans, I prefer the slim fit. It has a subtle taper that gives it a classic silhouette without a super slim leg.

These definitely aren’t skinny jeans, but they fit pretty tight in the top block, with closely fitted hips and a low rise.

The tailored fit also hugs tightly to the hips but doesn’t use the same tapered leg. Really, if I could combine the top block of the tailored and the leg of the slim in one jean, it would be a pretty ideal fit.

What I Don’t Like

The first thing to be aware of here is that both the slim and tailored fit jeans I tried on run pretty small compared to other denim brands. I’m a slim guy that usually wears a 28 waist, and I could barely get the size 28 jeans from Dearborn buttoned up.

Moving up to a 29 waist fixed the buttoning problem, but they still fit really small through the top block and rise.

Mainly, I wish the rise was a little higher for both pairs of jeans.

As it stands, the combination of a low rise and tight cut through the hips makes them fit very snugly, with a lot of stretch lines around the crotch and pockets. But at the same time, neither pair of jeans is really an exaggerated slim fit — they both fit pretty generously through the legs in comparison to true skinny jeans.

Frequently Asked Questions

And to round things out, here are the answers to a few questions I’ve heard guys asking about Dearborn Denim.

Is Dearborn Denim Made in the USA?

All of Dearborn Denim’s jeans are made in their Chicago-area factory. That includes designing, cutting, sewing, and finishing every single pair of jeans. And their denim is sourced from a highly regarded, sustainable factory in Mexico.

Is Dearborn Denim Raw?

Dearborn Denim is not raw. But they do use a real indigo dye for their jeans, so their dark wash denim will fade to a really similar appearance to raw denim.

Are Dearborn Denim Jeans Good Quality?

For the price, Dearborn Denim’s jeans are crazy high quality. It’s nearly impossible to find a pair of jeans made this well for under $100, and they offer a lot of cuts and fits in the $70 per pair range.

Final Verdict

All said and done, I’m happy overall with Dearborn’s jeans. They’re not my “perfect fit,” but the quality of denim that you’re getting here — and the made-in-the-USA construction and attention to detail — really makes them a steal for the price.

Just keep in mind that you’ll probably have to order a few pairs to dial in the right fit for your style.

Questions? Comments? Leave them below!