Chinos. Fundamental as they arrive. Not inherently dressy nor particularly informal, they function most males’s “fundamental pants that aren’t denims.” Press a crease right into a pair with slanted pockets, and you’ve got one thing straightforward to decorate up. Get a pair with a 20-inch-across leg opening, 19 pleats, or another loopy characteristic, and you’ve got a wacky streetwear pant. Get a classic pair with a flat entrance, or put on your individual into theground, and you’ve got the core of ivy fashion. Get a fundamental pair and put on it in a sufficiently boring outfit, and folks will derrogatorily name them “khakis,” regardless that “khaki” refers to a shade.
I like my chinos good and large. I solely have 4 good pairs, relying in your definition, however… Properly, cling on, what are chinos?
The story I heard, initially, was that some Spanish troopers obtained their fingers on a Chinese language cloth that they thought had been nice for making pants. They referred to as them “Pantalones Chinos,” and we simply referred to as them chinos. There’s some ambiguity about how correct that etymology is, however… who cares?
Most definitions I discover will label chinos as “a cotton twill cloth,” and finish it there. So far as I can inform, any cotton twill is technically chino fabric. That is complicated. Denim will not be chino fabric. Your denims should not chinos. Your herringbone twill fatigues should not chinos. Chinos really feel… effectively, there are plenty of alternative ways they will really feel, however they do not really feel like denims, do they? Can we slender the definition?
Properly… probably not. I am simply going to be itemizing any cotton twill pants that are not fatigues or denims or carpenter pants or no matter, and which I arbitrarily determine rely as chinos. It helps in the event that they’re labeled chinos, or if I’ve felt them personally and may guarantee you they’re chinos. A few of these choices, I’ve solely seen on-line, so they may really feel totally different or age in a different way out of your customary chinos.
Oh, and when you do not need to learn my bs, you are all the time welcome to skim the gadgets on ShopMy
Uniqlo U; Bronson; J. Crew
Uniqlo U ($50; often on sale)
Uniqlo U, the gathering designed by Christophe Lemaire, has lots going for it, however to give attention to the chinos: they’re all 100% cotton, all of them are available good cuts, and so they’re all $50.
Uniqlo U seems to have a number of “vast match chino pants.” This batch has extra shade choices, and this batch comes with tall sizing. I just like the above batch myself, they’ve a extra fascinating form, however the different two have a pleasant straight leg, that is fairly good too.
Bronson ($40-56; often on sale)
Once more, Bronson has a number of choices, these various in dimension. They make my favourite fatigues, and a bunch of different great things. They do plenty of fairly good reproductions of army kinds, and the costs are nice. The largest draw back is that they are primarily based in China, so that they’re onerous to attempt on. Their sale cycle is basically a few times a yr, 5-15% off relying on how a lot you spend. Not the largest deal, as much as you if you wish to wait. Oh, and a few stuff does promote out.
J. Crew ($100; often on sale)
I am on report as an enormous lover of J. Crew’s Big Match Chinos. They are not simply vast, however excessive rise, with a fantastic cloth. I feel they are a reduce above most J. Crew choices, and I personal a pair myself, which I really like. Another folks desire the Traditional Chino Pant, which isn’t as vast, but in addition 100% cotton. They’ve barely totally different particulars too, like a unique pocket fashion, so go attempt them on, and see which one is best for you. And whilst you’re there, attempt on the Wallace and Barnes pair, which I will break down under.
Buck Mason; Buck Mason; Casatlantic; Haven; Todd Snyder; Nudie; Walalce & Barnes; Noah
Buck Mason
Buck Mason does a couple of variations right here. For one, they do these herringbone twill “baker’s pants”, that are midway in direction of being fatigues… however as a result of they do not have a visual pocket define, I’ll name them chinos. I additionally simply love my pair and love recommending them.
Buck Mason additionally makes one of many solely fits on this record (I did not look too onerous, since this text is usually about pants. Nonetheless, chino fits are cool. Additionally they make a lighter, extra informal, much less constructed jacket for $200, additionally out of cotton twill. I desire the heavier one, personally.
Casatlantic
At $180 US, I actually suppose these are a little bit of a steal. They developed their very own cloth primarily based on a classic cloth they beloved, and their reduce combines classic choices, reminding me of the legendary Ralph Lauren Andrew reduce.
Tanger
Mogador (much less vast)
They’ve 4 cuts however I am not in right here recommending slim pants.
Haven
Haven’s a cool Canadian retailer with its personal inhouse line centered on extra technical materials. They use Gore-Tex and Loro Piana Storm System and all types of fancy materials, however the related one right now is Apex Twill.
Apex Twill is a densely woven cotton that features some pure water resistance. It is also Japanese. I have to get some type of impact on this weblog that makes cherry blossoms rain down from the heavens every time I say Japanese.
I additionally suppose the reduce is fairly good. These double pleats are cool.
O’Connells
O’Connells is an outdated customary of Ivy fashion. They have been making garments roughly the identical method for the reason that 50s, which, of their case, is an efficient factor.
OrSlow
OrSlow is a kind of Japanese manufacturers that make folks suppose Japanese manufacturers are cool. Significantly, they’re good at repurposing outdated army kinds into fashionable clothes, whereas sustaining the allure of the previous.
Todd Snyder
I’ve tried these on, and so they’re good, however procuring at Todd Snyder comes with a couple of different perks price noting: they’ve shops throughout, all kinds of kinds to attempt on, simple returns and exchanges, and a standing low cost when you use code DANIELH15.
Nudie
Nudie is thought extra for denim than chinos, however there actually is plenty of overlap between the materials. These are their “Tuff Tony” reduce with a excessive rise, and in addition characteristic some good touches like corozo buttons.
Wallace and Barnes
A better-end workwear-themed line from J. Crew, Wallace & Barnes is a kind of that folks appear to like throughout the board. They could additionally go on sale typically. J. Crew Scale is a cool factor.
Noah
I like the only pleat pants right here. In some unspecified time in the future, I seen plenty of streetwear manufacturers had been doing single pleated chinos with a full reduce and single ahead pleat. Now, is Noah a streetwear model? I do not know, and I do not actually care, try the pants.


RRL; Murray’s; 3Sixteen; Auralee; Agolde; Ghaia Cashmere
Jack Donnelly
Jack Donelly makes a wide range of chino kinds within the USA. Their M1 reduce is their most relaxed, and subsequently my favourite. The rises on their pants are usually decrease than I like,
RRL
I’ve a pair of those I like. I thrifted mine, however nonetheless. The one I used to be going to share offered out earlier than I may end writing this text. Anyway, RRL makes good chinos.
Chino Discipline Pant in a mid-brown, however they’re offered out.
Chino Discipline Pant in a form of teal shade, they name it “gasoline station inexperienced,” that is… uh… effectively, test again subsequent season, I am certain they’re going to have extra inventory.
Murray’s Toggery
That is the one place a correct outdated cash household would get their nantucket reds. And at $125, they don’t seem to be even that costly.
3sixteen
Recognized extra for denim, 3Sixteen additionally makes chinos. They make these in a fairly vast number of colours, buuuut their web site would not group them up as one merchandise, so… Good luck.
Auralee
I really feel like Auralee ought to be within the subsequent part, however it’s not, it is right here. Truthfully, these are fairly clasically styled chinos. Nonetheless, they’re reallly cool customary chinos.
Agolde
I do not actually know a lot about this model—I found this reduce whereas making this record—however these do look cool to me. They’re described as “tapered,” which is technically true however… uh, I imply, have a look at them.
Ghaia Cashmere
Sure, they make issues apart from cashmere. Like these chinos. No private expertise, however all people I do know who’s visited their retailer says nice issues in regards to the model and the person operating in it (together with, as soon as, that his ALD lookbook was very Dan Hakimi coded).
I highlighted some choices that already stay lease free in my thoughts, and another choices that appeared to me whereas I constructed the article out.


Studio Nicholson Sorte; Studio Nicholson Guild; Sacai; Lemaire; Martine Rose; Kapital
Studio Nicholson
God, I would like Studio Nicholson pants. They arrive in such cool shapes. My closet is full, however I will make an exception for a pair of those, certainly one of today…
sacai
Ohhh this primary pair is loopy. Tremendous-sized flare, built-in belt. The belted pair can also be cool. Look into sacai, it is a cool model. And look into Chitose Abe. She’s Japanese.
Lemaire
Lemaire’s massive contribution right here is the “twisted” side-seam, which creates a novel form the place the leg type of turns ahead. That is partly impressed by the best way outdated denims age. I prefer it.
Martine Rose
These have a delicate flare the entire method by means of and buttons down the edges of every leg. Martine Rose is one other cool designer price wanting into, when you’re curious.
Kapital
Okay, for some purpose, Kapital makes a mixture pair of chinos with a in-built chino skirt. I am unsure who the audience is, I would not put on it, however you may.

I’ve written about thrifitng chinos previously, however right here, I’ll give tremendous particular recs behind the Jerry and Elaine membership tiers. As a result of I can.
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