Talk About Marriage banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Men's Fashion: Search for the Essential Cool Pt. 4: Chinos

7K views 45 replies 18 participants last post by  lordmayhem 
#1 ·
Chinos are trousers made of 100% cotton twill. Similar but not the same as khakis, chinos tend to be tighter fitting and are not pleated at the top. They have a cleaner less formal look, although in a pinch they work nicely with a well paired sports jacket and collarless shirt.



No one really is sure how they got their name, but it is believed that since the cloth these were made from came largely from Chinese looms, they took on the Spanish word for Chinese: "chino"

Like khaki pants, chinos got their start in the military. Both British and then American armies started issuing chinos as standard leg-wear during the latter half of the 1800s. Beige and brown chino pants became popular in the mid 20th century, and were particularly favored by men in urban environments. They hit their zenith in the 1960s, when everyone from urban school boys to surfers to the Rat Pack wore them. They have staying power.



Traditional chinos are pleatless and tend to terminate at the top of the shoe. Hipsters today like them tight fitting and higher off the ankle and sometimes rolled up. I hate that look, but whatever floats yer boat... Suffice it to say chinos are back with a vengeance.

 
See less See more
3
#2 ·
I have almost that exact same pants/shirt/shoes combination shown in the left of the second pic. I'm not a fan of chinos in anything other than earthy colors.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bandit.45
#3 ·
All my "business casual" pants are chinos, or "flat-fronts" as most labels deem them. Pleated went out of style in 1993 - only exception is formal dress pants and tuxedo pants (which I also consider a gawdawful style and unfortunately will be wearing some in my brothers wedding this upcoming weekend).
 
#4 ·
I'm familiar with the term chinos, but its one I only began seeing/hearing used over the last 10 years or so. And it's still not in common usage where I live. In my area, these are called flat-front khakis. Khakis with pleats are just called pleated khakis.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bandit.45
#7 ·
It can be confusing. I think the main difference is that khakis are sometimes (not always!) made from lighter weight fabric and have more room in the seat and thighs.

Chinos are generally made from a heavier cotton twill and tend to fit a bit tighter along the length of the leg. Khakis sort of bulge out a bit then suck back in at the shoe line.

I cannot wear chinos as I have very thick thighs. I wear pleat-less khakis or dungarees.
 
This post has been deleted
#11 ·
I can't do chinos.

I either wear black jeans (casual/work-wear) or a suit (when I want to look good for the high-society types my SO rubs elbows with.)
 
  • Like
Reactions: bandit.45
#22 ·
I have it on good authority that chinos are a yawn from several women. I mean they're there, and if they fit right, they're ok.

The word I've heard more than once is "milquetoast".

But if you're going to dress down, throw on a good pair of jeans. And if you're going to dress up, throw on a good pair of dress pants.
 
#34 ·
Levis = lame.

Guess jeans seem to work on my body.

Also picked up an expensive pair of 'paper denim' jeans from Japan that are killer. They wore out right away, but they were the most comfortable and best looking jeans I've ever had.

Seven jeans are pretty good, too.
 
#35 ·
I have a leather blazer which is really sharp and fits me like a glove. If I wear loafers, no socks...looks gay. If I wear fashion jeans with wrinkles and wear marks...gay. Casual wingtips...exceedingly gay. The ONLY way it works is fresh, stiff Levis and harness boots.

BTW, nothing wrong with gay and I have little opinion on it other than being mistaken for it means I missed my target market.

The chinos I have are Lucky and are a cotton twill fabric with the same type of seams that jeans have, i.e. kind of lapped and face stitched. The leg hems are sewn right through the face of the fabric. Khakis have blind seams and hems and are more tailored. The chinos are a jeans substitute AFAIK.
 
#36 ·
I have a leather blazer which is really sharp and fits me like a glove. If I wear loafers, no socks...looks gay. If I wear fashion jeans with wrinkles and wear marks...gay. Casual wingtips...exceedingly gay. The ONLY way it works is fresh, stiff Levis and harness boots.

BTW, nothing wrong with gay and I have little opinion on it other than being mistaken for it means I missed my target market.

The chinos I have are Lucky and are a cotton twill fabric with the same type of seams that jeans have, i.e. kind of lapped and face stitched. The leg hems are sewn right through the face of the fabric. Khakis have blind seams and hems and are more tailored. The chinos are a jeans substitute AFAIK.
Good summation.
 
#45 ·
I wear chino's at work almost every day except once in a while when I need to wear a suit/tie.

I'll dress down, with chino's, a polo and boat shoes or dress up with chino's, a OCBD and a casual dress shoe.....sometimes even adding a blazer/sport coat to the ensemble.

A lot of people will think you're dressed up(which is really sad) just because you're wearing something other than jeans. You can get a decent pair of chino's for about the same cost as a pair of jeans. I stick with the no-iron variety to make my life easier. The best part is, you don't need to go to the dry cleaners......just throw them in the washing machine and dryer.

I cringe at the money spent at the dry cleaner when I used to wear dress-pants to work every day.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top