Chinos or khakis, whatever you call them, there’s more to the menswear basic than beige cotton
Named for a US military fabric, the word came into use when American troops stationed in the Philippines started wearing trousers made from cotton twill from China
I received a promotional email the other day extolling the “Tesla of Chinos”. Oh, how I laughed. Naturally, I forwarded it to all the men I know with a laughing emoji. How ridiculous! I mean, chinos are just basic, beige cotton trousers, right? Wrong, apparently. Shame on me for thinking menswear was straightforward. Even men who have never strayed far from a blue button-down replied with an opinion. So what makes the perfect chinos?
As with so many menswear staples, chinos have military roots. The word, meaning “Chinese” in Spanish, came into use when American troops began wearing trousers made of cotton twill from China while stationed in the Philippines during the Spanish-American war of 1898. After World War II, the plain front (fabric-conserving) trousers became popular for civilian wearamong 1950s Hollywood stars and preppy college types alike.
Actually, do you say chinos or khakis? The latter has slightly older roots. In the 1840s, in India, white British military uniforms were dyed khaki to better blend into the dusty environment; khaki means “dusty” in Hindi. Today, there are many differentiations between chinos and khakis, but they vary by brand. Some, such as outdoors company Orvis, categorise them as completely different trousers. Others, such as Brooks Brothers, accept them as interchangeable terms while pointing out the historical definitions of chino as a fabric and khaki as a colour.
Menswear expert Alan See, of The Armoury haberdasher, puts them into two broad categories: “The dressier type – tailored and fitted, creased and ironed” and “the more casual and sporty type – meaning the machine washable, no crease, heavier cotton alternative to jeans”.
With tailoring, See recommends, “The best is really to go for something that fits well through the waist and hip to get that nice base and foundation.” The fit of the legs, he adds, should match a man’s style and body type. By contrast, casual chinos at The Armoury tend to be medium-rise with a slightly fuller leg, and designed to go with a weekend blazer.
