[Mr. Moneypenney]

I believe I look pretty good in jeans and also pretty good in worsted dress pants. It is the need in between the two that I would like to fill.

I can find very few photos of men who actually look superior wearing chinos.Either they display, for me, a somewhat feminine look, a tight and alarmingly wrinkled look, or the ill-fitting old guy look. Is it just me?

When I try them on, they seem either too tight in places they should not, or, they make my narrow hips look surprisingly wide and unflattering. I have a tall, athletic build that other clothes usually look very good on. I want to fill the gap between jeans and dress pants, and now I am not sure where to turn. When I search photos of men in chinos, I find myself exclaiming things like "Really!???"

I very much enjoy saying the word "chino" . I could say it all day. I rank it right up there with saying " Joe Pesci " . But as for great menswear....not sure yet. Please tell me where I am going wrong here.

 

[medhat]

I think there are so many choices out there for chinos, definitely more than for wool dress pants, as a consequence of their widespread use ranging from casual to work wear; there ought to be an OTR option that would work for you, especially if you have a normal-ish build. Just off the top of my head I can think of a wide variety of vendors with markedly different fits, Lands End, LL Bean, Bonobos, J Crew, Uniqlo, Taylrd. And almost all of those have different sub-fits as well. Because of those choices I've never had occasion to entertain MTM for chinos, seems a long and expensive run for a very short slide.

 

[smmrfld]

You’re way overthinking this. Try on a bunch, and buy the ones you think look best. Nobody else can make that decision for you.

 

[Fading Fast]

Maybe it will help you to see some classic personalities in chinos/khakis to give you a sense of how they might work for you, in part, as most of these men are athletically built. Also, they are considered examples of classic American dressers - which is right in the chino/khaki tradition:

One last thought - chinos/khakis run the gamut from well-tailored dress versions to very casual throw-them-in-the-washer-dryer-and-wear ones. Hence, you have a lot of options when you say "chinos/khakis."

 

[eagle2250]

Whats not to like about Chinos. The USAF issued their version of Chinos to us back in the 1960's....we called them our "Pinks." Before that I had worn them as a teenager in high school and in college. Even now, five days out of every seven, I will generally be found wearing chinos. It's been over a 50 year love affair and it still goes on! Bye gawd, I've been in love with my chinos longer than I've been in love with my wife and not once have those beloved chinos told me..."you don't need another pair of shoes/boots. Now tell me that;s not true love!

 

[Fading Fast]

⇧ LOL.

I too have had a life-long love affair with chinos and, I too, wear them five or six days a week.

I own more chinos than any other item and have - without a doubt - bought more chinos than any other clothing item in my now 50+ years-long clothing-buying career.

I like jean, I like dress pants, I enjoy cords, I have some very nice summer linens and a few chambrays, etc., but I love my chinos.

 

[fishertw]

With the variety of manufacturers, cuts, fabrics and styles, there is bound to be a solution. Like Eagle, and Fading Fast, I practically live in chino's/khakis year round. They are the great "go between" in the spectrum of trousers.

 

[StephenRG]

I confess to liking Dockers (sounds of bodies hitting the ground to be heard in the background as sundry AAAC members collapse in horror) because I've found a couple of models that fit me really well - and it's not just I who thinks so. As a result, though, I've never gone upmarket for my chinos.

 

[London380sl]

I'm also a fan of Dockers

 

[Mr. Moneypenney]

I had a feeling it would not take long before Steve McQueen got tossed into this. I certainly can see the appeal of light colored chinos in warm weather casual wear. (appreciate the JFK photos as well)

How about in winter weather,with sport coat, maybe. Chinos?

 

[Fading Fast]

⇧ I wear chinos year round and just change the weight of the fabric and - to some extent - color.

So, in the fall/winter, the weight of the chinos I wear is heavier and I lean toward the "darker" colors - so a stone with more grey in it or a tan with more brown, but I have some heavier chinos in lighter colors and think they look fine in the winter, especially as they age.

I'm not a zealot proselytizing, if someone doesn't like chinos, that's sincerely fine by me - they shouldn't wear them. The original poster seemed to be asking for some guidance into how to fit them into a wardrobe / what the options are / etc.

In light of that, I think they are versatile as they run the gamut from nearly dress pants (if in a finer weave with dress-pants stitching) to work wear (think Dickies or Army Cramerton) and can look fine with just a T-shirt or, as you asked, dress up with a sport coat and tie.

As to his comments on fit, in the pics I posted, I tried to show a variety of styles and fit so that he would see a range of options.

Hopefully, mine and all these other comments help the OP a bit.

 

[eagle2250]

Wearing my BB Clarke's Advantage chinos, lightweight in summer and standard weight in the cooler months; wrinkling is not a problem...they look fresh and just pressed pretty much all of the time, care is a snap...just throw them in a cool wash and air dy on low or hang dry, and they are offered in different fits to accommodate pretty much all of us! Can we really ask for anything more than that?

 

[David J. Cooper]

I wear the Clark’s as well. Red, Khaki, British Khaki, and Putty Grey are in my rotation. Where I live one rarely ever sees chinos. Men tend to wear Designer dress pants, jeans or sweats. The standard rig for Vancouver night life is some blended slim fit designer pants and a smedium no iron dress shirt.

If you don’t like Chinos don’t force it. I’m not about to ask the forum to talk me into wearing Graphic Tees.

 

[Virtue Aesthetics]

I had a feeling it would not take long before Steve McQueen got tossed into this. I certainly can see the appeal of light colored chinos in warm weather casual wear. (appreciate the JFK photos as well)

How about in winter weather,with sport coat, maybe. Chinos?

tan/british khaki chinos for winter
or olive green

 

[SG_67]

Why should chinos be any different than jeans or wool slacks? Of course you can find well fitting chinos and of course they can be worn throughout the year.

 

[wdrazek]

I'm in the same place as the OP. Transitioning from suits in my work wardrobe hasn't been easy. The wool slacks I am accustomed to drape beautifully but every time I try on a pair of chinos they wrinkle and bunch up all over the place.

Looking at the photos, I see they do that on JFK, Steve McQueen and everyone else. So I guess that is the look but it strikes me as unkempt, like a white cotton shirt at the end of a 16 hour hour day.

As one poster said, I'm probably way overthinking this. Styles change and evolve. Chinos are so firmly entrenched and offer so many options that I should probably suck it up and go with the tide.

 

[mlenecare]

I'm in the same place as the OP. Transitioning from suits in my work wardrobe hasn't been easy. The wool slacks I am accustomed to drape beautifully but every time I try on a pair of chinos they wrinkle and bunch up all over the place.

Looking at the photos, I see they do that on JFK, Steve McQueen and everyone else. So I guess that is the look but it strikes me as unkempt, like a white cotton shirt at the end of a 16 hour hour day.

As one poster said, I'm probably way overthinking this. Styles change and evolve. Chinos are so firmly entrenched and offer so many options that I should probably suck it up and go with the tide.

I prefer the look of wool as well though I regularly wear chinos. Have you considered wearing more casual wool trousers? Think lower or no super number wool, cavalry twill or even low contrast Birdseye give more texture and appear far less formal.

 

[Mr. Moneypenney]

I'm in the same place as the OP. Transitioning from suits in my work wardrobe hasn't been easy. The wool slacks I am accustomed to drape beautifully but every time I try on a pair of chinos they wrinkle and bunch up all over the place.

Looking at the photos, I see they do that on JFK, Steve McQueen and everyone else. So I guess that is the look but it strikes me as unkempt, like a white cotton shirt at the end of a 16 hour hour day.

As one poster said, I'm probably way overthinking this. Styles change and evolve. Chinos are so firmly entrenched and offer so many options that I should probably suck it up and go with the tide.

I hear you. But if you were to google something like "Mens chinos with blazer" and look at the images that appear, for me, maybe 1 or 2 of these guys, out of 10, look very good...many look ridiculous...and several look uncomfortably tight and bunched up. And these are fashion models at the top of the game? I trust what my eyes tell me.

How do you look in jeans? I wear them pretty well I believe. If I were to wear corduroy pants I would expect a certain level of "frumpyness" that goes along with it. I would like to fill the gap of excellent looking pants between jeans and wool trousers.... and I need some help doing so, LOL!

Have to say that James Dean really looks superior in that outfit above...have to love Southern California.

 

[wdrazek]

I hear you. But if you were to google something like "Mens chinos with blazer" and look at the images that appear, for me, maybe 1 or 2 of these guys, out of 10, look very good...many look ridiculous...and several look uncomfortably tight and bunched up. And these are fashion models at the top of the game? I trust what my eyes tell me.

How do you look in jeans? I wear them pretty well I believe. If I were to wear corduroy pants I would expect a certain level of "frumpyness" that goes along with it. I would like to fill the gap of excellent looking pants between jeans and wool trousers.... and I need some help doing so, LOL!

Have to say that James Dean really looks superior in that outfit above...have to love Southern California.

I'm fine in jeans, always have been.

Yes, those ultra skinny chinos that bunch around the calfs look awful and are seemingly everywhere. I was in a coffee shop the other day and saw a few guys wearing them. I would never want to be seen in them.

It's the bunching up that bothers me. I've picked up a few pair from Bonobos, same cut same size and one pair does it but the other two are fine. So I am 2 for 3 currently and looking for a few more pairs.

In general, I think you will want to avoid any fit that says "skinny" and tend to the"slim" or "straight" cuts. If you are looking for more room then "classic" or even"athletic" might work. But those cuts do vary from brand to brand and I have found even from pair to pair.

In the end, you really have to try them on. Good luck.

 

[Ungentleman]

On a build like you describe yours, and trying to avoid bagginess, frumpiness, etc., I think the best bet is to find or have made something along these lines:

Which is to say, natural waist, narrow but not seam-busting, and no-break cuffs.

The Hogtown Rake did just that, and I think his results are in line with what you describe: