In Chino Veritas: Testing the Best Khaki Brands
At their best, a pair of chinos can be the most versatile pair of pants in a man’s wardrobe. At their worst, they’re a profound argument in favor of abolishing casual Fridays. In service of finding the best made pair of khakis on the market—and in the hopes of determining the most comfortable as well—I, acting as SPY’s agent in the field, put four pairs, ranging in price from $80 bucks to nearly $400, through a series of tests. Not only did I find a pair of excellent pants, I found out a deep truth: I am very much a chinos guy.
Why These Chinos?
J. Crew is the Oliver Peoples-wearing 900-pound gorilla in the khaki space. Ever since the brand (well before declaring bankruptcy and restructuring) eclipsed Dockers during the knit tie heyday of the late aughts, Crew has been the default position for khaki people. They were briefly threatened by the rise of Bonobos, another great ape, but that fizzled. Really, the only chinos worth buying that aren’t from J. Crew exist upmarket. APC and Acne operate in a similar refined urban mold (less backyard party, more drinks at Gramercy Tavern), whereas Incotex goes full Riviera, evoking the dreary wait for a martini at the pool bar outside the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat. There’s a whole other world of deeply trad chinos you can get from J. Press or Bill’s Khakis or the Andover Shop, but we’ll leave those to your dad and uncles for now.
But the real reason we selected these particular chinos from these particular brands is that these are all basics chinos. Nothing here is unnecessarily complicated or overly cute or needlessly stodgy. Chinos are best when you keep it simple.
How Do You Test a Pair of Khakis?
I wore, washed, and worked these four pairs of pants nonstop for months.
That meant dinners out, (and plenty of dinners in), mowing the lawn, roughhousing with my kids, sitting for 40 hours a week in front of a computer, hiking, and all the other things a person might do in a pair of chinos. I recall one day where I both took a load of brush to the dump in the afternoon and attended a chamber music concert in the evening. Any exceptional pair of chinos should take both in stride. I didn’t engage in any special laundering here, just into the washer on cold, and into the dryer on hot, regardless of what the care instructions said.
Once I had a baseline of performance, comfort, and style for each pair, I kept wearing them but also gave myself the liberty to pick and choose based on the day’s activities or weather. I wanted to see which pair I gravitated toward. I was looking for the perfect hybrid of comfort, style, fit, and durability. And after literally months and months of wearing nothing but chinos, I have a favorite.
APC Classic Chinos
Style
If there’s a Platonic ideal for how a pair of khaki chinos should look—the fine folk at Parisian brand APC have found it. Just casual enough for hacking around and just elegant enough to ground a blazer and tie, this pair of pants has done everything I’ve asked of it. It’s great with sweaters and sports shirts, Italian loafers and lug-soled Paraboots. I’ve pottered in the garden, I’ve napped, I’ve shoveled snow. The plain front, straight fit, and slight taper were all highly flattering without any detail feeling too fussy. I judge a pair of chinos overwhelmingly on their versatility, and these passed the aesthetic test with flying colors. The pants themselves come in two colors—beige and navy.
Fit
This classic slim straight pair of pants fit beautifully with a medium rise, two-button closure, and zipper fly, side pockets, and a slight taper at the ankle. If I have one gripe it’s that there’s no extra fabric in the event you need to let them out.
Durability
After my initial run of testing each pair of chinos, this was the pair I returned to most. They’re a good middle weight, which means a wintry walk into town won’t overwhelm them, and summer heat won’t take them out of rotation. They stood up to plenty of washes, and because they’re 100% cotton, they’ve already started to break in and get softer.
Comfort
Of the four pairs of chinos I tested, the APCs are the second slimmest, though you’d hardly call them skinny. I found just enough room everywhere for everything, and not a stitch more. And that’s precisely what I want. I confess that I’m not a huge fan of stretch material in my trousers—cotton and wool have gotten us this far, and precisely how often are you going office-to-parkour? We won World War II without elastic-waisted athleisure easy pants, so I fail to see how they’re a necessity for padding from desk to coffee pot. These pants are plenty comfortable, especially if you’re uncomfortable looking like a slob.
Acne Studios Ayonne Slim-Fit Cotton-Blend Twill Chinos
Style
These chinos stand out from the pack largely on grounds of fit. Wide-legged, sturdy, and on the darker end of the khaki spectrum, the Ayonne model from Acne Studios feel particularly of the moment. Whether you hem them high and pair with loafers for a kind of shuffleboard chic look, or wear the extra fabric pooled around your ankles for a relaxed 90s vibe, these pants stood out from the pack. If Tyler the Creator, or one of the other Odd Future dudes, was choosing from my array of chinos, I’m pretty sure he’d pick these. Initially I struggled sorting out what kind of shoes to pair them with, but once I landed on a pair of chunky Paraboot Michaels—imagine the footwear of a French country mailman—I found myself putting them on all the time.
Fit
Wide in the leg but trim in the seat, the Ayonne Slim Fit (misnomer) are entirely au courant thanks to their generous fit. They have an appealingly grandfatherly feel thanks to the voluminous leg, though they’re not so subversively large as to make them costume-y.
Durability
These pants have held up quite well to numerous wearings and washings. No shrinkage or alteration in shape or feel. I also quite like the heft and hand of the material. The fabric is 65% cotton and 35% polyester, which accounts for some of their retro feel. The fabric is also thicker than any of the other pants I tried, which makes me think that they’ll continue to hold up nicely.
Comfort
As the loosest of the lot, these pants are quite comfortable. They have a simple hook closure and zippered fly, and the aforementioned wide leg has made doing basically anything in them a breeze.
J.Crew 770 Straight Fit Stretch Chinos
Style
Style-wise, the J Crew 770s are truly middle of the road—neither too slim nor too baggy, neither especially chic or objectionably gauche, neither look-at-me dashing nor look-away dowdy. All of which is to say that they’re a totally solid bet for most guys, especially those looking for their chinos not to make much of a statement. If I had to nominate a pair from this test as the best choice for the touch football game after your nephew’s high school graduation, the 770s are it. The 770s come in six colors—I’m partial to the Catskill Green.
Fit
The J. Crew 770s are a pretty classic straight fit, with a slight taper as you get to the ankle—medium rise, single button closure with zipper fly, and slanted side pockets. This is a great fit for hacking around on the weekends, though its refusal to go very far in any one direction leaves something to be desired if you’re looking to dress it up. You certainly won’t look bad throwing a navy blazer over the top, but your fit won’t be particularly elevated, so it’s best not to ask much of these casual pants beyond casual duties. I’m sure that they’d look just dandy hemmed with no break, but given their relaxed vibe, I quite like them with the cuffed.
Durability
These pants have held their shape well and I haven’t noticed any shrinkage or alteration with washing. They’re made with 1% elastane—the generic name for Lycra or Spandex—so they give a bit, and they’ve handled yard work nicely. I’ve had other pairs of J. Crew chinos in the past which have all held up well.
Comfort
No complaints here. The stretch in the fabric does give you a bit more mobility, though I don’t know that I really need it considering the standard straight fit. These pants are quite soft, probably the softest of the groups, so they earn a few extra points in this category.
Incotex Four Season Slim Fit Cotton Blend Chinos
Style
Incotex is a storied Italian brand, whose chinos have been coveted by the preppy set for decades. The look is classic and the fit is slim, the slimmest of the four pairs I tried. That said, style-wise they really perform and will have you feeling like you’re on the Riviera, even if you’re only in Raleigh.
Fit
When they say slim fit, they mean it. Of the four pants I tried, these are easily the slimmest, which in part lends them their elegance. Though it was quite a shift from weeks in the Acne chinos to a long stretch in these, I generally found the fit quite flattering and modern. No droopy seat, and a narrower ankle opening that looked best hitting just above the shoe tops. I strongly advise you to take to your tailor and have them hemmed with no break.
In my view, one of the major drawbacks of very slim pants is that the outline of your keys and phone are obvious in your front pants pockets. They simply have no place to hide, which can ruin the pants’ nice line. The flat front looks wonderfully modern on these pants. Carry your phone and keys in a jacket pocket or bag.
Durability
These Incotex chinos held up as well as any others that I tried, taking multiple washings and trips to the dump in stride. I should note that they’re made of the thinnest material of any of the four pairs I wore in this review. That’s no knock in and of itself, but as the temperature drops you’ll reach for them less and less. I go for them far more in the warmer months and are the first pair I’d pack for a sunny vacation. The fabric is Incotex’s Royal Batavia, a thin, flexible blend of 97% cotton and 3% elastane.
The finishing on all the buttons and buttonholes is top notch with these trousers, as it should be with their price of $375. There are two extra buttons sewn inside the pants as backups, and all the linings inside the pants and pockets are strong and durable. Perhaps most important to the longevity of the Incotex Four Seasons is that they come with enough material to let the waist out a good two inches—should you find yourself in need of a bit more room.
Comfort
Gents who want a little extra room in their trousers, especially in the crotch, seat, and thighs, should probably steer clear of the Four Seasons. As mentioned above, these pants are made with 3% elastane, and I certainly needed it when squatting down to tie my shoe or horse around with my kids. But with all that said, they are no more restricting than any other pair of truely slim fit trousers. If you like your pants a bit tight, then these are for you. And if you don’t, Incotex makes a more relaxed fit of the same model.
F.A.Q.
So, what’s the best pair?
If it wasn’t clear from the writeup (it should have been clear from the writeup), the best pair were the APCs—which goes to show you that for all the style lionizing of the Ivy League and English aristocrats, you should never sleep on French prep. The APCs were the ideal weight, fit, and cut, making these elevée khakis the American dream.
What’s the best value?
J Crew carries the day here. Classic design, great price, and a reverence for all things New England sporty. They make chinos in a bunch of different cuts and colors as well, including the now-famous Giant-fit Chino from menswear honcho Brendan Babenzian. Given the near inevitability of grass, paint, or kid stains, let J Crew’s very appealing price tag determine the answer.
Can I pull off the Incotex? I dig the idea of Italo-Preppy, but I’m nervous.
That’s understandable. Look, if you’re built like a defensive end, these aren’t the pants for you. Sorry, bud. But even if the slim fit scares you off, you should still definitely get into high-end loafers, trim linen shirts, and as many Aperol spritzes as you can find.
Wait, are khakis the same as chinos?
Well, yes and no. If you want to be strict, chinos are a style of cotton pants, and khaki is a color, and many many many chinos come in shades of khaki ranging from the palest beige to damn-near-brown taupe. The terms are fairly interchangeable—unless you’re a Style Forum heavy or trad-Ivy purist—so don’t get too hung up on it.
Are chinos for old guys who wear blue blazers?
Chinos are for everyone! I wish the old guys in blue blazers took their rigs to the tailor, but what makes chinos and blazers read old is the cut and has nothing to do with the nature of the garment itself. Newman and Redford wore khakis and they were both famously young right up until they weren’t.