These New Dockers Chinos Are a Must-Buy — and They’re American-Made

These simple khaki pants reimagine the brand’s tan icon for today.

a man wearing khaki chinos and a tan tshirt

Published March 17, 2023

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Dockers introduced its Made in the USA line in late 2022 with a collection modeled by Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole. They tapped the local, NBA draft-scouted talent because they felt their new line had a similar homegrown appeal — especially since it was, as the named implied, going to be made entirely Stateside. The cotton used was sourced from farms in the contiguous 48, and it was transformed into trusty Dockers chinos — as well as sweatshirts and T-shirts — in a Los Angeles factory.

The chinos represent an evolution of Dockers’s signature product: versatile khaki chinos. Sure, they’ve evolved a number of times since the mid-1980s, but this newest version feels like the brand’s best iteration yet. The Dockers Made in the USA Chino comes in two colors, navy and khaki, and boasts a relaxed, tapered fit that flatters at the waist and hips and creates an angled silhouette down to the ankle. But with its slant pockets, a hidden zippered one, two buttoned butt pockets and exaggerated belt loops, this chino mixes the new and old, combining a modern, tapered fit with elements original to early officer pants.

Dockers Made in the USA Chinos Review

Dockers Made in the USA Chino (Navy)

$140.00 at Dockers

Pros

Are a deep, dark blue that looks black in low light

Cons

Run a little slimmer than the khaki color
Are a little cropped

Dockers Made in USA Chino (Khaki)

$140.00 at Dockers

Pros

Run more relaxed than the blue version
Fit slightly longer than the blue version
Have a hidden zipper pocket

Cons

Are less bright in person
Pocket feels super full when you use both the regular pocket and the zippered one

What’s Good About Dockers Made in the USA Chinos

man wearing a leather jacket, khaki pants and black sneakers showing off how the clothes fit — The khaki chinos fit better in the waist and run longer, leaving less of my Chuck 70s showing.

They’re made in America.

There’s something to be said about Dockers’s pledge to American manufacturing — and raw material — with this project. Yes, Made in the USA makes up a small percentage of Dockers’s overall sales, and the rest of it is mostly made overseas (in Cambodia, primarily), meaning this is at a start. And if it does well, like I think it will, Dockers will surely grow its footprint in the 50 states.

Plus, so far, basics have brought Dockers back. The brand reported 13 percent year-over-year growth at the end of 2022, citing surging interest in its “basics” as the catalyst. And basic these are — but that’s a good thing.

They’re perfectly basic.

Dockers doesn’t need to do too much. It shouldn’t strive to compete with streetwear brands or boutique fashion houses. Collaborations with popular figures from either party are fair game, though, and work to boost the brand’s, well, street cred. They draw outsiders in — folks that are into fashion and typically shop from smaller labels.

But steadily improving your core collection proves equally important, and Dockers has done that. As I said when these first dropped, the Made in the USA collection is another step in the right direction.

These pants fit well, even though they’re unisex.

Both pairs fit well in the crotch and seat despite being unisex. Admittedly the waists are a little than usual, especially on the khaki pair, but this style flatters most body types. It’s clearly based on a classic officer’s pant, which were the standard issue chinos before chinos. This influence is especially apparent on the khaki version, though, especially since the side seam sticks out more on lighter tones.

Dockers got the colors right.

Both colors are nice deviations from the modern grays, blacks, brighter blues and maroons you see from other lifestyle brands. They’re a classic combo: rich, dark navy and muted khaki, even though the online photos make the latter look like a truer tan.

What’s Not Ideal About Dockers Made in the USA Chinos

There are inconsistencies in fit between colors.

Before my pairs came, I was told that the navy version runs a little slimmer, but that some folks still found them true to size. The khaki color, however, definitely was, I found once they came. The khaki pair fits perfectly, just as I like ’em: higher in the waist, straight through the hips and tapered through the legs. Plus, I like my pants long enough to hang over the collar of a Chuck 70 (my favorite sneaker) but not long enough to drag on the ground.

hem — There’s a big difference between sizes 34×32 in each color.

waist — There’s a big difference between sizes 34×32 in each color.

The khaki version in a 34×32 was exactly my size. The blue version in the same measurements, however, ran a little short and felt way tighter around my waist. They also didn’t seem as long, even if the difference was a half inch at most.

The differences, though, make, well, a world of difference. I definitely like wearing the khaki pair more.

Dockers Made in the USA Chinos: The Verdict

If you want a tidy, traditional chino pant, you can’t go wrong with these…but I’d get the khaki, not navy, version. For me, the khaki pair fit way better, but it sounds like I’m not alone. The navy ones truly felt much tighter, and they didn’t quite drape the same way because of it.