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The Best Chinos to Wear When You Get Bored of Blue Jeans

Denim does the job, but you can’t survive on jeans alone. Swap them out for one of these trustworthy chino pants.

styleJ.Crew, Everlane, Taylor Stitch

By Evan Malachosky

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Truthfully, most men could get by with three different pairs of pants: jeans, sweatpants and chinos. Chinos are just dressy enough to double as date attire, yet casual enough for weekend errands and days toiling away in the at-home office. They’re versatile, perhaps even more so than denim.

Products in the Guide

  • Buck Mason Slub Twill Maverick Slim Officer Pant

    Best Overall Chinos

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  • Todd Snyder Italian Cotton Gurkha Trouser

    Best Upgrade Chinos

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  • L.L. Bean Wrinkle-Free Double L Chinos

    Best Affordable Chinos

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  • The Democratic Foundation Pant in Organic Khaki

    Most Durable Chinos

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  • Wythe Flat Front Cotton Linen Twill Chino

    Most Breathable Chinos

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  • Dockers Made in the USA Chino

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What to Look for

Chinos have been around for nearly 200 years. That’s longer than commercial blue jeans, but not the blue cotton work pants that predate Levi’s 501s, for example. Originally known as khakis, a Hindustani reference to the sand-colored cotton twill fabric, chinos as a term began to take hold during the Spanish-American War in the late 1800s. It derives from the Spanish word for ‘Chinese’ and is a shortened version of chinos pantalones or ‘Chinese pants.’

They originally featured slanted or on-seam side pockets, belt loops and a wide fit, and were introduced to militaries around the world before making their way to civilians. Today, every brand has a version of its own, from the ubiquitous and affordable to the esoteric.

How to Style Chinos

Simply put, when we’re not wearing jeans, we’re probably wearing chinos. The understudy to the classic blue jean may even outdo the star on occasion. It’s about as versatile and certainly as classic (and even older). That means you can wear them with a broken-in chore coat or a crisp, new Oxford; a polished polo or a simple T-shirt. The options are endless.

Wooden Sleepers founder Brian Davis says a fuller cut proves more versatile, and more comfortable. After the rise and fall of skinny fits, he says men are finally coming around to these wider styles.

“Years later,” he says, “the pendulum is finally swinging to a fuller cut. A pretty mainstream brand even sells a chino cut in this wider military style now” — he means J.Crew — “which is hilarious to me since they popularized the super-slim chino in the first place.”

Chinos vs. Jeans

These are probably the most popular trousers out. One is casual, while the other is even more so. Which one is which? Well, that’s up to you. While some folks love the comfort a faded pair of blue jeans offers, others prefer stiffer chinos that soften with time. Jeans are more casual, says Davis, but chinos offer refinement. “They look great with boots,” he says, or, if you’re trying to remain casual, “canvas sneakers like a Sperry CVO, or loafers.”

To read more about many’s case for wearing chinos in place of jeans, read our dedicated breakdown of the debate.

How We Tested

chinosEvan Malachosky

Our testers put a number of chino pants to the test over the course of several months, wearing them into the office, out to dinner and around town, doing everyday errands, like grocery shopping, picking up dry cleaning and tending to a storage unit across town.

They inspected how they felt, whether they faded with wear and how they held up after being washed.

To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.

Buck Mason Khaki Slub Twill Maverick Slim Officer Pant

style©2023 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Best Overall Chinos

Buck Mason Slub Twill Maverick Slim Officer Pant

Basics brand Buck Mason’s Officer-inspired khakis come cut from slub twill, a soft, durable fabric designed to age with wear. Plus, they’re a versatile weight that’s comfortable year-round. Pick from four colors: light green, tan, darker tan and black.

Reviewers appreciate the comfortable fit, mid-rise and tapered legs, which give the illusion that these were professionally tailored. The texture, on the other hand, implies these have been around for a while, perhaps passed down. There’s a tiny coin pocket for safekeeping, two slanted hip pockets and a Hollywood waistband, which means there really is no waistband, just an extension of the fabric finished with belt loops.

The only bad thing about these, our tester says, is that they only come in one length. But the brand offers a solution. “Our pants/jeans come in one inseam length and are designed to be taken to the tailor to make them the perfect length for you,” a representative said. “If you live near one of our retail stores, we do have a hemming service.”

Todd Snyder Italian Cotton Gurkha Trousers

style©2023 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Best Upgrade Chinos

Todd Snyder Italian Cotton Gurkha Trouser

Chinos are a casual pant, but Todd Snyder does his up with a self-belted waist he pulls from traditional British army trousers, which draw their influences from trousers found in Nepal — hence the name, Gurkha. Snyder opts for lightweight Italian cotton instead of wool or canvas, which many earlier iterations were made from, and adds a double pleat, a perma-crease and a higher rise.

They’re not high-waisted by any means, our tester says, but the belt line does sit closer to the belly button than it does the pubic bone, which gives the wearer a more traditional, tailored silhouette. They’re easy to dress up, but they can also be worn with a vintage T-shirt or sweatshirt, too.

L.L. Bean Wrinkle-Free Double L Chinos

L.L. Bean makes loads of outerwear, bags and accessories, but chino pants, too, if you didn’t know. They skew rather conservative but that doesn’t mean they won’t work for the fashion-minded as well. They’re wider and have a plain front (with a single crease on both legs), but they’re also wrinkle and stain-resistant. Pick from seven colors, each for under $50.

Reviewers say they fit well but prove a little baggy at the back, which leads to an unflattering silhouette from behind. But otherwise, they’re an A+ option for the price. The stain resistance isn’t all that powerful, though, so, as you would with any pants, avoid spills as best you can.

Taylor Stitch The Democratic Foundation Pant

Taylor Stitch makes an assortment of high-quality, classic-looking chinos. They’re durable, available at a damn fair price, and offered in the usual colors. They run a little slim, though — so be warned. Our tester found they were tight through the thighs and the seat, which made it, well, difficult to get comfortable in these when seated or saddled on a bike or motorcycle.

If you’re a slender guy, though, you’ll find these are fine, and the democratic fit, as they call it, will flatter.

Wythe Flat Front Cotton Linen Twill Chino

style©2023 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Most Breathable Chinos

Wythe Flat Front Cotton Linen Twill Chino

Made from a mix of cotton and linen, Wythe’s Flat Front Cotton Linen Twill Chinos are breathable but sturdy still. They fit like pairs from the ’40s, which were wider, but not billowing like J.Crew’s Giant-Fit Chinos. The fit is much more straight, and the hand feel is soft and textured, thanks to the finish, which comes via a mix of washing and its natural, unbleached hue.

Our tester found they worked for three of the four seasons, but the linen blend isn’t the best in winter.

Dockers Made in the USA Chino

“There’s a lot of work that goes into earning the ‘Made in America’ tag, so we’re incredibly proud to launch this collection,” Nic Rendic, Global Head of Design for Dockers, says.

These chinos, although simple, are no small feat. They’re made in the US, unlike a lot of Dockers’s stuff, and they’re a step into the fashion sphere, even if Dockers doesn’t like to hear that. These chinos are sturdy, stylish and come in two colors: a classic khaki and an almost-black blue.

They fit well, but there are sizing discrepancies between the colors, our tester found. The khaki ones fit better than the blue, which ran small and were slightly cropped. Neither are terribly long, but the shortness was much more of an issue with the navy iteration.

J.Crew Giant-Fit Chino Pant

J.Crew’s Giant-Fit Chinos caused quite a stir. The well-made, super comfortable staple is the type of pant most gravitate toward once fall and winter dressing starts to feel a little more routine.

There’s no stretch — just stone- and enzyme-washed cotton twill — and the leg openings (which are 20.5 inches wide vs. just 16.5 inches on J.Crew’s relaxed-fit chinos) hang nicely around the collar of high-top boots or Chuck Taylors, especially with the polished, 1.375-inch affixed cuffs, our tested found. They liked how the fabric felt, too, which softened with wear but didn’t fade or really change colors.

They’re a concentrated dose of ’80s and ’90s nostalgia strong enough to make you forget about the era’s lowlights — like frosted tips and padded shoulders. But they aren’t too bold. In fact, Davis was surprised at how tame they truly were, despite the Giant-Fit name.

J.Crew Classic Relaxed-Fit Chino

The upgrade to J.Crew from Dickies’ 574, for example, is about more than material. The brand’s popular Classic Relaxed Fit Chino goes a few steps further in quality with a lined waistband and chambray binding at the seams. Also, they come in a full spectrum of colors.

They’re slimmer-fitting than the Giant-Fit Chinos, our tester found, but by no means skinny. In fact, they’re straight-fit, if nothing else, which means they’ll work with a button-down but also a T-shirt, whether you wear them with sneakers or suede loafers.

Bonobos Stretch Washed Chinos

style©2023 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Best Stretch Chinos

Bonobos Original Stretch Washed Chino

If you want your pants to bend with you as move, go with Bonobos. The brand makes a bunch of stretchy bottoms, and the best ones are these Stretch Washed Chinos, which come in a number of colors and have a signature curved waistband for a more comfortable fit.

They look like chinos but perform like, well, performance pants, all without looking too much like the latter. They’re a nice compromise, our tester found, and they quickly became a go-to for both the office and off-hours adventures.

Runabout Goods Angler Khaki

Runabout Goods makes some of the best chinos around, regardless of price. Each detail is ruthlessly considered and there are a lot of them. The on-seam pockets are gently curved and bound for durability. The pocket bags are also self-bound, as is the fly, which uses melamine buttons. And as though the US-made nine-ounce cotton twill fabric isn’t tough enough already, the pants are reinforced with bartack stitching and double-needle construction.

Everlane The Performance Chino

Modern basics brand Everlane, of course, makes a chino. In fact, there are a few on their site, each with varying levels of stretch and sportiness. The Performance Chino is constructed from 94 percent cotton and 6 percent elastane, ensuring stretch without sleekness. They wick moisture well and dry fast, all without being too suffocating, our tester found. They could wear them well into the fall and all the way back into the middle of summer, and they felt comfortable no matter the temperature (or what they wore them with).

Todd Snyder Slim Fit 5-Pocket Chino

Okay, if you can’t muster up the strength to peel your jeans off your body for more than a day, why not get a pair of chinos that have the details of the classic blue jean you’ve become emotionally dependent upon? Todd Snyder’s chinos are just that. They come with riveted reinforcements, scooped hand pockets, rear patch pockets and the vestigial watch pocket, but are rendered in garment-dyed stretch twill.

Adapture Standard Fit Chino Pants

style© 2022 Bruce Nauman / SIAE Courtesy l’artista; Sperone Westwater, New York, e Pirelli HangarBicocca, Milano Foto Agostino Osio

Best Overall Chino Pants

Adapture Standard Fit Chino Pant

A nod to Dickies’s 574 Work Pant, Adapture’s Standard Fit Chino Pants fit a lot like those, with a permacrease centered on each leg, a very straight, sort-of-cropped design and a similar texture, which is lent by the cotton-polyester blend fabric. Kind of skate-inspired, sort of workwear-influenced, this is that famous style, done better.

Dickies 574 Work Pant

Admittedly built and marketed as a work pant, the Dickies line of chinos represent the quintessential pants. But don’t let their rough-and-ready connotation (work) limit you. They’re made of tough, wrinkle-resistant poly-cotton twill in a classic straight fit and come with a flat front and creased leg for a dressy appearance. The 574 will stand up to skating, manual labor and whatever outfit you have in mind for the day.

Alex Mill Flat Front Pant

Founded in 2012 by Mickey Drexler, Alex Mill makes “uniforms for individuals,” aka interesting tops, bottoms, and everything in between. Their products aren’t whimsical designer whiffs, though, but rather classic shirts and chinos, primarily. Their Flat Front Pants are promising both for their quality and their look, which emphasizes a wider take on the traditional style.

Roark Porter Pants 3.0

For Roark, versatility is front of mind. Their line of chino pants are adventure-ready and inspired needs recorded on actual trips. Take, for example, the zipper pocket, or the stretch Embarq fabric (a blend of nylon and cotton). You’ll find their pants work with a lot of your existing wardrobe, but perform better.

Uniqlo Slim-Fit Chino Pants

If you’re looking for something a bit less stiff but still within the realm of very affordable, Uniqlo’s chinos should be the pick. They’re made from a blend of 97 percent cotton and 3 percent spandex (for stretch). With details like a lined waistband, natural nut button and a classic fit, combined with such an approachable price point, these are some of the best pound for pound.

Levi’s XX Chino Pants

Levi’s doesn’t just make jeans. In the hope of covering all bases, they’ve expanded beyond them to chinos, too. See the Levi’s XX Chino Pants, for example, 98-percent cotton bottoms with a tapered leg.

RRL Officer Chino

RRL carefully remade a military issue pant British soldiers wore back in the 1940s. They’re pre-washed for a faded, vintage look and fit straight through the leg. The pants are reinforced at the points most likely to rip or split, and their construction eases eventual fixes and alterations. Plus, there are plenty more chino pants to choose from on their site.

Carhartt WIP Sid Pant

For those unfamiliar, Carhartt WIP is the hub for upgraded Carhartt originals. As such, the fits are better, the materials more pedestrian (in a good way) and the colors less construction site. These Sid pants are cut from 8.6 oz cotton twill, feature bar tack stitching at high-stress points, slant pockets and a tapered fit through the leg.

Duckhead Gold School Chino

Duckhead is an American original. The brand was founded in 1865 and peaked in the ’80s and early ’90s. It was independent for a long time but was acquired, sold and then acquired again by several partners through the 2010s. In 2016, Oxford Industries — Tommy Bahama, Southern Tide, Lilly Pulitzer — bought Duckhead with plans to revive it within two years, and it did. The brand re-launched in 2018 with Bill’s Khakis founder Bill Thomas as Brand Director. The pants are tough, classic and a touch southern.

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