CHINOS – HOW, WHEN AND WHERE TO WEAR THEM?

Chinos – you probably know that this term refers to pants. But how, when and where to wear them? And why should you definitely own a pair – or more? Let’s get to the bottom of all this.

Philippines, 19th century: The soldiers in the Spanish-American War have their uniforms made from a light twill cotton fabric (you might recognize this distinct weave from denim), using a material from China –-which they call chino, Spanish for "Chinese".  

At this time, more than 120 years ago, chinos were not only practical in tropical climates, they were also cheap. Because a lot of the things that were essential to men's pants at the time were simply left out, thus saving an enormous amount of fabric. Chino pants had no pleats, they were cut rather narrow and they had few or even no pockets.

Chinos was so successful that American soldiers brought them home after the Second World War and simply continued to wear them in their free time – the comfortable cotton trousers were soon to be seen on every university campus, especially at the Ivy League school along the East Coast. To this day, when you say "preppy", you’re talking chinos.

However, it would be wrong to only associate chinos with American East Coast college style. These pants are really the Swiss army knife of pants. Anyone who owns a pair knows that chinos are just as suitable for the office as they are for after-work events – and most men love them for the weekends, too. After all, they are elegant enough for a business-casual dress code and yet so casual that they are perfect for a weekend outing as well

Unless you have to follow a strict dress code, chinos are your go-to choice for the job. Pick up a few classics in colors like light brown, dark blue, black or anthracite and you won't spend five minutes thinking about what to wear in the morning.

Pair your chinos with a quality shirt like our Classic Shirt. Why not opt for a pattern – you can't go wrong with classic stripes. With neutral, minimalist pants, you can even try subtle floral prints and show your sense of style. For a really sophisticated look, go for a blazer or a slim-fit, high-quality sweater.

Time to call it a day – or perhaps you’re off into the weekend or even a vacation. Good news: no need to change into different pants. Chinos are the perfect choice if you want to get the most out of your free time – but make sure there’s some stretch involved.

After all, you really don’t want to miss out on a spontaneous soccer match in the park, a bike ride or even a huge pizza with friends on a Saturday night. 

In terms of pairings, anything goes. There is no garment that wouldn’t work great with a pair of chinos. For warmer days, choose a t-shirt or a nice short-sleeved shirt as a partner. Comfort is key? With chinos, even your hoodie will be suitable to impress your mother-in-law. Speaking of mother-in-laws: a shirt with 360° stretch will provide maximum comfort for long meals and you won’t miss your tracksuit for a second.

Again: chinos are a no-brainer, and they work with all and any shoe. And they will always look different, depending on whether you pair them with classic leather shoes, modern Chelsea boots or your favorite sneakers. They are the perfect blank canvas to draw attention to your footwear, if that’s what you’re after. 

There is one thing you know now: you need a pair of chinos. But there are so many to choose from! At SHAPING NEW TOMORROW, pick one of two different styles (or both. We won’t judge): the Essential Pants or the Classic Pants.

You like it extra comfortable and don’t want your pants to restrict your movements? Then the Classic Pants are for you. These classic chinos are made from high-quality, soft Pima cotton. And softness alone just doesn’t quite do it for us, we’ve developed our very own FreeFiberTM technology, which creates an innovative stretch fabric that follows your every move, keeps its shape and is incredibly soft. You can also choose between slim fit and regular fit – depending on your body type and taste.

You’re always up for an adventure, but you’re not up for sacrificing comfort? Our Essential Pants are here for it. The innovative material is based on our very own TechRecTM technology. You may have recognized that the name contains the words “technology” and “recycling” – and that sums up pretty nicely what these chinos are all about.

The fabric is partially made with recycled plastic bottles that would otherwise have ended up in landfill – yet these bottles have so much potential. TechRecTM is actually the base for all of our Essential products. Like all of these, our Essential Pants come with a bunch of nifty features:

From now on, stop caring about what day of the week it is, what time it is or where you’re going. At least when it comes to choosing your pants in the morning.