“The fabric is extraordinarily breezy and soft thanks to that blend of linen and cotton, and the roomy cut is akin to vintage chinos from the ‘60s, just a touch narrower,” Ortiz says. While the linen material gives it a ton of texture off the bat, it’s the herringbone weave that lifts it to another level. The mid-high rise in tandem with the relaxed straight leg and center crease make these chinos some of the most flattering cuts we’ve tried and they look great with a plain white tee and sneakers as well as dressed to the nines with some dress shoes and a blazer.
Best Pleated Chinos for Men: Alex Mill Standard Pleated Pant
Fit: Relaxed-taper | Material: 98% cotton, 2% elastane | Fly: Zip | Colors: Khaki, black, navy, oat milk | Sizes: 28-38 waist; regular-long length
If you’re after a pair of pleated chinos, Alex Mill’s Standard Pleated Pant are a shoe-in. Pleated chinos? In this fashion landscape? Yes. We realize that pleated chinos sound terribly dusty, but Alex Mill’s are far from that. The long rise, relaxed thigh, tapered leg, and cropped hem are actually on par with some of the coolest silhouettes coming out of Japan. They feel like they honor the genre while updating it for the modern era of fashion enthusiasts. They may call them ‘standard’, but we would happily disagree. Oh, and if you think they’re a touch too short, they also offer them in a longer length.
More Chinos We Love
Your Chino FAQs, Answered
What makes a good pair of chinos?
A classic pair of chinos is usually made from a mid-weight cotton twill fabric that fall smack dab in between a typical shirting fabric and your average pair of blue jeans. (For the nerds, that’s about 8-ounces). They’ll fit like a well-tailored trouser, with a mid- or high-rise and, generally, a darted rear waist to hug your bum in the most flattering way. Many higher-quality chinos will also include a curtained waistband which is an extra piece of fabric fixed to the inside of the waistband. This helps reinforce the waist, prevent it from rolling, keeps the pockets lying flat, and covers the inner seam work (don’t worry, it’s really not necessary).
What’s the difference between chinos and khakis?
Scratching your head at the menswear parlance? You’re not alone. Khakis and chinos are quite similar and, it can be difficult to tell the difference between the two. To be honest, those differences are pretty minor and the lines between the two just seem to be getting blurrier every day. Both are usually made from a cotton-twill fabric with slanted hand pockets as well as welted pockets at the rear (as opposed to the patched pockets you’d find on a pair of jeans). But the menswear cognoscenti will tell you that khakis tend to use sturdier fabrics while chinos are ever so slightly lighter (yeah…silly). Not only that, khakis are also more strongly tied to the dusty beige color from which they gets their name, so you’re more likely to see a pair of navy cotton twill pants dubbed as chinos rather than khakis.
Which fit of chinos is best?
Listen here, bud. It’s 2024. Fit is all relative. Everyone’s body is different as is everyone’s taste. At the end of the day, you should like what you see in the mirror. But if that advice isn’t practical enough for you we suggest a few things. First, the “best” fit for a pair of chinos depends on your body type and the situation in which you’re wearing the chinos. Without going too deep, the best fit for the most people is a classic straight fit, perhaps even a slightly relaxed fit. The silhouette du jour changes every few years, but if you split the difference and stick with a fit that’s very middle-of-the-road, you’re much less likely to ruffle any feathers with your bosses, with the wedding party, and save yourself some embarrassment should you go down memory lane.
Can I wear chinos to a wedding?
That depends on the wedding. Chinos aren’t as dressy as suit pants, but if it’s an outdoor wedding or if the wedding invite says to dress semi-formal or if it says ‘casual’ anywhere in the invite, chinos are a safe bet. But we’d advise that you wear your chinos with a button-up shirt and a tie at the very least, if not with a matching cotton blazer.
What color chinos should I own?
This is subjective and dependent on your wardrobe. But the three most popular chino colors are khaki, navy, and black. Perhaps the most classic colorway for chinos is khaki, which pairs well with any color palette. Black chinos are great if you really need a pair of chinos to pass muster in dressier occasions.
How We Tested
To kick off the process, we enlisted a who’s who of GQ staffers to wear-test our contenders. Some of our colleagues have worked in retail; others have toiled for small-batch labels; all spend objectively too much time thinking about pants. We leaned on that collective experience to guide our search, culling a mix of household names, indie favorites, and the artisanal imprints on the bleeding-edge of the genre. Then we narrowed down the assortment to the picks that scored the highest across quality, fit, and price.
Our testers owned some of the chinos on this list already, but a whole bunch were totally new to us. So after wear-testing the entire crop, we recorded our deeply scientific observations and rejiggered our selections accordingly. Based on those evaluations, we ran the numbers, collated the anecdotal evidence, and emerged with a list of what we believe to be the absolute best chinos for men right now, from the tried-and-true stalwarts to the modern disruptors, the affordable beaters to the wildly expensive (but wildly worth-it) designer riffs. Whatever your preferences, whatever your style, there’s bound to be a pair here for you. (Read more about GQ’s testing process here.)
Our Testers
- Gerald Ortiz, GQ Style Commerce Writer
- Michael Nolledo, GQ Associate Commerce Director
- Reed Nelson, GQ Contributor
- Avidan Grossman, GQ Senior Commerce Editor
