Mister Four Eyes

This SS10 season, one of the more discussed topics in the blogosphere and in ad campaigns running the gamut from boutique ventures to mass production lines are  relatively unassuming: the chino and the khaki.

And while consumed in the daily staple of any WASP’s wardrobe, both items of this season are anything but that. Long suffering in attention to detail and fit, the proportions always tended to suit much more “healthy” men that left us slender guys wearing replicas of MC Hammer dance pants. Countless articles have acknowledged that the overall cut and proportion of most chinos don’t change, even if the inseam does..leaving us with an abundance of ill-fitting pants to select from at most shops.

In the spring, I live in my chinos, and warmly welcome the attention to this pant that folks tend to take for granted. It’s like denims bastard brother that no one wants to acknowledge; left to wither away in your closet until you need them for your niece’s baptism.

The question now is which one to choose? The ad campaigns are in abundance: Dockers recently unveiled their K1 campaign (their limited edition Cramerton Affected pant made of Type 1 Army Cloth, used by the military in WWII costs $250), Banana Republic’s “Live in Chino” (I would but your pant has shrunken 4 sizes in one wash so never again), to the countless stories written this season on Eunice Lee’s UNIS chino line (a favorite), Save Khaki, and many more.

If you’re more accustomed to denim, and need a refresher on choosing a great chino, check out a great primer that The Selvedge Yard posted by Details Magazine.