Go brave and try a pleated chino
Chinos are one of the most useful trousers a man can own.
Somewhere between jeans and tailoring, they work across most of the places you actually need to go. The office, the weekend, dinner, the pub. Dress them up with a shirt and loafers, or keep things relaxed with a T-shirt and trainers.
The trick is finding the cut and shape that works for you. For us, that often means a little more room through the leg and, if you're open to it, a pair of pleats.
Here’s how we wear them...
The Case for Pleated Trousers
If you’ve always worn flat-front trousers, double pleats might take a little getting used to. They give the leg more room, create a cleaner drape from the hip and bring a little more shape to the silhouette. Once you try them, you may wonder why you waited.
That doesn’t mean flat fronts are out. They have their place, particularly if you prefer a cleaner, simpler line. The difference is really one of proportion and feel. Pleats offer more room through the upper leg and a little more movement. Flat fronts keep things straightforward.
Our trousers are built around two forward pleats and a wider leg, cut from cotton twill woven with Sondrio in the Italian Alps, with stretch for ease of movement. The waistband sits where it should and the leg breaks once at the shoe. There’s also a turn-up, which can be let down if you prefer a little more length. It’s a considered take on a classic trouser, designed to be comfortable enough for all day.
For summer and Autumn, the same relaxed carrot shape comes in a lightweight stretch cotton. The hem can be rolled for a more casual, cropped look or worn straight. And if pleats still aren't for you, there’s a flat front trouser version in the same lighter fabric, with four practical pockets, a concealed triple-button closure, a mid rise and the same generous leg.
There’s no right answer. We happen to like a pleat. You might too.
Fit and weight
A chino should have a clean line from hip to hem. A double-pleated cut with a wider leg does this naturally, the extra room at the front is structural, not sloppy. It sits on the waist without a belt working too hard.
Weight. A thin, papery chino always looks cheap, whatever you put with it. A cotton twill with substance drapes, holds its shape and looks deliberate. This is the single biggest difference between a good pair and a bad one.
What shoes to wear with chinos
This is the question men actually search for, so here it is plainly.
Loafers. The best answer most of the time. A suede penny or tassel loafer with stone or navy chinos is close to unimprovable from April to September, with or without socks. With a pleated trouser and the hem resting just above the shoe, this is a complete outfit.
Desert boots. Made for this combination. The casual silhouette of a suede desert boot and the relaxed leg of a pleated chino sit naturally together.
Chelsea boots. Better in autumn and winter. Leather chelseas lift chinos towards proper tailoring. Suede keeps it relaxed. Both work, as long as the hem falls cleanly over the boot rather than catching on it.
Derbies and brogues. The smart end. A brown derby with navy or grey chinos is a dependable answer for occasions where a suit is not required.
Trainers. White leather or plain canvas, kept clean. White leather trainers with stone chinos is a genuinely good look. A running shoe is not, the technical sole gives it away. For men wearing our lightweight chinos in summer, a clean white trainer is often the right finish.
What shoes to wear with chino male, a note on colour: brown and tan leather work with nearly every chino shade. Black is trickier. It settles happily with grey, navy and black chinos. With stone, tan or blue, brown or suede will look better.
What to Wear with Chinos: Shirts
An oxford cloth button-down with chinos is a permanent fixture for good reason. Relaxed enough to match the trouser, structured enough to hold its own.
Cut Away Collar Shirts. For something sharper, a cut-away collar in a clean poplin or fine cotton works well. Our non-iron shirts in recycled Italian cotton are made for exactly this, worn tucked in, no ironing required, no fuss. A Como print or a twill weave reads well against a plain chino because the trouser gives the eye somewhere to settle.
On tucking: chinos have a defined waistband. They are built to be worn with a tucked shirt. Untucked only works if the shirt is short and straight enough at the hem to be worn that way. Most shirts are not.
T-shirts. A plain t-shirt with chinos is the most common summer outfit in Britain, and it is usually let down by the t-shirt. With no collar and no pattern, the fabric is doing all the work. A fine merino wool t-shirt holds its shoulder line and drapes rather than clings. Ecru, oatmeal, olive and navy all sit well against stone and blue chinos.
knitwear. In colder months, try the recycled wool knitwear worn over a collared shirt with the collar out is the most reliable chino outfit there is. Crew neck, half-zip or shawl collar, all work. Merino or lambswool, nothing chunky, a heavy knit overwhelms a well-cut trouser.
Jackets and outerwear. An unstructured jacket in recycled cotton or soft wool turns chinos into something you could wear to dinner. A suit jacket does not. It will always look like it has lost its trousers.
Overshirts covers the same ground with less formality and is the most useful thing to own as a trusty all-year layer. Simple pop the collar and you'll be looking sharp. A technical outdoor shell does not, it drags the whole outfit somewhere it was never meant to go.
What to Wear with Chinos, by Colour
What to wear with stone and beige chinos. The most versatile starting point. Navy, white, olive and brown all work above them. Suede loafers or white leather trainers below. Our double-pleated chino in stone is the most worn colour we make, it earns that. Avoid pairing with a very pale top half unless you want to disappear into the background.
What to wear with navy chinos. Smarter than they look. Closer to tailoring than any other chino colour. White, sky blue, grey or burgundy above. Brown leather below. Navy chinos are one of the few shades that take a black shoe comfortably. Try a modern monochrome look a pair with navy with a navy merino wool overshirt for autumn.
What to wear with blue chinos. A mid or washed blue is more relaxed than navy and sits beautifully with white, ecru and oatmeal. Suede desert boots or white trainers. Keep the top half clean, the blue does the work.
What to wear with oatmeal chinos. Warmer than stone. Works well with olive, navy and white above. Brown suede below. Tan and light brown together can look muddy, so keep some contrast between trouser and shoe.
What to wear with green chinos. More interesting than most men expect and very forgiving. White, ecru, navy and chocolate above. Brown or tan suede below. Olive is the chino colour that makes a plain t-shirt look deliberate rather than accidental.
What to wear with black chinos. Sharper in the evening, harder in daylight. Keep everything else either black, white or grey, and use texture rather than colour. Black or dark brown leather below.
What we make
Our trousers are cut in a double-pleated shape from a cotton twill woven by Tessuti di Sondrio in the Italian Alps, a mill that produces 90% of its energy on-site and recovers 83% of its waste. There is also a lightweight version in the same relaxed carrot shape, and a flat-front cut for those who prefer a cleaner front line.
Colours include navy, stone, blue, green and oatmeal, from £160.
Every pair is made with the same logic as everything else we make: buy it once, wear it for years, send it back when you are done.
Come and find us at 38 Lambs Conduit Street, or see the full range online.
Frequently asked questions
+ What shoes go with chinos? Suede loafers, desert boots, chelsea boots and derbies all work well, as do clean plain leather trainers. Brown and tan leather suit almost every chino colour. Black shoes work best with grey, navy or black chinos.
+ What colour shirt goes with beige chinos? Navy, white, olive and mid blue all work. Beige is a light neutral, so a shade or two darker on top gives the outfit definition without trying too hard.
+ What to wear with navy chinos? White, sky blue, grey or burgundy above, and brown leather below. Navy is the closest chino colour to tailoring, so it takes a jacket more comfortably than lighter shades.
Can you wear a t-shirt with chinos? Yes, and the fabric of the t-shirt is what decides whether it looks considered. A fine merino wool t-shirt that drapes rather than clings will hold up. A heavy cotton one will not.
+ Should you tuck a shirt into chinos? Usually yes. Chinos are cut to be worn with a tucked shirt. Untucked works only if the shirt is short and straight enough at the hem for it.
+ Can you wear trainers with chinos? Clean, plain leather or canvas trainers, yes. Running shoes and technical trainers, no. The heavier the sole, the more casual the look becomes.
+ What jacket goes with chinos? An unstructured jacket, like a blouson or bomber, and try to layer with an overshirt.
+ Can you wear black shoes with chinos? With grey, navy or black chinos, yes. With stone, tan or light blue, the contrast is usually too stark, brown or suede will look better.