Styling Khaki Chinos: Finding Your Best Fit
Khaki chino pants have become a menswear staple. Chinos started out as attire for military troops in the 1800s has grown into an article of clothing that comes in many sizes, colors, and even fabrics. They’re so versatile, in fact, that many menswear brands have offered a “performance” version made from fabrics normally reserved for gym attire.
In this guide, we’re going to dive deeper into what makes our chinos different and provide some deeper insight into how you should be wearing them. We’ll cover how they should fit, what colors you should wear with them, what you should pair them with, and lastly what activities they’re suited for.
How Chinos Should Fit Short Men
How your chinos waist should fit
The waist of your chinos should be a snug, but flexible fit. Our chinos are made with 3% Elastane, which gives them enough stretch for you to comfortably move around.
The best chinos rise
Our chinos have a low rise, which allows them to sit lower on your waist. This gives them a more casual look that gives you the flexibility to dress them up or down.
How should your chinos fit your thighs?
When it comes to the thigh-area of your pants, the fit should be tight enough to hug your thighs without be restrictive. A good test for this is to, while wearing your pants, pinch the fabric and see how much is excess. Typically, an inch of excess fabric is a happy middle ground for a slim cut.
How should your chinos fit your legs?
The legs of your chinos should follow the same rules as the thighs — they should hug your calves without being restrictive. A slim cut chino, like ours, will pass the pinch test around the thickest part of your lower leg.
What Colors Should Your Wear With Your Khaki Chinos?
Pairing your khaki chinos with white
Khaki and white are a classic color combination you can’t go wrong with.
Wearing navy with your khaki chinos
Pairing navy with khaki is a good way to remain neutral without being too bland.
Olive and khaki
Olive green and khaki is a great color combination for the fall season. The richness of the green works well with khaki to give you a warmer look overall.
Burgundy and khaki: a match made in heaven
If you want to spice things up in your outfit, burgundy is a great color with a rich tone that, along with khaki, gives you a warm, calming presence.
Wearing black with your khakis
Black is a classic color to wear khaki with when you’re going after darker tones. Make sure you balance it out with a lighter colored accessory, however. A good way to do this is a light colored jacket or pair of shoes.
What to pair your khaki chinos with
Elevated casual chinos
Smart casual chinos
Business casual chinos
The khaki chinos to wear based on your day
The chinos to wear on your days off
When you’re running errands on your off-days, wearing a solid pair of chinos is a great choice. Pair this with a solid color t-shirt or henley and you have an elevated casual look.
The chinos to wear when you want to look professional
Depending on your profession, chinos are a great choice for your office uniform. Change colors everyday and it’ll seem like you have an endless number of chinos in your wardrobe.
The chinos to wear on dinner dates
Dressing to impress applies to the dating world, especially when it comes to dates in the evening. When you’re planning to attend a fancy, upscale place for dinner, it’s important to look the part. Wear our navy chinos with a button-down or dress shirt and an outer layer of your choice.
When deciding what to wear with our navy chinos, it’s important to understand that regardless of what you choose, chinos will elevate your look. This means, if you’re aiming for a smart casual look, you can wear a typically casual item such as a t-shirt and still be able to pull it off. However, this isn’t without limitations, as personal style is a subjective thing. Ultimately, we hope this guide gave you a foundation with which you can base your future outfit choices.
The Ash & Erie Difference
Building chinos for short men from scratch
We’ve poured a tremendous amount of work into developing our chinos, and we hope you can feel the difference when you put it on. We work with great mills to source our cotton, and our development process is unmatched.