Following on from last week’s essential Mac/Trench article comes another item which I think you should all have in your wardrobe. The men’s chino was typically associated with older men only a few years ago, but now it has broken into the younger fashion crowd and you can pick up great versions from places like Topman, All Saints and other younger designer brands. There comes a point in a man’s life when they start searching for their own individual style and want to develop their taste so they can stand out – It is probably one of the reasons you read this site. This has led to a lot of items that used to be very much “unfashionable” in a lot of people’s minds come to the forefront over the past 5 years and are now true style staples… items such as cardigans, macs, bow ties, geek specs, brogues and the like have all been picked up and used to create new and exciting looks which have then been picked up by the mainstream as well.

It shows that our need to stand out is evolving, and we are all looking for a way to separate us from the crowd. The chino’s made a massive comeback earlier this year because it matched the whole nautical theme and deck shoes perfectly. Whilst the footwear trends might have changed for these colder months, a lot of the true fashion crowd realised that a great relaxed trouser like the chino is an amazing alternative to jeans and works in so many different looks. As I said with the Mac, it is important to build your wardrobe around versatile and timeless classic items. The chinos definitely fit this description.

They work in pretty much any situation… you can dress them up really casually with a great graphic tee, hi-tops and leather jacket or go completely the other way with a great pair of brogues, shirt, cardigan and statement jacket. You can even go eccentric and roll the bottom up slightly put on a bright sock and match it with some amazing deck shoes. In any situation you would wear your jeans you can substitute in the chino and completely redefine your whole look. The chino is in the end a pair of trousers, so it will always raise your outfit a notch, but with all the relaxed formal styles coming back strong this year, there has never been a better time to invest. You can pull off military, country, worker wear and every other trend easily just by mixing your surrounding items.

In the winter you might want to look for a more practical pair of chino’s in a colour such as black, navy, brown or grey. These obviously will not stain as easily and will be very wearable over the next few months. If you are looking for a great spring/summer pair then I would recommend a light grey, stone or beige because you can really create a great contrast with other dark items like statement jackets or tees.

So in my eyes these are an essential item for men of all ages. I have seen young males rocking these instead of jeans with a great bright shoe and graphic tees and to me they always stand out against people of the same age who have a slightly less mature fashion sense. Also for the mid to late age groups it is an item which is so versatile and can be used to create multiple looks which are suitable for your personal style and age.

Let’s see some of the new versions on the market.

Men’s Chinos

All Saints
Of course these are going to do things a little differently and produce some great trousers which are similar to chino’s and have the cut of jeans. Take a look at the 3 varieties below which I think would work very well within your outfits as a substitute to jeans.

Topman

ASOS
A massive range and some really great versions to get your hands on what ever your colour or fit preference. Take a look below for a mix of styles.

ASOS also have a range of chino jeans, which I take to be styled and fitted like chino trousers but in a lighter denim fabric.

MyWardrobe
Designer versions are available from Acne, Burberry, Ralph Lauren and the like… check out a few below.

Urban Outfitters
A really great selection of chinos which I wasn’t expecting but a nice surprise.

Oki-Ni High Fashion Chinos
These 3 below are some of my favourtie chinos I have found and they all have more of a jeans feel and fit to them – just another way to separate you from the crowd and add something a little different to your wardrobe.