A former military trouser to Ivy League staple, the chino has endured to become a menswear icon. Here we break down the history of the cotton legends, and give you the lowdown on our cracking new chinos in three different fits.

Like other cracking menswear garments that have endured over time to become dapper civilian wear (the trench coat, pea coat etc.), chinos take their origins from military apparel. British soldiers serving in India during the 19th century wore chino trousers for their uniform. They were khaki coloured to mask the yellow saffron-coloured dust, and were thus universally known as ‘khakis’. American infantrymen wore khaki chinos during the Spanish-American War of 1898, then again during World War Two. Chinos, characterised by a hardwearing cotton twill weave that is said to be invented by the Chinese, were the perfect soldier’s companion because they were tough and durable but comfortable to wear in warmer climes.

Chinos became popular in America after the Second World War when returning soldiers, no doubt proud of their role helping to save the world, wore pleated chinos as part of their civilian look. Also, and maybe more significantly, a glut of well-tailored but cheap surplus ex-military clothing hit the market. University students bought up big, no doubt happy to spend the extra dollars they saved on beer. Chinos became popular at the Ivy League universities of Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Yale and Dartmouth, worn as flat fronts, rather than pleated fronts. The ‘Ivy League look’ comprised of a sports jacket or blazer, worn with cotton chinos, usually in khaki or olive colours, and a button-down Brooks Brothers shirt (white for evenings; blue for daytime). The look was intended to be a more younger, raffish take on the British university style. The Kennedys cemented the Ivy League look’s popularity, and it in turn gave rise to the eventual ‘Preppy’ look.