Last edited by chatsworth osborne jr. (2015-04-26 05:45:50)
My chino strategy is as follows now: get myself up to the nearest outlet village with a Ralph Lauren store in - rummage through all the chinos and try on in my size and low & behold, I come across a couple of decent pairs with high-waist and tapered fit and buy them for around €30 a pair. Then with the aid of the Mother-in-law, have the RL blurb on the back surgically removed.
I also managed to get in the Dockers store recently, a very decent high waisted chino in their "Pacific" range which ticked all the boxes - tapered just right and high waisted. Nothing else in the store compared, I've been back since in the hope of a repeat, but it seems a one-off. They also had an excellent London Fog type rain coat in for €50, which I thought was madness on the price front and so immediately purchased.
Happy days at times in these outlet villages, you just need the right kind of eyes!
Last edited by colin (2015-04-27 11:39:08)
They look fine to me on the photos. The rise could be just a little bit higher but that's okay. To anyone outside us Ivy nuts it probably looks high rise.
I have a few old Gap chinos that have a rise like that, maybe even a little lower. I could wear them two summers back, but now I'm too fat for them.
My favourite khakis right now are some baggy old Bill's Khakis (in standard khaki) from the old JS shop in Russell Street, and some RL Polo Classic Chinos (off white/ stone). I can also wear some RLP GI chinos and some old Land's End ones in a darker ("British Khaki"), and if I don't sit down for too long I can still squeeze myself in the JSA chinos that I got from the new shop in 2012. I had them shortened before washing, so they are a little bit high water but that's fine for dessies and chukka boots...
Apropos chinos, I remember reading one of the countless threads on Talk Ivy about the "ultimate" chino pants and someone, I think it was Hepcat, mentioned a certain Japanese brand which made a über-perfekt mucho authentico re-issue of WWII officer's khakis called "sun tans", IIRC. The colour was described as a proper khaki but with a slight touch of pink in certain light - not a real cherry pink like Nantucket Reds, they were described as a khaki hue just with a slight shade of pink in it. I'd be grateful for a photo!
And BTW: One of my pairs was pretty much ruined by jeans seams. Chinos should have cuffs or blind seams just like slacks. Unlike slacks/ trousers you can wear them frayed or rolled, but I think they look "wrong" with the typical jeans seams.
I am going to look into the navy version of these (yes, wrinkle-free, I know). If I get them, I will post.
I have just sent my pair of Orvis chinos back. It s a shame because I actually thought they were ok. well made, decent cloth etc, they just didn't fit at all well round my ass.
I'm now feeling every so slightly self-conscious about my arse.
If I can muster up the energy to take a few selfies, photos may happen. Otherwise, my review is as follows:
Likes
~ Nice, hefty fabric. 9.5 ounces. That's 1 ounce more than OC's chinos.
~ The trim fit cut is nice. Slimmer than a Bill's M2 model, for example.
~ Leg opening is roughly 8 3/8"
~ Rise is approx. 11 1/2 inches yet it does not seem too short.
Dislikes
~ Asked for cuffs, only to get 1 " cuffs. What. The. Hell.*
~ Contrasting color stitching around the buttons. It's a detail only noticed by those of us with obsessive and retentive qualities.
~ Waistband cannot be altered.
* This has happened to me before with other suppliers. I anticipate the problem by ordering a slightly longer inseam. This leaves enough material to bring the cuff up to a more suitable 1 1/2" or even 1 3/4" as well as leaving some room for shrinkage.
I dropped a pair of OC's at the seamstress just today to have let out in the seat and waist a bit. After a few washings they were just not cutting it. Actually, they were doing exactly that: cutting into my waist and hugging my ass like Thee Captain after we've been apart for a few weeks. Plenty of material to let out from the factory though. This makes the second time I've had to readjust after washings with their khakis. So Stan lends sage advice. "Wut's at, Pete? Flavor a chicken?"
I would like to ask advice on O'Connell's plain front khakis sizing: For reference, Wrangler 13MWZ rigid jeans fit me perfectly at size 34 (waist) 33 (inseam). John Simons chinos would be perfect at size 33 (if such was available).
I have just ordered a pair of those Orvis Trim Fits.
I will report back on my findings.
I do own a couple of pairs of OCs so it will be interesting to compare.
Shame they don't do darker colours in the standard ones?
This might be a dumb question but here goes ....
What sort of shade of khaki were most of the boom years khakis ?
Were they the lighter side of things or more of a deeper tan shade ?