I came from a military family as well. When my older brother returned from overseas in the early 80's, i remember his drab buttonfly, full cut chinos. I remember wearing the piss out of those, along with an RL Big Oxford, the kind no longer made, with the extra full cut, and the pony on the shirt tail. Ahhh, memories....

For me, I like the full cut of the Bills M1, like buttonfly(maybe nostalgia), so the Bills M1 buttonfly has been it for me, but I prefer the harder, original fabric of the older Bills that I used to own. I wish you could still find those unwashed versions...

Random Khaki musings:

I've had a couple pair of WWII khakis I bought at surplus shops.  They're great if you like 'em baggy.  They also have eccentric little details like the watch pocket and peculiar front pocket construction.  I have a pair of the Ralph Lauren repros now, and I'd rate them at about 90-95% accurate.  The buttons are close, but not perfect.  I also have a later pair of 100% cotton military khakis with a zipper.  The Army and Air Force abandoned khaki uniforms shortly after the Vietnam era, to my knowledge. 

I looked at the J. Crew site, and the "1930s khakis" didn't look right to me.  But I wasn't around in the '30s.

When I was on active duty in the Navy in the early '80s I wore plain old Dickies for shipboard wear.  I got mine at K-Mart.  They held up better to the laundry manglers than the "wash khakis" from the Navy Uniform Shop.

JOA - I don't think McClellans ever sold Duck Heads.  You may be thinking of McMillan Clothing.  I recall them first on Chapman Highway, and then on Cumberland.  Funny, I just saw Bob McClellan just a few minutes ago.  I was buying gas , and he was buying cigs.  I could have asked him. 

Duck heads were fine in 1980 when they were still manufactured as "work wear", but went steadily downhill when the company was sold.  The last pair I had were incredibly thin.

I'm trying out a pair of BB no-iron khakis as I write this.  The Hudson cut.  The thinner cut was just too uncomfortable for me, and I'm no fatty by any stretch.  The no-iron finish and taper below the knee make cuffing problematic, but not impossible.  Pretty good for biz cas, I think.  Bills M2s are better for loafing.

Consider me the unofficial archivist of the Inner Circle.
Photos of 1940s issue chinos, courtesy of www.americanvintageclassics.com
http://www.americanvintageclassics.com/picsr/rp5163a.jpg
http://www.americanvintageclassics.com/picsr/rp5163b.jpg
http://www.americanvintageclassics.com/picsr/rp5163c.jpg

How do you pronounce "khaki"? My father says it as "car-key".

No-one wears them where l come from, but they do seem to look o.k. My town has an obsession with black.

Last edited by The_Shooman (2008-07-04 20:04:31)

I wonder if the Duck Head khakis whose passing the OP laments were regionally distributed. I am well over twice his age and have no recollection of them whatsoever.

It may be a reflection of Cruiser-esque philistinism on my part, but I am quite partial to Target's khakis. I am sporting a pair of their "Legendary Golds" at the moment for which I paid the princely sum of $11 or so. I like to fancy I look pretty decent in them. Hope I am not merely deluding myself!

Thanks, Howard. Good info.

Cap'n Prep--Duck Head may have been regional. I can remember visiting family in Indiana during the summers and they never had them in stores up there, so it's possible.

My preferred chinos are Bill's and the Andover Shop. I wear them rather high-rise, and cuffed-usually with pleats.

See, I think this is what I"m beginning to think AQG. I started off buying high (Bills) but have come way down in terms of price.

Cheekey Monkey--this is hardly a Trad thread. If it were, someone would quickly drop a Bills bomb and the thread would lock itself. I'm curious about what makes a really good chino in general for each of us. I tend to agree with AQG in that I like a heavier material with a trim fit but, as of yet, haven't found it.