The London Lounge

I thought I could do with some pairs of chinos for the summer and tried some on in shops, but they all had very narrow bottom ends. I'm not overly muscular (and not fat), but I had to pull them over my calves like surgical stockings, then straighten my foot like a ballerina to get it through.

Are there any RTW chinos with reasonable ankle widths left? After all, they're worn by gentlemen and farmers of all ages alike, not just by undernourished hipsters, are they?

ralph lauren?

Bill's Khakis M1 or M2 cut are usually pretty dependable. M1 is a very generous cut with full seat and thighs and longish rise, taken from 1940s U.S. military uniform trousers. M2 is what most of us would consider a "traditional" cut--not slim, but not obviously retro. There is now a very fitted M3, which would not meet your requirements. The M1 is available in plain front or with double forward pleats. The original twill chinos are fairly widely available from better online merchants and (in the U.S.) clothing stores. They come unhemmed, so you can have a proper dress hem done at your desired length.

Edit: I just glanced at the site and see that they are not currently showing the M1 forward pleated model. This is regrettable. If it interests you (I have it in some cotton-wool blend cloth), you might inquire whether it is seasonal and might be available in future.

If you go to the site and select "pants" and then the fit "M1P" you'll get a decent selection.

Thanks, Concordia. In my haste I did not notice the scroll bar on the "Fit" selector and "M1P" was not showing. A relief to know they haven't abandoned that cut. I normally wear flat-front chinos, but the M1P is excellent for some things and it's a reassuring statement that they keep it in their repertory.

Cheers!

What a selection! Thanks.

For less expensive chinos that I've had a good experience with, I woudl recommend the "fitted" cut by Land's End. Despite the name and current RTW practice, they are not too tight at any point, though the leg is tapered. More importantly, for me, they have a pretty decent rise (about 12" -- I loathe low-rise trousers). Regrettably, they offer this line mostly in less than great colours but the light khaki / beige ones work really well. They are pretty tough too, despite the low price.

Ah, I see what you mean concerning the colours… A nice red would be good.

Cordings chinos are pretty decent too. The leg opening is far from trim on me and the cotton is nice and sturdy. The rise could be a little higher but is not as low as current fashion wants it.

Another option in that vein is LLBean. I don't know which models are offering what at the moment, but prices are good and quality is good enough for most purposes.

For more money and dressiness, one could do Ben Silver's catalogue. IIRC, Maus & Hoffman also have some elegant alternatives. There's at least one line between the two shops that offers high rise.

Luca your reply interests me.
I like Cordings moleskins and wear them all winter.
Thinking that their summer wear would be similar,
I have been trying to buy some Chinos or Drill from them, but have more or less given up.
They have a quite high price, which upon checkout they charge tax?
Living as I do in southern Ireland they then want £25 to post....Crazy.

Your Landsend are much much cheaper and the postage will be £7.5...much better
However which style do you call fitted?
The choice seems to be : Traditional fit,straight fit,slim fit ?

I mena these "tailored fit" ones.
http://www.landsend.co.uk/Mens_Plain_Ta ... 21985.html
The "Khaki" is pretty versatile.

Bills. Made in Pennsylvania. Excellent fit, quality, style.

Depending on where you are these are worth a look:

http://www.pakeman.co.uk/category/204/Chino_Trousers


The last time I looked they were all made in the UK, although I haven't bought anything from Pakeman for a year or two.