Since last century, khaki pants have been paired with different shades of brown shoes because they belong to the same colour palette. Nowadays, even though a radical classic gentleman would say rules are rules, some forward-thinking fashionistas also believe in the possibility of achieving astounding looks by combining khakis with black shoes.
In this article, we will share with you 3 different outfit combinations that will make you rock your khaki pants. We also give you tips that will help you understand the “terms and conditions” to nail this trend.
But first, we’ll tackle the big question that arises when confronted with the khakis vs chinos controversy.
It’s a thin and blurry line the one that separates the concept of khakis from chinos. If one has to point out what the big difference between these styles of trousers is, it would be safe to say it’s only really about the colour.
They are both casual types of menswear, made of cotton twill fabric and ideal for creating that old-school rugged look some gentleman embrace more and more.
When you hear the words “khaki pants” what comes to your mind are, most likely, actually khaki-coloured chinos –these come in different shades of warm brown, from light sand to dark toasted.
So nowadays, even though both terms have come interchangeable for some, you wouldn’t really go to a store and ask for “blue khaki pants”. Right?
So again, let’s agree and say khakis are a specific colour of chinos.
The birth of khakis can be traced back to the mid-1800', when Sir Henry Lumsden,—a commander in the British Indian Empire—unhappy with the troop's uniforms that were not suited for hot weather, decided to create a new type of uniform. One that would provide more freedom of movement, function as camouflage and be both lightweight and cooler.
Soon enough, these brownish-coloured comfortable but sturdy pants became a staple part of the uniform all across the British forces.
Meanwhile, American soldiers fighting wars overseas under the hot weather were still wearing heavy wool uniforms, only suited for cold weather. They began to adopt cotton twill fabric trousers for the same reason as the British, but on the other side of the world.
Cotton twill fabric main characteristic is that the way the weft yarns are wrapped in a diagonal pattern makes the fabric heavier and more resistant to wear.
After the war in the Philippines, the American soldiers brought this type of trousers back to the United States and later on started importing them from China. They would call these pants “chinos” as this means “Chinese” in Spanish.
All along the years and after the wars, this toasted-colour “chinos” became a staple piece in every man’s wardrobe, especially for casual occasions.
As we mentioned before, even though these are usually combined with brown shoes, a new trend is arising. Thus we will fill you in and show you how to nail the “khaki pants, black shoes” attire.
This look is ideal for semi-formal occasions with no fix rules. The goal is that by using plain textures, dark khakis and only two different colours; you’ll get a very neat, elegant and sober look.
This attire is ideal for a spring daytime outdoors venue. The goal of this outfit is to achieve paramount casual elegance portraying light colours in a clean looking, yet stylish, ensemble.
If there’s something that characterizes the style of the Italian gentleman, is the power to harness combinations others wouldn’t think of. A free creative dynamic that, surprisingly, most of the times ends up getting the winning ticket.
The goal of this look is to push the boundaries a bit more in terms of colours and textures. We propose to introduce navy elements that will make this attire perfect for a summer sunset at the Riviera.
Even though our suggested looks have more of an “outside the box”, semi-formal style, you should know that there are different styles of khakis that can give your outfit different twists.
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