Stylist Advice

How To Dress Chinos Up & Down

Kate

Chinos are your most practical and versatile trouser. We’re big fans of utility items like the chino as your price per wear becomes incredibly cheap. This gives you room to invest in smarter and more high-end chinos like those from Ralph Lauren and Hackett but it also makes sense to own more casual pairs like those from Scotch & Soda which will give you a ton of value and utility.

Either way, there’s huge value to be taken from owning a pair of chinos as they are so easy to dress up and down!

Like jeans, you can dress chinos up, or dress them down but you’ll typically find they’ll help you look smarter than jeans without being overdressed for any occasion as they naturally carry an understated cool vibe.

You’d be hard pressed to come up with an outfit that a great pair of chinos won’t complement. We’ll share some outfit ideas below to hopefully inspire you!

 

How to Wear Chinos with a T-shirt

 

Chinos work well with a grey or navy t-shirt and white leather sneakers. When wearing a t-shirt with chinos, avoid shoes like monkstraps or other dress shoes.

Stick to sneakers or boat shoes as your t-shirt indicates a casual look so you need to dress down your footwear too. With casual t-shirt looks you can go bolder with your chino choice. I'm a fan of a nice rustic orange or blue.

 

How to Wear Chinos with a Shirt

 

A chino and shirt combo is a great option for a lot of offices here in the UAE outside the formal industries like banking, consultancy and legal.

Chinos with a shirt is a comfortable way to go about your job whilst retaining a smart’ish respectable look. Because the look is informal it helps make you appear approachable so works great in team working environments!

How to Wear Chinos with a Blazer

 

For a more polished appearance but more relaxed than a suit, a blazer and chinos is an ideal combination. To dress your chinos up, treat them like dress trousers.

Get preppy by wearing a dress shirt, silk knit tie, sport coat, and leather loafers.

 

As for my favourite look, this look absolutely nails the Chinos-Blazer combo. This is Mr. Draper.

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