13 Best Chinos for Men in 2025: For Work and the Weekend
Shopping"It" being, of course, the sundry guardrails, subreddits, and return-to-office mandates that inform how you get dressed.By Gerald OrtizApril 15, 2025Photo: Bowen Fernie. Tested and reviewed by GQ's Avidan Grossman, Gerald Ortiz, and Michael Nolledo.Save this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.The best chinos for men are more than just an office-appropriate alternative to jeans. As far back as World War II, stylish fellas have prized ‘em for their rugged durability and goes-with-everything sensibility. Few pants, after all, feel as at home covered in grease in a mechanic’s garage as they do at a garden party in Martha’s Vineyard.You can wear a pair of chinos with a beefy Oxford cloth button-down and slip-ons at home, a crisp white T-shirt and scuffed sneakers to the bodega, or a blazer and loafers at your friend’s laid-back wedding upstate. Come to think of it, chinos are kind of like jeans—just way more versatile.There's never been a better time to refresh your chinos. After a decade or so of slim fits dominating the conversation, brands are shifting back towards straight-fit silhouettes that are more comfortable, wearable, and timeless. So when you’re sick of all the bonkers prints and voluminous cuts dominating the rest of your wardrobe, the unflappable pairs here—the very best chinos on the market today—will be just the palate cleanser you need.The Best Men's Chino Pants, According to GQThe Best Chinos Overall: J.Crew Classic Chino Pant, $98The Best Budget Chinos: Dickies Original 874 Work Pants, $30The Best Upgrade Chinos: Todd Snyder Japanese Selvedge Chinos, $298The Best Slim-Fit Chinos: Uniqlo Slim Chino Pant, $50The Best Wide-Leg Chinos: Studio Nicholson Sorte Trousers, $395The Best Pleated Chinos: Alex Mill Standard Pleated Chinos, $145In This GuideAccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronMore Chinos We LoveWhat to Look for in ChinosHow We TestedChino Pant FAQOur TestersBest Chinos Overall: J.Crew Classic Chino PantBowen FernieBowen FernieChevronChevronJ.CrewClassic Chino Pant$98 J.CrewPros & ConsAccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronProsGreat fitSolid constructionValueConsNo pleated optionAvidan is 5’11” and weighs about 155 lbs. Fit: Relaxed straight | Material: 100% cotton | Fly: Zip | Colors: Varies | Sizes: 28-44 waist; 30-36 lengthAs far as we’re concerned, J.Crew’s chinos stand alone in virtually every category. The fabric is crisp and dense, decidedly not flimsy yet feels lived in. The construction is on par with other chinos that cost more than double, and the silhouette is an unimpeachable classic straight-fit that’s roomy but tailored—noticeably more room than a pair of Levi’s 501 jeans, but distinctively less baggy than the brand’s viral Giant-fit chinos (which are also tremendous). They come in a grip of classic office-approved colors but you can expect to see some seasonal prints and fabrics throughout the year. For a hair under a hundred bones, they’re the best value for miles.J.Crew's wildly viral Giant-Fit chinos elicited a whole lot of buzz when they debuted, says GQ senior commerce editor Avidan Grossman. “But most of the menswear-pilled monsters I know prefer the more classic version," which comes sans cuff, and rendered in a hardy, broken-in cotton that's crisper than a welcome spring breeze. “The fabric alone is worth the price of admission,” Grossman notes, “but perfectly dialed fit and the attention to detail—peep the era-authentic flap pockets!—is part and parcel of the Crew's Babenzian era.” Grossman spent months looking for chinos exactly like this in a tricky-to-find shade of washed gray, before hightailing it to the mall to end his journey for good. Save yourself the headache and start there first.Best Budget Chinos: Dickies 874 Work PantBowen FernieBowen FernieChevronChevronDickiesOriginal 874 Work Pant$30 $25 AmazonPros & ConsAccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronProsAffordableDurableVersatileMany color optionsFitConsFabric is fairly roughA little too informal for certain occasionsAvidan is 5’11” and weighs about 155 lbs. Fit: Straight | Material: 65% Polyester, 35% Cotton | Fly: Zip | Colors: Varies | Sizes: 28-52 waist; 28-36 lengthIf you want to squeeze the most green out of your hard-earned dollars, the best budget chinos have to be a hardy pair of Dickies 874s. Are they technically work pants? Sure. Will most people be able to tell the difference? No, especially if you wear it with an untucked shirt or with a blazer.The iconic workwear label has been making its 874 pants for decades, outfitting jobsites for generations, but just because they’re made for hard manual labor doesn’t mean they can’t hold their own around an air-conditioned office. The pants have a mid-high rise with a slightly relaxed straight leg and a permanent center crease—all the makings for a solid dress pant. The Dickies 874 is a poly-cotton blend that’s stiff and a bit rough, b
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
The best chinos for men are more than just an office-appropriate alternative to jeans. As far back as World War II, stylish fellas have prized ‘em for their rugged durability and goes-with-everything sensibility. Few pants, after all, feel as at home covered in grease in a mechanic’s garage as they do at a garden party in Martha’s Vineyard.
You can wear a pair of chinos with a beefy Oxford cloth button-down and slip-ons at home, a crisp white T-shirt and scuffed sneakers to the bodega, or a blazer and loafers at your friend’s laid-back wedding upstate. Come to think of it, chinos are kind of like jeans—just way more versatile.
There's never been a better time to refresh your chinos. After a decade or so of slim fits dominating the conversation, brands are shifting back towards straight-fit silhouettes that are more comfortable, wearable, and timeless. So when you’re sick of all the bonkers prints and voluminous cuts dominating the rest of your wardrobe, the unflappable pairs here—the very best chinos on the market today—will be just the palate cleanser you need.
The Best Men's Chino Pants, According to GQ
- The Best Chinos Overall: J.Crew Classic Chino Pant, $98
- The Best Budget Chinos: Dickies Original 874 Work Pants, $30
- The Best Upgrade Chinos: Todd Snyder Japanese Selvedge Chinos, $298
- The Best Slim-Fit Chinos: Uniqlo Slim Chino Pant, $50
- The Best Wide-Leg Chinos: Studio Nicholson Sorte Trousers, $395
- The Best Pleated Chinos: Alex Mill Standard Pleated Chinos, $145
Best Chinos Overall: J.Crew Classic Chino Pant
Fit: Relaxed straight | Material: 100% cotton | Fly: Zip | Colors: Varies | Sizes: 28-44 waist; 30-36 length
As far as we’re concerned, J.Crew’s chinos stand alone in virtually every category. The fabric is crisp and dense, decidedly not flimsy yet feels lived in. The construction is on par with other chinos that cost more than double, and the silhouette is an unimpeachable classic straight-fit that’s roomy but tailored—noticeably more room than a pair of Levi’s 501 jeans, but distinctively less baggy than the brand’s viral Giant-fit chinos (which are also tremendous). They come in a grip of classic office-approved colors but you can expect to see some seasonal prints and fabrics throughout the year. For a hair under a hundred bones, they’re the best value for miles.
J.Crew's wildly viral Giant-Fit chinos elicited a whole lot of buzz when they debuted, says GQ senior commerce editor Avidan Grossman. “But most of the menswear-pilled monsters I know prefer the more classic version," which comes sans cuff, and rendered in a hardy, broken-in cotton that's crisper than a welcome spring breeze. “The fabric alone is worth the price of admission,” Grossman notes, “but perfectly dialed fit and the attention to detail—peep the era-authentic flap pockets!—is part and parcel of the Crew's Babenzian era.” Grossman spent months looking for chinos exactly like this in a tricky-to-find shade of washed gray, before hightailing it to the mall to end his journey for good. Save yourself the headache and start there first.
Best Budget Chinos: Dickies 874 Work Pant
Fit: Straight | Material: 65% Polyester, 35% Cotton | Fly: Zip | Colors: Varies | Sizes: 28-52 waist; 28-36 length
If you want to squeeze the most green out of your hard-earned dollars, the best budget chinos have to be a hardy pair of Dickies 874s. Are they technically work pants? Sure. Will most people be able to tell the difference? No, especially if you wear it with an untucked shirt or with a blazer.
The iconic workwear label has been making its 874 pants for decades, outfitting jobsites for generations, but just because they’re made for hard manual labor doesn’t mean they can’t hold their own around an air-conditioned office. The pants have a mid-high rise with a slightly relaxed straight leg and a permanent center crease—all the makings for a solid dress pant. The Dickies 874 is a poly-cotton blend that’s stiff and a bit rough, but has a sheen that cleans up real nice. Not only are they affordable, they come in a ton of different colors so you can stock the rainbow if you really wanted to.
For what it's worth, I think the Dickies 874 are one of his best-fitting pants, period. They’re damn-near perfect, and I’ve even worn them to formal events as a dress pant and they looked great. If you’re in a pinch and need some tailored pants fast, you could cop these at your local army surplus store or have them shipped quick with Prime shipping.
Best Upgrade Chinos: Todd Snyder Relaxed Fit Selvedge Chino
Fit: Relaxed | Material: 100% cotton, Japanese selvedge twill | Fly: Button fly | Colors: Khaki, black, olive, white | Sizes: 28-38 waist; 30-34 length
J.Crew’s chinos are great for all the reasons we’ve already talked about. But if you want to upgrade your rig with better materials, an even better fit, and better construction, you should buy the Todd Snyder Relaxed Fit Chinos. They’re made with a medium weight Japanese selvedge twill that’s got a soft drape and peachy hand. The fit takes after mid-century chinos and khakis with a rise that reaches your natural waist and a wide leg that splits the difference between J.Crew’s classic chino and their Giant-fit chinos.
Truth be told, I've amassed a small museum of chinos, and I love vintage chinos for their loose cut and superior quality, and these Todd's selvedge chinos are on par. Plus, you don’t have to spend hours digging through thrift stores. For about $300, they’re certainly an investment, one we think is worth it for the quality. But if that’s too rich for your blood, we also like Todd Snyder’s relaxed fit Favorite Chino, which runs at $188 and has the same fit and nearly identical details, minus the fancy Japanese fabric.
Best Slim-Fit Chinos: Uniqlo Slim Chino Pants
Fit: Slim | Material: 97% Cotton, 3% Spandex | Fly: Zip | Colors: Varies | Sizes: 27-40 waist; 34" length
The zeitgeist may be all about baggy, but the truth is the state of fashion is really more of an anything-goes situation. So if you’re still after a pair of slim-fit chinos in this Year of Our Lord 2025, there’s no shame in that. And we would suggest you get your legs into a pair of Uniqlo chinos. They’ve been best sellers for years for their tailored cut, solid and slightly stretchy twill fabric which uses the ever-durable and smooth gold-standard of cotton, Supima cotton. With a pair of loafers or some low-profile sneakers like the Adidas Samba, they look clean as a whistle. And because it’s Uniqlo, you’re getting a tremendous value for $50.
Best Wide-Leg Chinos: Studio Nicholson Sorte Trousers
Fit: Wide-leg | Material: 100% cotton twill | Fly: Zip | Colors: Khaki, black, white | Sizes: 30-40
Shifting to the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Uniqlo Slim Chinos in almost every possible way, we present to you the ultimate capital-F Fashion chinos: the Studio Nicholson Sorte trousers. The cut is as wide as a California highway with a high rise, the Italian peached cotton fabric is miles away from most chinos you’ll encounter (in a good way), and the design is clean but far from boring thanks to its deep, deep pleats, rear patch pockets, and widened belt loops. The result is a pair of chinos that leans into formality and workwear in equal measure—the duality of man! While most chinos might be too dusty for the more experienced fashion guy, the Sorte trousers are ones that you’d definitely find in their closets, whether their style is quiet luxury, preppy, streetwear, or avant-garde.
Best Pleated Chinos: Alex Mill Standard Pleated Pant
Fit: Relaxed-taper | Material: 98% cotton, 2% elastane | Fly: Zip | Colors: Khaki, black, navy, oat milk | Sizes: 28-38 waist; regular-long length
If you’re after a pair of pleated chinos, Alex Mill’s Standard Pleated Pant are a shoe-in. Pleated chinos? In this fashion landscape? Yes. No do longer are pleated chinos sound terribly dusty. The long rise, relaxed thigh, tapered leg, and cropped hem are actually on par with some of the coolest silhouettes coming out of Japan. They feel like they honor the genre while updating it for the modern era of fashion enthusiasts. They may call them “standard,” but we would happily disagree. Oh, and if you think they’re a touch too short, they also offer them in a longer length.
More Chinos We Love
J.Crew
Giant-Fit Chino Pant
Like our overall winner, J.Crew's big-fit chinos are 100% cotton twill and come in a variety of colors. Unlike our overall winner, they’re ultra-wide with a leg opening of 20.5”. But beware: If you're not a fan of pre-cuffed hems, you might want to bust out a seam ripper and an iron.
Buzz Rickson
1942 Early Military Wide Leg Chinos
The diehard vintage guys already know that Buzz Rickson is elite when it comes to reproductions of classic militaria and workwear. These ‘40s-inspired chinos feature period-correct details like tin buttons, all-cotton sewing thread, and a silhouette that’s true to the era—high-waisted and very baggy.
Knickerbocker
Canal Pleated Twill Cotton Pant
Pleats have the unique ability to instantly turn a pair of pants from plain to fantastic. Just ask Danny DeVito. Knickerbocker’s Canal pants are a prime example with deep, double reverse pleats done up in a rinsed cotton twill which toes the line between casual and classy.
What to Look for in Chinos
Brian Davis, owner of vintage store Wooden Sleepers, is among the most knowledgeable menswear guys in general, but also a huge nerd (complimentary) when it comes to chinos. “Chino’s have really been put through the cultural ringer. People need to be reminded that chino started out as workwear and military uniform. They were designed to be rugged.” Though chinos these days stray further and further away from its roots and have heaps of sacrilegious synthetics and non-iron treatments, there’s still hope in spite of it all.
A classic pair of chinos is usually made from a mid-weight cotton twill fabric that fall smack dab in between a typical shirting fabric and your average pair of blue jeans. (For the nerds, that’s about 8-ounces). They’ll fit like a well-tailored trouser, with a mid- or high-rise and, generally, a darted rear waist to hug your bum in the most flattering way. Many higher-quality chinos will also include a curtained waistband, which is an extra piece of fabric fixed to the inside of the waistband. This helps reinforce the waist, prevent it from rolling, keeps the pockets lying flat, and covers the inner seam work (don’t worry, it’s really not necessary).
In terms of fabric, heavier is generally better. “The old military chinos were made of an 8-ounce cotton twill,” Davis says. “This feels substantial, well-made and softens overtime.” While lighter materials are great for the hotter seasons, he has his opinions on that. “Also, fabric that is too lightweight is no good - too clingy and wimpy.” Davis also says to try and avoid synthetic and stretchy materials when you can because they won’t age as well as natural fabrics.
Fit is paramount, regardless of the garment, but chinos in particular. You want to make sure the fabric isn’t pulling anywhere, which would indicate the fit is too tight. But you also don’t want too much room in the crotch or seat lest you fall prey to dumpy butt or balloon lap. Today’s chino market has more silhouettes than any one person should really need to consider, but Davis lays it out simply. “Ideally, a chino should have a nice long rise and a full straight leg (8-9” opening). I always come back to that episode of Mad Men where Don was putting a playhouse together in a pair of mil-surplus chinos and a tucked in white tee—perfection!”
How We Tested
To kick off the process, we enlisted a who's who of GQ staffers to wear-test our contenders. Some of our colleagues have worked in retail; others have toiled for small-batch labels; all spend objectively too much time thinking about pants. We leaned on that collective experience to guide our search, culling a mix of household names, indie favorites, and the artisanal imprints on the bleeding-edge of the genre. Then we narrowed down the assortment to the picks that scored the highest across quality, fit, and price.
Collectively, we've worn and tested hundreds of pairs of chinos over the years. Our testers owned some of the chinos on this list already, but a whole bunch were totally new to us. So after wear-testing the entire crop, we recorded our deeply scientific observations and rejiggered our selections accordingly. Based on those evaluations, we ran the numbers, collated the anecdotal evidence, and emerged with a list of what we believe to be the absolute best chinos for men right now, from the tried-and-true stalwarts to the modern disruptors, the affordable beaters to the wildly expensive (but wildly worth-it) designer riffs. Whatever your preferences, whatever your style, there's bound to be a pair here for you. (Read more about GQ's testing process here.)
Your Chino FAQs, Answered
How should chino pants fit?
Fit is all relative. But if that advice isn’t practical enough for you we suggest a few things. The best fit for most people is a classic straight fit, perhaps even a slightly relaxed fit. The silhouette du jour changes every few years, but if you split the difference and stick with a fit that’s middle-of-the-road, you’re much less likely to ruffle any feathers with your bosses, with the wedding party, and save yourself some embarrassment should you go down memory lane. At the end of the day, you should like what you see in the mirror.
What's the difference between chinos and khakis?
In short, chino is a fabric, and khaki is a color. However, two terms are typically used interchangeably to refer to a style of trouser. Both are usually made from a cotton-twill fabric with slanted hand pockets as well as welted pockets at the rear (as opposed to the patched pockets you'd find on a pair of jeans). But the menswear cognoscenti will tell you that khakis tend to use sturdier fabrics while chinos are slightly lighter. Not only that, khakis are tied to the dusty beige color from which they gets their name, so you’re more likely to see a pair of navy cotton twill pants dubbed as chinos rather than khakis.
Can I wear chinos to a wedding?
That depends on the wedding. Chinos aren't as dressy as suit pants, but if it's an outdoor wedding or if the wedding invite says to dress semi-formal or if it says ‘casual’ anywhere in the invite, chinos are a safe bet. But we'd advise that you wear your chinos with a button-up shirt and a tie at the very least, if not with a matching cotton blazer.
Our Testers
- Gerald Ortiz, GQ Style Commerce Writer
- Michael Nolledo, GQ Associate Commerce Director
- Reed Nelson, GQ Contributor
- Avidan Grossman, GQ Senior Commerce Editor
