A group of soldiers in Khaki uniforms

Chinos have always been part of casual wear history since their use for the US army during WWII. 

Also called Khakis in reference to the colour they came in when used in the army, it was also the most popular colour for these trousers when they made their way to the civilians wardrobes. But Khakis are not an American invention; they are originally from the wars that the British fought in India, in the Punjab region to be exact. 

Sir Harry Lumsden

In 1846, Sir Harry Lumsden, commanding officer of the British army in Punjab was looking for a more comfortable alternative to the white trousers and red tunics that where then used by his men. He started wearing himself the Indian pajama pants that were a better alternative to the local heat. In order to blend in with the landscape, he decided to dye them with a native plant called Mazari. The resulting colour was called Khaki in reference to the Urdu (Hindu) word meaning “dusty”.

The British Uniform before the arrival of chinos

Harry’s trousers then became part of the attire for the British troops in India by 1848 and the colour became part of the standard uniform in 1884. Armies from other countries then started using the colour for their uniforms. Amongst these were the Americans, who introduced it in 1898. 

The chinos as worn by the US Army during the second world war

During the Second World War, the American army was using a simple pair of trousers with no pleats and tapered at the ankle in Khaki colour as part of their standard uniforms. These trousers where a copy of the ones used by the British Army, made in China and sold to soldiers in the Philippines. The Philippines had become an acquisition of the Americans following the Spanish-American war at the end of the 19th Century. Spanish being the main language in these Islands, the trousers were called chinos in reference to their place of production - Chino meaning Chinese in Spanish.

Steve McQueen, the king of cool himself, was quite a fan of chinos

These WWII trousers were worn by the soldiers after the war. They were then widely adopted at high schools and colleges through America as jeans were not allowed. Brooks Brothers, which started retailing them as soon as 1942, helped spread the trend, and they became part of the classic preppy outfit paired with an oxford shirt and penny loafers. Khaki still being the main colour they came in, it became a synonym for the item itself. 

Preppy style and chinos are never far apart

At D.S.Dundee we are quite big fans of chinos ourselves. Made of 100% cotton twill fabric as the original was, they can be worn with basically any piece of the collection. Available in classic Dusty Sand colour and a practical Blue/Grey they taper to a slim 19cm half width at the ankle - feature a coin pocket and button tab closure at the font for a nice clean finish - a must have in your closet for sure.