Let’s chat about chinos. They’re arguably the most versatile pant option out there.

Denim still tends to skew casual on the formality scale.

Chinos, however, have the ability to go either way.

Purists argue that chinos, like denim, are inherently casual and don’t always work in business environments. This is true – to an extent.

Casual dress is widely accepted nowadays, even on the job. That means chinos are the perfect pant for modern workplace style.

The terms “khakis” and “chinos” are often used interchangeably, though the correct word is actually chino, which applies to the actual pants themselves.

Khaki is, arguably, the most common color of chinos – which is probably why the terminology gets confusing.

So khakis are chinos, but chinos aren’t necessarily khaki-colored.

The stylistic differences between a “formal” pair of chinos and a “casual” pair are slight.

Formal chinos tend to look like dress trousers, except they’re made of cotton twill instead of wool. Look for extended tab waistband closures, front slant pockets, back welt pockets with button closures, optional pleats, center creases, and cuffs.

Casual chinos tend to look like your favorite pair of denim – standard side pockets, back patch pockets, rivets or bar tacked stress points, flat felled seams, and standard hem.