Before we continue, we must answer one of the most common questions. Are khakis and chinos the same thing?

Lucky for you, we have a very simple explanation.

Chinos are pants that are made from cotton using the twill weave. In fact, the correct way to call them is Chino, but we will explain that soon. These pants can be of any colour that you can imagine, including khaki which is a shade of light brown/tan.

If you want a nice trick to distinguish between Chinos and Khaki-style pants though, look at the stitching. Chinos have concealed stitching as opposed to Khakis, making them more formal.

Simply put, khakis are chinos with a certain colour, but chinos do not have to always be khaki-coloured.

In order to pinpoint the origin of Chinos we must travel back in India of 1848. Sir Harry Lumsden who was a commander of the Corps of Guides (a British-Indian Army) attempted to camouflage his uniform using a mixture of coffee, curry and mullberries. He created a dye which became known as khaki, the Indian word for “dust/soil“.

Their influence expanded and their comfortable nature made them very popular and eventually adopted by the Indian forces. It was until 1898 though when the word “Chino” was coined by the Americans.

The American soldiers stationed in the Philippines started using khaki pants based on the ones the British used in India right after the Spanish American War. They were very comfortable, made out of cotton twill and provided camouflage. It then became a staple in the US military.

“Chino” is the spanish word for China, which is the origin of these pants.

After World War II, Chinos became extremely popular and a symbol of the effortlessly cool, hard-working American. Since it’s inception, it has taken many forms and spread all over the world, becoming a staple in every man’s wardrobe.

I have a special connection to the word “Khaki”. In Greece military service is still mandatory and when you put on the uniform you are wearing the khakis. These khakis though are not the traditional chinos mentioned above.