Chinos are the definitive antidote to complaining that jeans are “all” you have to wear.

So, when you want getting dressed to be easy, reach for chinos!

They’re so easy to swap in as a substitute, and they’ll put you leaps and bounds ahead of your boringly bottom’d brethren.

They’re just as “neutral” as denim, and truly super-wearable.

WHAT ARE CHINOS? ARE CHINOS DIFFERENT THAN KHAKIS?

First, let’s start with some terminology. “Khakis” aren’t pants. Khaki is a color.

When someone says khakis, what they’re really talking about are chinos. A simple casual, cotton pant that exists in the middle ground between jeans and dress pants.

Think of chinos or chino pants (we’ll use them interchangeably here) as the oxford shirt of pants—versatile enough to be dressed up or dressed down, and always in style.

For example?

Khaki chinos are chino pants that come in a tan (khaki) color. Burgundy chinos are chino pants that come in a burgundy color. And so on.

Chinos are dresser than five-pocket twill pants, which look pretty much exactly like jeans except for the material. But! They’re not as dressy as dress pants, which usually have a tab waistband closure and are made of wool, or some other fancier material.