A few good pairs of chinos can provide the foundation for an entire wardrobe. Their versatility and comfort, as well as the variety of colors available, give you endless options to build casual, smart casual, and even dressier outfits. But with so many options, what chino colors should men own? In building my own wardrobe, I found the five best chino colors that will help you build yours. We’ll explore these options, as well as how can you combine each color with other clothes like shirts, shoes, and jackets to expand and brighten up your everyday attire.
Let’s take a look at this versatile garment and find out all there is to know, starting with the brands we recommend listed below.
| Category | Brand | Best Features |
| Best Overall Chinos | Bonobos 2.0 Chinos | Perfect fit for any body type Variety of fits (slim, straight, athletic) 4-way stretch chino fabric |
| Best Budget Chinos | Gap Modern Khakis | Very good price (often on sale) Good performance fabric The original chino brand |
| Best Mid-range Chinos | Banana Republic Tapered Traveler Pant (when on sale) | Breathable stretch fabric that isn’t too tech-y Comfortable yet sleek Easy to dress up or down |
| Best Splurge Chinos | Proper Cloth Japanese Stretch Chinos | Top of the line Japanese fabric Great drape and texture Perfect combination of casual and dressier features |
Why Chinos?
Even though jeans are favorites when it comes to choosing pants for men, there aren’t many fashion items as versatile as chinos. Additionally, chinos come in a wider variety of colors and are easier to dress up than jeans, while still maintaining a comfortable and relaxed vibe.
Plus, high quality chinos are incredibly practical. You can combine chinos and shirt colors in an endless amount of ways, and their relaxed cotton fabric offers comfort and versatility in most weather.
You can pair these types of pants with different shoes, shirts, blazers, or jackets. Chino pants complement almost all other types of clothing and can “ground” a look very well – it’s easy to look as casual or dressy as a particular situation requires. When you get the fit right, chinos give an effortless sharpness to any look. Even drawstring chinos have their place.
They can dress up your very casual attire just enough to look put together (t-shirts and sneakers), but can also dress down your dressier attire (button downs, sport coats, knit sweaters, ) so you don’t look too stuffy or overdressed (which can be an advantage in certain situations).
Chinos also allow you to add some color and personality to your outfits, and dressing with bold colors has its benefits. Jeans or slacks can’t really do this as well.
Best Chino Colors – What Men Should Wear
1. Khaki/Beige Chinos
Beige shades, like gray shades, are neutral colors that can be combined well with almost all other combinations. When thinking of the best chino colors, you should go for a pair in a beige/khaki shade.
They are ideal for all casual occasions such as walks through the park, grabbing a coffee at a local café, going for a drink with friends, a casual house party, or running some errands. They also age well, as the fades don’t stand out as much as other colors.
For fall/winter, darker khaki or brown shades work well. For summer/spring, lighter khaki colors match the season better.
What to Wear with Beige Chinos
The classic khaki color of chinos works well with so many colors, such as dark blue, light blue, black, white, or gray colored shirts or sweaters. Darker shades of red and green can also work well with khaki colored chinos.
However, avoid combining beige with earth tones, as the browns can wash each other out. If you do go this route, make sure there is plenty of contrast in the colors (dark brown sweater with lighter beige chinos can work, for instance).
As a versatile color, you can choose to wear white sneakers, casual boots, loafers, or even dressier shoes, depending on your preference, and of course, the venue and event you’re attending.
For more casual occasions, a t-shirt in a complementary color (white, navy, grey, red, green) and some plain white sneakers works well. To execute a smart casual look, I find a polo shirt (again in a complementary color) and some brown chukka boots to work especially well. For colder weather, sub out the polo for a sweater. Throw a green or navy chore coat or other jacket on top of these pieces, and you’ll have an effortless layered look with a depth of style that goes well beyond your standard shirt and pant outfits.
To dress up a standard pair of khakis, I find that you can’t go wrong with a white or light blue button down. Toss a navy or grey sport coat on top, and you’ve
2. Navy Chinos
Navy chinos can give your smart casual style a sharp, foundational piece. Regardless of whether you wear a white t-shirt or go with a dressier button down with a sport coat, navy chinos can instantly sharpen up your look.
Navy chinos also work well with business casual attire. If you work in a place that adheres to this dress code, you definitely need a good pair of navy chinos.
What to Wear with Navy Chinos
Depending on the shade, whether it is a classic navy or brighter blue chinos, you can combine them with other neutrals like white, light blue, or grey. Bolder colors, like red, yellow, or even certain shades of green can create a sharp look that will turn heads.
As for footwear, the best choice would be to go with darker brown shoes, since they’re best suited with blue and navy colors. Boots work particularly well with navy chinos. You could also sport plain white or grey sneakers with more casually constructed navy chinos, for your more relaxed looks (i.e. a t-shirt, blue chinos, and white sneakers).
3. Olive Green Chinos
Olive chinos are an underrated color. You don’t see many men sporting this shade, yet it adds an understated and unexpected pop of color that works well in all seasons. If you’re struggling with the same boring looks, add a pair of olive chinos to your wardrobe – you’ll be shocked at the new variations you now have available.
While not quite as versatile as the beige or navy colors, you can create interesting color combos using olive green as your base. This color works great for casual and smart casual looks, but can also be useful for relaxing a stuffy business casual or dressy casual look.
What to Wear with Green Chinos
Wear olive green to give life to your basic neutrals. This shade of green color perfectly complements white and all shades of grey, from light grey to charcoal. Olive chinos also pair well with navy or black tops. Try this color out with sweaters, button-downs, and sport coats in neutral colors – you’ll add a touch of vibrancy to these staples in your wardrobe.
As for shoes, most shades of brown work well (avoid anything too close to green, however). White or navy sneakers offer a great match too.
4. Grey Chinos
Grey chinos are the ultimate neutral color. When thinking of the best chino colors, grey offers amazing versatility and can work well for very casual situations, as well as for business casual attire. You can build standard more traditional outfits with grey chinos as your base, or you can use it to ground brighter, bolder colors in other parts of your outfit (shirts, shoes, jackets, etc…).
Lighter shades of grey tend to lean more casual and work better in the summer, while the darker shades will be more work-appropriate and better in the colder months, although there are always exceptions. Light grey chinos are a great, unexpected option for warm weather and will pair well with almost anything in your summer wardrobe.
What to Wear with Gray Chinos
Grey chinos are the most versatile in a man’s wardrobe. You can combine it with almost any other color.
But which colors work best? Black is the first color that pops into our minds and with good reason too. Black shoes with grey chinos and a classic black knit sweater looks great.
We think grey works best with colors, however. The neutral base makes a great foundation for adding bolder colors, like red, yellow, green, and blue, into your outfit. You can also keep the look more muted by pairing grey chinos with other neutral colors like white, navy, or brown. Choose your other outfit colors according to your skin tone (darker or lighter) to maximize the power of color in your outfit.
As for shoes, most colors and styles can work too – white sneakers, brown or black boots, and brown or black dress shoes can all look sharp.
5. Black Chinos
Last, but not least, the darkest color choice — black chinos. This color works well, as it can be combined with lots of other colors. Plus, black gives a more mysterious vibe combined in the right way (especially as part of an all black look). It can also be appropriate for business casual attire.
With that in mind, feel free to combine this style with white, gray, red, navy, or green shirts, cardigans, sweaters, and blazers.
What to Wear with Black Chinos
Black chinos give you countless color combinations, as black matches almost everything. While black tends to be a formal color, feel free to mix in some bolder colors to brighten up the look. Sweaters, polo shirts, and button down shirts in neutral or brighter colors all work well with black pants.
In addition, you can find ways to incorporate black chinos in all black outfits for colder weather.
Chino Colors – Summary
Chinos have become a lasting trend in men’s style, and this classic piece will likely continue to stand the test of time. Truthfully, it should, as these types of pants work well for both casual and smart casual settings. When the temperatures dip, check out this post for the best cold weather pants, or grab some flannel lined chinos.
While there’s a wide variety of color combinations for the best chino pants, as we’ve shown you above, it’s up to you to determine how these fit in your personal style and typical daily outfits. You have a ton of options when considering what to wear with your chinos, so let your personality and confidence shine!
Chinos work particularly well with blazers and sport coats. For the best color combinations, you can find which sport coats pair best here. And if you’re looking for a great relaxed smart casual option, pair your chinos with a polo and blazer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Chinos are pants made from a twill fabric that is most often 100% cotton. Some makers can use a fabric blend to make the garment lighter, heavier, or even add a little stretch. This type of garment originates in the mid-19 century as British and French armies wore these uniforms, which later migrated into civilian wear.
The most versatile chino colors are khaki and grey. While all of the colors listed in this article can work with a variety of colors and different outfits, these two colors will offer the most options for mixing and matching with other colors in your outfit.
Simply put, yes, chinos are extremely comfortable. However, one has to take into account each person’s preferences regarding trousers and pants. The fabric typically used to create chinos is a comfort-oriented, lightweight twill cotton fabric, which gives a pleasant and comfortable feeling when worn. Many brands will make heavier or lighter weight chinos to match specific seasons, and some have added options with stretch fabrics, which give an extra touch of comfort to this style.
We’ve given a handful of outfit inspirations and illustrations above, but rest assured, you can wear chinos with absolutely anything you can think of, so long as you adhere to some basic color rules.
Noted for their versatility, chinos work with anything from t-shirts to casual button down shirts. As far as shoes go, you can wear chinos with plain sneakers for more casual looks, or you can pair them with dress shoes for your dressier outfits. Chukka boots work well too. Feel free to use the photos for inspiration and try out combos that fit your personal style.
This is a highly debatable question and one that can be interpreted in many ways. Different individuals have different criteria, as well as a brand choice.
However, our experts have managed to compile a shortlist of the best chino brands out there:
– Bonobos
– Everlane
– GAP
– Proper Cloth
– Banana Republic
Moreover, depending on the chino colors of choice, always make sure to buy the best products according to your preference, style, and budget.
Depending on how often you wear them, you probably need at least two different color chinos. Three to four from this list is ideal for a versatile wardrobe, as this will allow you to mix and match different color combinations and styles to vary your look.
