J.Crew Classic Chino

You can never go wrong with a good pair of chinos. Many we have reviewed are priced at $100+, but J.Crew hits at a nice price point and balancing quality. With trends moving towards wide pants, J.Crew brought their Giant Fit Chino out. I originally tried a pair of those, but found them too wide (the name is perfect). After returning them, I picked up a pair of the Classic Chino and they quickly became my go-to pants for work.

Materials

These are 100% cotton. The fabric is quite substantial, but not so much so that they feel like they’d be uncomfortable in warm weather. They feel durable and stay crisp. A few other nice touches are the YKK zipper and nice quality buttons.

Fit & Style

J.Crew describes the fit and style as “inspired by the original 1940s military-issued pairs that crossed over into civilian life – especially on college campuses where they evolved into a quintessential element of Ivy style. Relaxed through the hip and thigh with a full leg.”

I’d say this is spot on. These feel like the chinos you’d see your grandfather wearing on a college campus, classic ivy. As compared to the Giant fit, these play better for an everyday Ivy style, and I don’t find them too wide. Another benefit of the cut is that they never restrict movement, even though they have no stretch.

The back pockets are both flap style, which is a great touch. The pants also feature a French fly.

Performance

Not much to cover on the performance side — these pants feel durable, wearable year-round, and the cut makes them extremely comfortable.

I’ve had my oldest pair for about three months, and they show no signs of fading, stretching out, or anything of that sort. I find that I get quite a few wears out of these between washes, which also helps. They are dryer safe, so the care is easy. I find they look great coming out of the dryer as long as you don’t let them sit for long before hanging them up.

Overall

I love these chinos, and I have three pairs. They present a good value at their full price of $98; but often are on sale (I’ve paid between $32 and full price). Highly recommended (and check out the Dill color).