How to wear and style chinos

The heat and humidity of the season calls for some lightweight cotton pants, which allow the skin to breathe, while also making you look chic. Enter chinos: a special type of military pants made of a light and airy material, twill cotton, that ensures maximum comfort during the hotter days.

Originating in 1898, when the uniforms of the American soldiers fighting in the Spanish-American war were sourced from Chinese twill cotton, the Spanish saw it fitting to name the military pants 'chinos.'

Besides being super comfy, versatility is one of the most unique qualities that chinos proudly possess. Formal or informal, men's or women's, there is hardly any outfit that they do not complement. Here are a couple of chinos combos you can try out to stay fresh and fashionable this summer.

Chinos and blazer

Chinos and blazers elevate each other like bread and butter. Layering up your solid tee or dress shirt with a blazer, pairing that up with chinos, and finishing with a pair of loafers will give you the perfect semi-formal work dinner look.

Chinos and dress shirts

Blazers can sometimes be too formal for certain occasions or even too warm. In that case, you can either hang the blazer loosely over your shoulders or your arm or just go without it because dress shirts and chinos are a killer combo. If you ask about the colour coordination, black shirt and olive chinos or white shirt and sand chinos are personal favourites. Muted colours are suggested for a formal occasion; however, this is the era of being bold and going out of your comfort zone. So, at the end of the day, it is all about pulling it off.

Chinos and denim

Talking about killer combos makes me want to mention another incredible pairing, that is, chinos and denim. Another stylish unisex outfit that radiates all the summer vibes. A pair of white chinos and a denim shirt make a great casual attire and slipping on a pair of low-top sneakers will be the cherry on top. Denim harmonises with sand and black chinos as well.

Chinos and polo tees

This pair is known as an all-time classic. Polos and chinos put together a clean and sophisticated yet casual look that golfers have been pulling off for decades. Not just golfing, it is equally suitable for any casual outing and is very summer friendly. Suede derby shoes, loafers and low-top sneakers are well suited with this combo and this look can be further enhanced by wearing the chinos with a dark brown belt.

Chinos and tunics

Tunics scream summer. So, set up your chinos with a tunic to witness a breezy romance. Apologies for the cheese. But seriously, the flowy tunic with chinos will let you feel the warm summer breeze getting you in the mood for embracing the season. Mules can be a great choice of shoes for this ensemble.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab yourself a pair of chinos next time you are shopping and go easy-breezy with these exquisite summer looks.

Model: Rabbi

Makeup: Sumon Rahat

Styling: Sonia Yeasmin Isha

Wardrobe: Lyonora

Location: InterContinental Dhaka