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Chinos have this reputation as the safe choice, the thing you buy when you cannot be bothered to think about trousers any more. I understand why people say that, and I still think it is a bit unfair. A good pair of chinos, worn with the right shirt or jumper on top, looks like you made an effort without looking like you tried too hard, and that balance is harder to pull off than it gets credit for.
If you own none, start with something in a mid stone or khaki, a slightly slimmer cut than you think you want but not skinny, with enough room through the thigh that you can sit down on a train without the fabric going tight across your leg. That one pair will do more outfits than any other trouser you own. From there you build out, a navy pair for anything slightly smarter, maybe an olive for autumn. Chinos suit almost any time of year except the depths of winter, when the cotton gets cold against your legs and you want something heavier underneath. Spring through early autumn is really their stretch, worn with a polo or an open shirt when it is warm, layered under a jumper and jacket once it turns. They work for a lot of occasions too, a casual office, a lunch with someone's parents, a wedding where you have been told not to wear a suit. They are rarely wrong for the room.
How they wear over time depends entirely on the weight of the cotton. The lighter ones go soft fast and start to bag at the knee within a few months, which some men like and some find scruffy. The heavier twill holds its shape longer, creases in a way that looks intentional rather than slept in, and takes a crease down the front nicely if you ever bother to iron one in. Either way, wash them less than you think you need to and turn them inside out when you do, it keeps the colour from going patchy at the knees and seat, which is where chinos always fade first and look tired long before the rest of the garment does.
On colour, stick to the ones that do not ask questions, stone, navy, olive, a soft grey. Anything brighter than that looks brilliant for about one wear and then becomes the pair you cannot be bothered to pair with anything. The quiet shades go with more of what you already own, which in the end is the whole point of owning them.
Hang them rather than fold them in a drawer and they will hold their shape for a lot longer.
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