Article updated in March 2020 - I will show you that with beautiful summer chinos, it is very easy to juggle styles, from the most casual to the most elegant . Finally, I will give you some advice necessary for their maintenance.
As summer approaches, what could be nicer than wearing lightweight pants?
Blue and beige
If you can, try to vary the textures of the material.
Once again, the goal is to make life easier. Blue and beige are two simple colors to combine with your entire wardrobe . It is a basic and a classic of summer masculine elegance.
You can combine them with t-shirts, elegant or casual shirts, or even stronger and more colorful pieces.
Enough blah blah, time for the illustration.
"In summer, I'm relaxed"
1. Simply with a t-shirt
If, like Alexandre, you want comfort down to your feet, you can simply opt for a t-shirt and sneakers. It's the ultimate holiday outfit, it couldn't be simpler.
APC x Carhartt t-shirt, APC x Nike sneakers (this man is only made up of collabs...).
Alexandre likes to wear his chinos in a "loose" way, which gives a falsely neglected look. To counterbalance this relaxation, he always chooses beautiful, well-fitted t-shirts, paying close attention to the material. Remember that a well-fitted top allows you to integrate pants worn a little wide .
Of course, nothing prevents you from doing a backhand, just to add a touch of relaxation and emphasize the summer side.
Carhartt belt.
A braided belt is always welcome in summer. Alexandre is a perfectionist to the point of having the same blue border on his belt, damn Alex (in fact he didn't do it on purpose: there's no need to worry about these kinds of details 😉).
2. With high-top shoes and a sailor top
We stick with a very casual look, but one that is often scary. If you are tall and thin , high shoes and cuffs break the verticality of the silhouette. The sailor top is then a good solution. Blue stripes will always go with your chinos. Because of the high-top shoes, the outfit is a little more sophisticated, it's up to you to see how far you want to "push" your basics.
Jonathan completes his outfit with shoes of another color to break the monotony of only blue tones .
Uniqlo sailor top, Dr Martens boots.
3. With a white t-shirt
Even simpler with Geoffrey, who wears a white t-shirt with a yoke and light sneakers.
With such a simple outfit, you can go all out on accessories : Geoffrey does it with a watch and leather bracelets. The tattoo also plays this “accessory” role.
Marchand Drapier t-shirt, BGNS-01 sneakers.
4. With a shirt and a pair of running shoes
I chose red running shoes, to contrast well with the blue of the chinos (when I told you that you could let go).
Speaking of running shoes, I wasn't a customer of this type of shoe at all, but my friend Gil convinced me to try it. And it's actually incredibly comfortable (and airy).
The shirt (a Naked and Famous) is not quite white, it has a color that the brand calls "mint", an extremely pale green. It contrasts with the blue chinos. This allows you to move away from the monochrome look .
It's hard to go wrong, just remember to vary the materials. In this case, the fabric of the shirt is a very soft brushed cotton.
Naked and Famous shirt, Nike running shoes, Tom Ford glasses. I don't usually hem it to show my ankles, but I thought it looked better that way.
5. Casual, but not too casual
Once again, you don't have to reach Florian's hair space occupancy rate. But you can follow it on the teddy jacket which recalls the blue of the sneakers, and brings a nice touch of relaxation. This outfit is accessible to everyone.
Beige chinos allow you to wear something other than blue, so as not to look like a Smurf.
Note that the blue border facilitates this combination of colors.
Teddy Monoprix, Three Animals shirt, BGS-01 low sneakers .
“I want to be elegant”
1. With a tie
Gant Rugger blazer, BGMD-02 shirt, COS tie, Asos Black tie clip.
We still find Florian, aka the man with selvedge hair. Here, everything is there: pocket (selvedge too!), tie clip and colored bracelets.
Chinos allow you to move from one style to another very simply (again, we don't like the hassle). They provide a good base for your looks, which you will then just have to expand on.
A pair of derbies will be elegant enough to finish your look, and comfortable enough for summer (here they are Menlook Label derbies).
2. With desert boots
If you like to wear dress shirts, it is possible to bring casualness to your look. Jonathan wears light desert boots to contrast with the blue of the chinos.
The brown belt harmonizes the silhouette by breaking up the blue of the shirt and pants.
You can even choose a lighter belt, because I remind you, you don't have to worry about accessories.
Uniqlo shirt, When I Was 17 belt, Kost desert boots.
3. A more formal look
With a nice shirt, ankle boots and a knitted tie, you get a more formal outfit. As Benoit Carpentier says: “ The edging gives a more elegant look, and is reminiscent of the tuxedo” . This gives you a fairly obvious element to move towards more elegant outfits, particularly if the chinos have this kind of detail.
There is nothing very complicated here: we stick to very simple colors and brighten everything up with a green tie dollar fir (a color that suits brown hair very well by the way).
Handy if you have a job that requires formal attire, but you want to wear something other than a suit.
Blazer that I love (the line is impeccable), shirt, tie and prototype of Husbands ankle boots,
Tom Ford glasses, When I Was 17 belt.
4. With a scarf
Sneakers on your feet, you can easily mix styles. As Benoit Carpentier would say: "It's like cocktails, it's a question of dosage. You have to have a structured side and, above all, a touch of madness."
This time, the outfit is a little sharper. Geoffrey was careful not to go for dark colors to obtain a luminous and homogeneous outfit. This does not prevent you from tinting the colors.
Be careful, a very light colored jacket is not the most versatile piece in your wardrobe. However, at some point, you have to stop wanting versatility at all costs. This type of jacket allows you to have a stronger hold. Here, the beige of the pants fits well with such a light jacket. On the other hand, the contrast would have been too strong with blue pants.
La Comédie Humaine blazer and shirt, A Piece Of Chic scarf, BGNS-01 sneakers.
But a return to much more simplicity is also possible:
How to take care of your chinos?
A good chino is a garment that goes easily into the washing machine after a few days of wear, especially in summer when it is hot. And you don't have the same problems as with jeans which quickly lose their indigo pigment.
Simply put your chinos in the washing machine at 30° and let them dry quietly . If you dry them in the sun, remember to turn them over to preserve the color. But no tumble dryers, they don't like that and will let you know!
A beautiful chino material hardly moves after washing.
