What kind of pants you are going to wear depends on the type of event you are considering to go. And that purpose plays the key role here in choosing between chino vs dress pants. So, if you are planning to go on a wedding, professional business event, or job interview, dress pant is the one you should stick with.
However, for a less formal event like dinner or date nights, holiday tours, casual office attire, or casual business events, chinos are just the right option for you. Because with chinos, you will have a cool and casual look where your comfort will be ensured as well.
Chino vs Dress Pants – The Comparisons
While buying pants, there are tons of different styles of pants for you to choose from. They might have some characteristics common among them. Or some of them might be suitable for almost all the occasions. But they all are made to serve all different purposes. And this situation is pretty same with chinos and dress pants as well.
Most people get confused about whether these two are the same or not. Because they have got a lot of similarities in between them and the differences are quite minor. So here in this article, we will bring light to their similarities, differences, and where it is appropriate to wear them.
Chinos
Chinos which are made from some lightweight fabric, just like cotton blend, usually fall between formal and casual wear. It means these are not made for formal events. But you can wear them in your office, when the attire is casual, in business casual events, on date nights, or out at a dinner.
Chinos can be found in a wide variety of colors, in both bold and neutrals. Usually, they come in khaki, black, or grey. Also, bold colors like red, navy, or cobalt blues are pretty common.
Dress Pants
Unlike chinos, dress pants are made of wool. As result, they are way softer than the chinos and have an incredibly smoother finish. And the best part with the dress pants is, you do not need to match them with your suit coat. It will still look great, but be careful about how you style them.
However, if any events have even the word ‘formal’ mentioned anywhere, dress pants might be the best option you have got. Dress pants or slacks are more suitable for events like weddings, professional business events, formal office attire, or job interview.
Differences between Chinos and Dress Pants
Let’s talk about what features make these dress pants and chinos differ from each other and what you should take into consideration.
Key Features
Just like we mentioned earlier, chinos are more casual than dress pants. Here are some reasons why dress pants are considered more formal than chinos.
- Center Crease: The first difference you will notice in dress pants is the sharp center crease down to the leg. Now some formal chinos might have the same center crease. So when they do, they are called formal chinos and are suitable for formal wear.
- Texture: Another noticeable feature of the dress pants can be the smoother finish. As dress pants are made of wool, the texture is comparatively shinier and smoother than that of the chinos.
- Decoration: Unlike the jeans, there are no decorative stitches or pockets in dress pants. But sometimes some casual chinos contain this sort of decoration.
- Pleats: Pleats are a common feature that can be seen more in dress pants than chinos.
- Seam: As dress pants look more formal and cleaner, the seam details on them are pretty low compared to the chinos.
Material
The dress pants look finer, shinier, smoother, and softer than the chinos, as we said before. And the main reason behind this is that the dress pants are made of wool, whereas the chinos are made from a cotton blend.
When chinos first came into fashion, they used to be made of 100% cotton. As in history, we can see that the American army wore cotton-made chinos in the Spanish-American war. However, now the manufacturer uses a cotton synthetic blend or commonly known as a cotton blend to produce chinos.
Also, the most common dress pants today, are made from wool synthetic blends. As far as the quality is concerned, the synthetic fiber should be enough, but it may vary from one man to other. Moreover, synthetic fiber cost less than the other. So some might consider this option either.
Cleaning
Cleaning can be pretty complicated when it comes to dressing pants because of wool. But with chinos, it is less challenging. Generally, dress pants are quite stain-resistant, but they require dry cleaning. Because when you machine washes a dress pant, they tend to shrink.
And as the cotton blends go well with the machine wash, cleaning chinos will cause you no trouble. Moreover, they have a high tolerance to temperature. So drying them will be of no issue either.
What to wear with it
You must have a clear idea about what you will be wearing with your chinos or dress pants. Because the combination plays a huge role in which one you should go with.
Jacket
We are mentioning the jacket first because both the dress pant and chinos go perfectly with it. Jackets are considered casual enough to wear with chinos and formal enough to wear with dress pants. So if you are wearing a jacket, either of them should be nice enough for you.
However, things might not be as simple for you as we have mentioned here. Chinos are a bit natural without the jacket. So if you do not want to wear a jacket with your chinos and t-shirt or polos, it would be just fine.
But with the dress pants jacket is a must. Moreover, it might look a bit awkward if you do not wear a jacket with your dress pant.
Shirt
The perfect combination of shirt and dress pants is quite important to hold that formal look. In that case, a dress shirt should be the perfect option for you. Some people might get confused with the word ‘dress shirt’ as it is quite a vague term. Usually, a dress shirt means a collared shirt with long sleeves that looks quite formal.
However, other regular shirts are a bit more casual than dress shirts. So chinos might look good on you if you are going out with a Polo or OCBD (Oxford Button Down Dress Shirt).
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Chinos better than jeans?
In a sense, yes. Considering the breathability and comfort, chinos are far better than jeans. Denim is not well-known for its breathability, whereas chinos are lighter and more comfortable. Especially in hotter weather, chinos are preferable.
Do chinos fade like jeans?
As chinos are made of thinner materials than most, they tend to fade, just like jeans. But the quality of the chino cloth matters a lot here. It means if your chinois is of good quality, then it will take more time for it to fade.
Conclusion
As there is a lot of technical expression and less consistency in the terms, understanding the differences between two fabrics or types of pants is quite irritating. But if you get to know the purpose of these two pants, choosing chino vs dress pants should be easier for you.
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