Toughest Chinos

Hi,
I wear chinos for work almost every day and no matter the brand I have tried they do not seem to be very durable. I carry work keys, a Royal Navy clasp knife and a Zippo but whatever brand I have tried they almost always poke or wear holes in the pockets. I have tried LL Bean, Marks Work Warehouse and many others without finding a truly durable brand.
All help and advice gratefully received.

Check out Carhartt. They have some heavy duty trousers. You might also consider having a tailor replace the pocket material with something sturdier, like canvas.

Are these patch pockets or pocketbags that get worn through? "Chino" does not bring to mind patch pockets for me. The material chinos are made of is typically not all that durable. You might want to transition to a heavier drill cotton or duck/canvas for heavier duty wear.

If they're patch pockets, you might try removing the pockets, backing them with something durable like duck, and then putting the pockets back on. If it's the pocketbags that are wearing through, you can reinforce with a heavy poplin or drill/sailcloth for more sturdy bags.

Dickies. They're practically bullet proof, although they do take a while to get "broke-in"
As a bonus, Dickies became a major player in the work apparel scene by being a uniform contractor for the U.S. Army during WWII. Their basic work uniform pants (and shirts) are still made using the same pattern, and you can get them in 100% cotton if you want to pay the premium, but for about $20 it's hard to go wrong with the 60-40 blend.

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17oz Duck http://www.ironheart.co.uk/bottoms/ih-816.html

I have several pair of Duluth Trading firehose pants. The second two pairs are much more durable than a regular pair of jeans, similar to Carhartt. The first pair I got (I guess they don't sell that weight any more) are almost like Dad's old canvas army tent.

Their double-thick loggers pants look promising, but I haven't tried them yet.

TAD Gear has 'Chinos' with re-inforced pockets for EDC.

I'm really interested in these from Stan Ray, wwii inspired, 100% cotton and made in the USA... Oh and dirt cheap

http://www.hickorees.com/brand/earls-apparel/product/chinos-khaki-military-twill

OP, are you looking for stronger pants or pants with strong pocket bags?

They can be 2 entirely different things.

Since I wear chinos exclusively, I feel qualified to make a few observations:

1. Dickies regular cotton pants are disposable. They come apart at the seams very quickly. They also suffer from early color fade and the rise is too low. I junked them and never looked back. Dickies clothing in general uses vintage patterns in many cases and hasn't fully succumbed to the slim-fit craze. The 874 pants have a nicer fit with a higher rise than their stock pants (if memory serves), but they don't come in all-cotton. In all, I'm a fan of Dickies, just not their chinos.

2. Dickies 1922 is a whole other conservation: high rise, vintage detailing, and made from Cramerton cloth, the softest, yet hardest-wearing material I've ever worn. These chinos continue softening over time and become almost like flannel in the way they feel. You can get a pair for $99 (cuffed is much less expensive, don't ask me why). They suffer a similar color fade as the regular Dickies chinos, so I'd recommend the lighter khaki color, which shows less fading. I'm wearing them now and almost every day, in fact.

3. Stan Ray chinos are junk. The material is very flimsy and the waistband stretches. Not really my thing. My pair is sitting in my closet unworn.

I haven't tried the other chinos mentioned. Although I've never bought them, I did mention Geronimo Brand chinos in another thread. You might also try Buzz Rickson (1945 model).

Other solid option for those looking for a more modern fit (mid rise, slim cut) are Epaulet NYC in standard canvas or duck canvas. Material is tremendous, and I love the fit. Run between $130-170

@Joel thx for the perspective on the Stan Ray chinos. Guessing you feel the same for the OD army trousers?

bretron said:

Other solid option for those looking for a more modern fit (mid rise, slim cut) are Epaulet NYC in standard canvas or duck canvas. Material is tremendous, and I love the fit. Run between $130-170

@Joel thx for the perspective on the Stan Ray chinos. Guessing you feel the same for the OD army trousers?

Click to expand...

I don't know their army trousers and can't comment.

Many thanks for the replies so far.
My experiences have been with LL Bean Allagash, Denver Hayes by Mark's Work Warehouse and Cabelas own brand. What I want is a tough pair of khaki trousers (sorry, I'm English), with pocket bags as tough and hard wearing as possible. I would prefer natural materials as I tend not to get on with many of the poly/cotton blends. I work in retail albeit in a support role so they have to be presentable as well as hard wearing.
Once again, many thanks
Tackleberry