The dog days of summer are no time for jeans. There remain, however regrettably, some occasions for which short pants are out of the question. Taken together, these two rules make a pretty good excuse for breaking out (and in) one's chinos — not that any of us ever really needed an excuse. According to legend, veterans of the Spanish-American War first introduced these tough, lightweight pants (made in the Philippines of Chinese cotton twill) to American soil — chino is Spanish for Chinese. We've relied on them as our go-to easygoing pants ever since. Ralph Lauren's latest take on the classic is bone colored and designed with hand-ripped and repaired patches on the lower legs, providing a contemporary edge to the standard design. You can wear the cuffs down, neatly pressed, or with a tight roll for a more casual look.
Cotton chinos ($98) by Polo Ralph Lauren;
ralphlauren.com.
