Chino describes the cotton twill weave and khaki describes the tan colour, so a navy chino and a khaki chino are both chinos; dress trousers are a separate garment in finer wool, cut to go with tailoring.
This one is a vocabulary problem masquerading as a shopping problem. Once you know that one word is about cloth and the other about colour, the labels stop contradicting each other.
| Chinos | Khakis | Dress trousers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defined by | Cotton twill weave | Tan colour | Fine wool, tailored cut |
| Typical colours | Navy, stone, olive, tan | Tan only | Grey, navy, charcoal |
| Pockets | Slanted, slim | Often patch | Slanted, clean |
| Formality | Smart casual | Casual | Business and up |
How to tell them apart in a photo
Look at the pocket. A chino has a clean slanted hip pocket. Military style khakis often have a flat patch pocket sewn on top.
Which one should you pick
Chinos
A business casual office, in navy or grey instead of tan.
Dress trousers
Anywhere a jacket is expected.
Examples from the blog
Try both on your own photo
Classic navy
Powder Blue, High-Rise Crepe Slacks.These powder blue
Charcoal grey
Platinum grey
Rich Burgundy
Icy blue, these chinos bring a fresh pop of color
Midnight Navy
Olive Green, Cargo-Style Slacks.Venture
Khaki tan, the pants are a versatile choice, offering
Soft beige, the pleated pants are a summer essential
Light Grey, Flannel Slacks.These light grey flannel
Olive green, these chinos offer a military-inspired
Tap any look to open it in the app on your own photo.
Related
Chinos · Business Casual · Business Casual vs Smart Casual
Questions people actually ask
Can chinos be worn to a wedding?
At a relaxed daytime or beach wedding, with a blazer, yes. Not at anything describing itself as formal.
Why do chinos crease more than wool trousers?
Cotton fibres hold a fold, wool springs back. That is the same property that makes cotton easy to iron and hard to keep smooth. Hanging chinos overnight does almost nothing; a steamer or a damp press does. Wool recovers on its own while it hangs.
What counts as khaki as a colour?
Quite a range, not one shade. British khaki ran towards olive drab, American khaki towards pale sand, and both are correct in their own tradition. If a colour name matters for matching, look at the photograph and ignore the word, since shops apply it to everything from stone to army green.
Are pleated chinos dated?
They were, for about twenty years. Flat front took over so completely that pleats read as a nineties office mistake, and they are now coming back through wider cuts where a pleat actually helps the drape. On a slim leg a pleat still gapes, so the cut decides it.