Journal
The best chinos under $100: Nomad vs. All-Terrain
One is a classic, one is a cheat code. You might want both.
If you only buy one pair, get the Outerknown Nomad Chino in Black Olive at $94.80. Italian organic cotton twill, straight leg with a slight taper, down from $158. If you travel, commute by bike, or just hate ironing, the All-Terrain Pant at $64 is half off and the better deal.
The Nomad: the classic
The Nomad is what a chino should be. The twill is woven in Italy, it's organic cotton, and it's garment-dyed so it shows up already broken in. The cut is straight through the thigh with a light taper below the knee, which works on almost every build. Black Olive is the smart color pick: darker than khaki, warmer than black, and it hides a coffee spill.
Sizes run deep on this one right now, 28 through 38 waist. That won't last at 40 off.
The All-Terrain: the cheat code
The All-Terrain looks like a chino from six feet away, but it has stretch, a hidden zip pocket and the kind of cut you can sit on a plane in for six hours. Dusty Marsh is a muted green that pairs with denim shirts, gray sweatshirts and white tees. At $64 it's cheaper than most mall chinos that will be shiny at the seat by summer.
How a chino should fit
The waist sits without a belt doing the work. The seat is clean, no sag and no pulling. The leg has a slight taper so the hem sits on top of your shoe with little or no break. If you're between sizes, size for the waist and have the hem taken up. A tailor charges about $15 for a hem, and it's the cheapest upgrade in menswear.
What to wear with them
The Taylor Stitch Conrad Shirt in pincord, $82.80, worn open over a white tee, is the easiest good outfit there is. Add a real wallet like the Beckett Simonon Bennett bifold at $79, Italian calfskin at half off, and you're done.
The call
Office, dates, anything with a reservation: Nomad. Airports, weekends, bikes: All-Terrain. Both together still cost less than one pair from most designer brands at full price.
Build the rest around them with the $239 starter wardrobe, or see which knit to wear on top. Everything else is on the rack.
