I’ve worn jeans more than any other type of pants (probably more than all others combined) for as long as I can remember. I even wear jeans throughout the summer. But this year I’ve decided to change that. I bought a few new pairs of summer trousers, and I’m going to focus on wearing them much more often. They’re more comfortable, more versatile, and more stylish than wearing a heavier fabric like denim in the summer. I bought two pairs of poplin trousers, one khaki and one navy, and one pair of olive chinos. As I was trying them on, I realized that most guys are probably used to wearing tan and navy pants, but green is a slight stretch. So I figured a post on how to style olive chinos was well warranted.
I think the simplest thing to working with olive is that it can be treated very similarly to green. Green works well with white (as does almost everything), pink, light tan, and blue. I would avoid colors like red, purple, brown, and yellow. Yellow and purple clash too much with green in my opinion, while brown and green look like a Boy Scout uniform (which isn’t bad…if you’re a Boy Scout), and a red and green pairing might get you hung on a Christmas tree.
How to Style Olive Chinos with a Polo Shirt
Obviously the simplest thing to pair with a pair of olive chinos is a classic polo shirt. Remember, I’m trying to avoid t-shirts except when going to the gym. I am trying to use polo shirts as my t-shirts for morning coffee runs and casual lounging. A shirt with a collar will almost always frame your face better than one without. With a pair of green chinos like the ones I bought, any of the colors I mentioned above will look great. Brooks Brothers and Lacoste both have an excellent selection of vibrant hues available.
Chinos: Brooks Brothers // Shirt: Lacoste // Belt: Original Penguin
Shoes: Nike // Socks: Corgi // Fragrance: Penhaligon’s
How to Style Olive Chinos with a Button-Up Shirt
If you’re looking for something with a little more structure (i.e. a shirt with buttons and sleeves), I think chambray or linen is the perfect fabric to pair with cotton trousers in the summer. Roll your sleeves up when it gets a little warmer if you need to. I would just avoid heavier fabrics like twill and oxford shirts.
Chinos: Brooks Brothers // Shirt: The Tie Bar // Belt: Polo Ralph Lauren
Drivers: Tod’s // Sunglasses: Ray-Ban // Fragrance: Acqua di Parma
How to Style Olive Chinos with Jacket
Finally, let’s say you need something a little dressier. Of course chinos are relatively casual when placed on the pants formality spectrum, but some jackets will still work. If you need something a little dressier, check out the poplin trousers I bought. They are slightly more formal. But back to the green chinos. I would keep the chambray or linen shirt (or a crisp poplin one too), but throw on a casual jacket with patch pockets and minimal lining. The less structured the jacket, the more casual is it. Stick to materials like hopsack or fresco wools, cotton, and linen. Like shirting fabrics, keep the heavier weights for the colder months.
Chinos: Brooks Brothers // Shirt: Harvie & Hudson // Jacket: Boglioli
Belt: W. Kleinberg // Loafers: To Boot New York
Watch: Mondaine // Fragrance: Guerlain
So who’s with me on trying to wear jeans less this summer? I mean, I’m wearing jeans right now as I write this, but going forward this summer, some lighter weight pants are part of the plan. Let me know in the comments what your plans are!
