The United States Army utilised the beige cotton twill material for its uniforms, which were made in China.
The shipping boxes were stamped “China” but were misread as “Chino” which was interpreted as the name of the super-soft cloth. The name stuck.
Chinos moved from workman’s closet to rebel ready-to-wear when the Beats paired the gabardine pants with berets and shades to hang out in smoky jazz clubs.
Slick and stylish teens then adopted chinos for their rock and roll rendition of 50s fashion, doo-wopping the days into nights. Chinos were officially the anytime, anywhere wear for adolescents.
