Chino Tasting: Boyer's Best Khaki

G. Bruce Boyer's pick for Best Khaki

No frills

Quality and Simplicity

The LINCS khaki (PS104903) is a clean and simple designed pant that speaks to a time in the mid - 60s when the khaki silhouette was tapered almost to the point of a jean. I was impressed and surprised by this pant. At $65 and made in China, it really is a standout. G. Bruce Boyer and Robert Bryan both gave it a 90 but Boyer awarded it "Best Khaki" of the tasting citing, "very good hand, reg. rise + slim leg, nicely finished, simple styling, good color."

If there was a category for "Best Value" this pant would get it. The problem is (there's always a problem), unless you're close to Dillards - you're S.O.L. DC Design admits that while the pant is a best seller it's not offered on line and must be purchased in the store. I'm scratching my head about this but there you go.

If you have the time, I'd like to throw a wonderful documentary at you. This is a short 10 minute feature shot in 1967 featuring Lee Marvin and the making of the Dirty Dozen. If you're pressed for time fast forward to 8:12 in and check out the khakis. Simple, clean, slim silhouette. Perfect for, "Action guys enjoying themselves on the town." I swear, someone at Chu design saw this and created this pant. Why they don't name it the Marvin and sell it on line I'll never know.

Chino Tasting Scores - Part 3 of 3

For identification purposes trousers were numbered 1 to 13. The scores and comments for #10 thru #13 follow below. #6 thru #9 run Thursday and #1 thru #5 follow Friday.



#10 Score- 67.5 LL Bean Sportsman $59
REB 70 - "Cotton casual, not adjustable, khaki twill, wide leg, button fly, low rise"
GBB 65- "Not good fabric, ok make, casual styling, low rise & wide leg"



#11 Score - 90 LINCS Selvage Khaki (a ringer and impossible to find )
REB 95- "rear flap, soft, casual, tape seam, exceptional pant"
GBB 85- "nice fabric, interesting styling, low rise, good navy color"




#12 Bills Khakis Bullard Field Pant $165
REB 97- "washed fabric, heavy trad, high rise, authentic khaki"
GBB 98- "best fabric + color, standard styling, well made, most authentic"



#13 French M47 Khaki (a ringer but available) $20-$50 on eBay
REB 97- "rare high rise, button fly, rear flaps, original, wide legs, wide loops, beautiful"
GBB 85- "interesting fabric + color, very detailed, high rise and wide leg; casual"

Chino Tasting: Most Original

M47 khaki pant - Hanoi 1954 (Life Magazine)






Same khaki manufactured in 1953

High waisted with 10" leg opening

Plain front button fly - Hat not included - $20 on eBay

One of two ringers thrown into the Chino Tasting were these 1953 issue M47 French khakis. The pant is high waisted and I'm guessing it weighs in at 9 ounces give or take. The cut of the leg is full and the twill is tight with a soft hand.

Whether Bruce or Robert had an inclination to the military origins due to the waist band markings is unknown but Robert was very impressed giving the pant a 98. "...rare high rise, button fly, rear flaps, original, wide leg, wide loops, beautiful."

Bruce was less impressed scoring the pant an 85 but, like Robert, did award it winner of the Most Original category while commenting, " interesting fabric + color, very detailed, high rise and wide leg; casual."

I'm also crazy about this pant and unlike the other ringer (a selvage khaki) this can be easily found, even on eBay, for around $20. They all seem to have been manufactured in 1953 and then forgotten in a warehouse somewhere. Every pair I've seen so far have never been worn. So, twenty bucks for a little Indochina history is not such a bad deal. Not nearly as bad as it was for the French (or us).

The Army Khaki

Ft Bliss, TX 1960

High rise and heavy starch

That's the old man on the left with a crusty 1st Sergeant on the right who looks like he took very little bullshit from anyone. Notice the high rise of the pant on the close up? Today, and I have no idea why, most khakis have a very low rise. Almost like a bikini bottom - not that I know what wearing a bikini bottom is like.

The army issue pant was comfortable and when it was not heavily starched the seat hung down in a not so attractive way. Especially if you were carrying a large wallet. That's why they looked so much better with heavy starch. And when I say heavy - I mean so heavy you'd have to cut the leg opening with a knife. Frequent washing improved how the cotton took to starch.

You can almost see my father's gig line where the shirt placket and fly seam of the pant are lined up with the web belt buckle's left edge . I still do this but not with popover shirts.

There were wash and wear khaki uniforms available for purchase at the P.X. but enlisted men were issued (three?) sets of the cotton khaki uniform until they were phased out in 1985 which was about the time I discovered Duck Head khakis. I was just thinking...I enlisted in the army 34 years ago today.

Blind Chino Tasting: Most Traditional

A Blind Khaki Tasting

The contestants

Bryan notes Most Traditional

Boyer inspects Most Traditional

Seven companies provided 13 pair of trousers to The Trad for a "Blind" tasting judged by men's style writers, G. Bruce Boyer and Robert E. Bryan. LL Bean, Bills Khakis, Brooks Brothers, the French Foreign Legion, J Press, Lincs and Martin Greenfield all put up entries with the requirement they be all cotton and plain front.

Due to the size of the venue, Le Veau d'Or, the inspection was limited to a tasting. That is, a close inspection of the pant with a focus on the fabric, manufacture, hand, details, and authenticity. A 1-100 point scale was used for five categories: Most Traditional, Most Original, Best Dress Chino, Best Khaki and Best Overall.

Winner for Most Traditional is the Bullard Field Pant by Bills Khakis. A whopping 10.2 ounce twill, authentic yet simple design and details that remind me of khakis issued at Ft Jackson; seam on seam pockets - high rise - wide belt loops. I can't wait to see what these look like with heavy starch.

Robert Bryan gave the Bullard a 97 commenting, " washed fabric, heavy trad, high rise, authentic khaki." G. Bruce Boyer gave the Bullard a 98 and noted, " best fabric + color, standard styling; well made; most authentic." No tags were left on the pant to give away it's maker or origins and so the Bullard won on its own merits (and weight) with the consensus afterwards that while some entrants tried, "too hard for authenticity" the Bullard kept it simple and pure.

I'd say the Pennsylvania terroir contributes to a beautiful hand feel while the twill shows nice legs. This is a huge khaki that reminds me of Silver Oak's Napa Valley release. It comes on big and the finish lasts forever. No need to decant. Pairs well with a rib eye at Peter Luger. At $165, this is a special occasion khaki but unlike $100 Silver Oak, you can open the Bullard more than once.

And even though Nordstroms (and probably the French) will tell you not to cuff plain front khakis - - I say cuff these babies big time. An inch and a half is perfect.

Happy Armed Forces Day

Rico Puhlmann NYC 1960

Docker's HQ

Docker's Book

Docker's Shirt

Docker's Pant

Docker's Colors

Docker's Ties

Docker's Belt

Docker's Cube

Scenes in the corporate New York offices along with a book I stole and a sport jacket I'm going back for.