Chino cloth

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chino cloth is a kind of twill fabric, usually made primarily from cotton. Originally used in British and French military uniforms in the mid-1800s, today it is also used to make civilian clothing.

Chino pants gained popularity in the US in the 1900s after military men returning from the Philippines after the Spanish-American War brought back their cotton military trousers. These pants were originally made in China. "Chino" is the Spanish term for Chinese, hence the fabric and these pants picked up the name. The first chinos sold in the US were US Army military issue pants and in order to save fabric during WWII era constraints, they had no pleats and were tapered at the bottom of the leg.

The original military pants were khaki in colour. Today, chino pants in the US are commonly referred to as "khakis", although by definition "chino" is a type of fabric and "khaki" is simply one of the colours the fabric is commonly dyed.