Goodbye, Black Jeans. Hello, Giant Chinos.

New York Times

17-07-2025

Ever since I could pick out my own clothes, I've gravitated toward black jeans.
I'm talking decades of life in black jeans — and maybe a pair of blue jeans if I wanted to go a little crazy. Going on a date? Black jeans. Commuting to work? Black jeans. Leaving for the airport? Black jeans, even for a six-hour flight. Headed to the beach? Change from black jeans into a swimsuit. My wedding day? Don't worry, I wore a tux. But I definitely changed into it from a pair of black jeans.
Despite being set in my ways, I'm still something of a clotheshorse. While perusing the land of perpetual sales — J.Crew's website — I stumbled across its Giant-fit Chino Pant and had a good laugh at the idea. Chinos, to me, were the kind of pants my mom picked out for me when I was 10 years old, the same year she gave me a bowl cut.
Since I enjoy gently torturing my wife, I showed her the page, thinking she'd be aghast at the idea of me in comically large pants. To my surprise, she encouraged me to get them. What the heck, I thought. They're big pants, and they're marked down. If they were funny-looking, I'd send 'em back. So I popped a khaki-colored pair in my cart and left the rest up to fate — convinced that no pair of pants could release my death grip on black jeans.
Turns out, I was wrong — I love these pants. My wife loves these pants on me. And I get compliments on them when I'm out and about. I even bought another pair in blue so that I could wear them more often. I'm not just a chino guy now, but a Giant-fit Chino guy. Am I even me anymore? I sure am, and I'm looking better than ever.
These roomy pants cut a different figure than most men's pants and can be easily dressed up or down across seasons.
The Giant-fit chinos are exactly what they sound like — a regular pair of pants but with appreciably wider-cut legs. The silhouette is completely different from my usual look: It presents more of a straight line from my shoulders to my feet, a look that I worried might be too angular but instead appears refreshingly clean and relaxed. And because these chinos are so different from my usual pants, they've become a bit of a statement piece in my wardrobe.
The pants are made of a midweight (8.5-ounce) cotton, which, combined with the large ankle opening, allows for a nice breathability. They've held up well over two years, with sturdy cover stitches on the seams and belt loops. They come prewashed and have only broken in more over repeat washings; if you're at all worried about how stiff and straight they look upon arrival, note that they do eventually relax a bit. Big chinos also mean big pockets — I can easily fit a sunglasses case along with my usual wallet, phone, keys, and headphones in there — and the pockets are angled for easy access. The Giant-fit chinos offer a relaxed fit with a wider-than-usual profile. The always-cuffed bottoms show off new shoes or hide a pair of boots. Evan Dent/NYT Wirecutter
All of that is to say, they're just plain comfy. They let my legs breathe in the summer months, even over nine innings in the sun at a baseball game. I've worn them on extended drives and lengthy flights, never before realizing that I could both look dressed-up and feel comfortable on an hours-long trip. And because of their width, in the depths of winter I can sneak a pair of long johns under them without sacrificing comfort.
I can dress them up or dress them down. I can wear them with a collared shirt for work or with a T-shirt for weekend activities. And they go with a number of my favorite sweaters, including Wirecutter writer Hannah Frye's favorite rollneck sweater, a mainstay in my own closet. I can wear them a bit lower on my waist for a more casual look, or I can keep them higher for a cleaner, more straight-line look. I can show off some new sneakers one way, or I can hide a pair of always-on Blundstones during the winter the other way, just by belting these pants a little higher or a little lower. (The cuffs are affixed, so you have to work around that.)
Just about the only thing they don't go with are other large pieces of clothing, such as some of my oversize sweaters and longer shirts, which can create too boxy a look for my personal style. Of course, when it comes to style, everyone is different. You might feel differently based on how they fall on you, I can't say. The wide legs allow for nice airflow during the summer months. Evan Dent/NYT Wirecutter
I can say, however, that these pants are definitely not made for any kind of precipitation — those wide legs stick out under umbrellas and pick up a distinctive water mark on the shins as you swish forward. And yes, these pants do swish a bit as you walk. If the idea of that bugs you, our giant-pants paths may just never cross, though at least you'll hear me coming.
If your interest is piqued, but you're dissuaded by the nearly $120 base price for these chinos, I advise holding tight for a week or two, until J.Crew inevitably puts them on sale for 40% off. (Real J.Crew sale devotees know to hold strong till you get 60%, no matter how many 'Last Chance!' emails you receive.) I bought my pairs for $63 each.
Will these pants change your life? I wouldn't go that far, but I will tell you they've changed mine. They've unlocked a whole new side of my personal style and allowed me to experiment in ways that men's fashion does not always permit.
More than that, it's nice to know that even after decades, a leopard can indeed change its spots — or at least wear something other than black jeans every day.
This article was edited by Hannah Rimm and Maxine Builder.