Chino Style Shorts – Five Plus One

Five Plus One is our weekly series of buyer’s guides. We pick a specific category and dig up five great options along with one that’s a little outside the norm.


The weather is heating up, and while some of you hardcore denim-heads might relish in your ability to wear 20oz. Iron Hearts in ninety-degree weather, that just isn’t fun for all of us. But just because you’ll have to forgo your jeans for the foreseeable future, that doesn’t mean you can’t have on some bottoms that you really enjoy. While we could cover a wide range of different short types, we chose to focus on one specific style:  chino shorts. These shorts will give your outfits a bit more formality than many other short styles out there, and they’ll keep you cool while doing so.

1) Billy Reid: Everett Short

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Billy Reid doesn’t get quite as much love as it should, and I hope that’ll change once you see their Everett Shorts. This style comes in an eye-catching—but not gaudy—pattern, plus all of the details you’d expect from a pair at their price point. They are constructed from 100% linen for extra breathability, feature a horn button at the waist, and have a herringbone twill fabric lining the inside of the waistband. And as you’d expect from chino-style shorts, these feature two front slit pockets and two patch back pockets.

Available for $195 from Billy Reid.

2) Editions M.R.: Pleated Short in Khaki

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These Pleated Shorts from Editions M.R. are a bit different from most of the other styles on the market, but don’t go so far as to feel costume-y. They’re made from a fine cotton twill that gives them a smooth appearance with a slight sheen from afar, but a bit of a texture when viewed from up close. They feature single reverse pleats that run in the opposite direction as the angled from pockets, which creates an interesting visual, and they also have two welted back pockets and sewn single cuffs at the hem.

Available for $180 from J. Crew.

3) Outlier: Experiment 077

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Every once in awhile, you’ll be perusing Outlier’s website and stumble upon one of their unique experiments. As their name implies, these are styles that the brand is, indeed, experimenting with—they’re generally a bit different than their general offerings and cost a touch more, but you’ll be left with a more unique piece. Their Experiment 077 is a double reverse-pleated, 59%/41% linen/poly blend design with an extra wide waistband. The fabric itself, which features a poly warp and injected linen weft, is made in Japan, but the actual shorts are constructed in New York.

Available for $198 from Outlier.

4) TS(S): Pleated Shorts

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These Pleated Shorts from TS(S) are primarily made from cotton, but also have a slight amount of wool to make them strong and more comfortable, without adding too much heat retention. The style is about as straightforward as it gets, coming with welted back pockets, slit front pockets, and a standard chino button-flap waistband, but TS(S) built them pretty perfectly, so don’t let their simplicity make you think there’s nothing special about this pair.

Available for $345 from No Man Walks Alone.

5) Uniqlo: Chino Shorts

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I know, I know, Uniqlo finds its way into a ton of my articles. But that’s just because they styles are solid, the quality-to-price ratio is high, and the availability is great. This season’s Chino Shorts come in a ton of colors and are designed with that classic chino look, and they’re made from 100% cotton twill and have a 10.5″ inseam, which make them a great go-to for the rest of the spring/summer season.

Available for $30 from Uniqlo.

Plus One – Nicholas Daley: Front Cinch Short in Dark Navy

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The Front Cinch Shorts from Nicholas Daley are certainly on the borderline of what can be considered a chino-style short, but I just couldn’t leave them off this list. They feature front slit pockets and rear flap pockets as one might expect on a pair of chinos, but also have side cinches to ensure a snug fit, large double reverse pleats, a high-rise, and a long inseam. They’re made in England from a 59%/41% linen/cotton blend, and are dyed such a color that they could be mistaken for chambray (although they’re not listed as such).

Available for $518 from Unionmade.