Bruce chinos

*Second update: The first batch of Bruce chinos has sold out, but we are now taking a pre-order for the next batch, which will be delivered in early June. This will include sizes 42 and 44. If you pre-order and sizes come back for returns and exchanges, your order will be fulfilled ahead of time.

For about five years now, I’ve been trying to improve my casual chino. At first it started as a way of repeating myselfold army chinosbut after the fabric became unavailable I started down the rabbit hole of Japanese suppliers, working with the manufacturer to try to make an everyday version of what I saw on the market.

After a few bad samples we had to drop that supplier, and there was one last trip with an agent in London, who works with a different Japanese factory. That was going well until it turned out they didn’t have the capacity for what we needed.

It was all very frustrating, and I was so glad that I wasn’t using a complete brand and depending on this product for any given season. But salvation finally came during a photo shoot in Naples last year, when I started talking to photographer Lorenzo Sodi about his friends at the Florentine maker.East Harbor Surplus.

We met Fabrizio from East Harbor and Pitti next, and were impressed by what they did. It wasn’t the Japanese purism we were used to and followed in the beginning, but they made beautiful, hard-wearing staples, reminiscent of some of the Polo chinos Lucas and I both grew up with.

So we started working with Fabrizio to design our model, starting with their Axl as a template and modifying it everywhere – changing the height, changing the waist, changing the seams, adding the French goalkeeper. We redid our color and enlarged the watch, to match Lucas’ Ralph Lauren pair.

A year later againthey have finally arrived– a daily chino that can wear a modern office, but its natural home is the inactive clothes of trainers and boots, T-shirts and chambray. We are very happy with them.

Style

The Bruce chino is in the middle, sitting just below the top of my hip bones, with a straight leg. It goes well with the seat and hips, designed to be light but not sloppy.

The leg opening is 8.7 inches (22.1cm), which feels comfortable and relaxed (my dress pants are usually 21cm); My Rubato chinos, to use a reference most readers will know, measured about 9 inches.

Everyone will have their own context of course – in their closet and in their contemporaries – but for me this cut is simple, subtle and almost unrecognizable, and very versatile.

I usually zip up my chinos these days to just touch the top of the shoe, but sometimes I roll them down for a casual or warm weather option (shown above). This is great for summer, with a soft tennis shoe or tennis shoe.

Bruce chinos come uncut, so you can have them any length you want.

The cloth

The fabric is double cotton gabardine on the right hand side. Aswe have commented beforethe twill on the right is dense and strong, but can make them a little stiffer so that ours are washable, which softens them and produces a really nice handle.

Basically, it has the same look and feel as an old Gap or Polo chino, but it’s stronger and should last better.

Another benefit of washing clothes is that it removes all wrinkles. I have washed my pair three times and there was about half a centimeter of shrinkage in length.

Two colors of fabric were chosen for versatility. Beige is a good Platonic version of beige (for me) – a little dull, a little gray, not too yellow or brown, a very versatile color in the neutral and color range.

Khaki is a dark olive, grey, which I find to be as versatile as beige. In the clothes in the picture I showed them in pink and navy, and tobacco (me too).

Below, I’ve also shown a close-up of the 8-color cordovan fabric and black horse shoes, to show more of these combinations.

Both colors of the chinos were deliberate choices and perhaps one of their best features.

Design details

Chinos vary in what seams they have on the inside and outside of the legs. We went for a flat seam on the outside, but a plain seam on the inside. This makes them a little looser as the dropped flat seam is larger, and makes the inseam easier to change if you want to sharpen the legs.

The side pockets are deep and comfortable; the back pockets are clear and open – again, emphasizing efficiency rather than dress. We also specified a coin pocket that was a little lower and shallower than most, for ease of use. (I keep my house key there.)

There is a zip fly (I always like a zip) in a nice solid brass; button is free corozo; and the inside of the waist is finished with a soft fabric like washed canvas.

Our chinos don’t try to elevate casual clothes into something cool – like those from Rubato, The Anthology or Anatomica – but rather to make something stylish that you can wear on the weekend and kick the crap out of. If you wear chinos a lot, there is room in your wardrobe for both. But if you wear them a lot for one purpose or another, I would say choose depending on which one suits your lifestyle.

Oh yes, and the name. East Harbor uses men’s names on its models, as do other older Polos. We wanted to repeat that, and the ‘Axl’ model reminded me of Axl Rose from Guns ‘n’ Roses – my favorite was always Iron Maiden, rather than GNR, and especially the singer Bruce Dicksinson; so we went with Bruce. Go get some fun where you can, right?

Size and change

I’m wearing a size 48 here, which is a 34 waist. My actual waist is 34.5 inches, and I have large hips and thighs compared to my waist. I find this classic size and comfortable.

So given that I don’t usually wear a size 50 jacket in European sizing, I’d suggest you size down your usual suit.

Manish is a little bigger and takes a size 50. Lucas takes a 54. If anyone has specific questions that are relevant to any of us (eg what we take from each brand) please ask.

The chinos purposely have a split waistband, for ease of carrying. The lining inside needs cutting, but that is not a difficult task. They can also be easily inserted into the leg, if desired, provided with a hollow seam on the inside.

The waist can be removed and there is a small inlay there to allow this, although there will be a small mark where the original seam was. If in doubt, however, I would suggest measuring and taking the waist in rather than out. A slightly wider leg will look better than a narrow body relative to your waist size.

Chinos come without a hitch. I usually sew with fabric when I fold (commonly known as a chino finish) 4cm from the bottom.

Size chart

Size summary:

• The chinos fit true to size. We recommend a comfortable fit.
• The size refers to the chest size in the same suit, but a size 48 is a 34 waist.
• Simon is wearing a size 48 in the photos. You have a 34.5 inch waist and the chinos have a 31.5 inch inseam. Manish is wearing 50.
• Front rise measurement includes waist belt; the measurement of the pumpkin is taken from the fork.
• There is a very small decrease – a centimeter at most.

Product summary:

• Regular chino is the right solid cotton
• A relaxed cut with a straight leg
• Pre-washed for a soft and vibrant look
• Slant bags, coin pocket, open back pockets
• Uncut, to be bound lengthwise
• The two colors, beige and khaki, are both muted and versatile
• Made in Italy by East Harbor Surplus
• Only available in the PS Shophere