I’ve just about worn through my decade-old Banana Republic Aiden chinos, but it looks like Banana Republic doesn’t sell quite the same thing anymore. I love these pants because they’re 100% cotton and feel so durable. I don’t necessarily hate pants the have a bit of stretch to them, but these pants have no stretch and feel so resilient. Pants that have some spandex or elastic material don’t feel quite as strong as cotton. I also really love that they fasten with a clasp and button hidden inside the waist. They kind of look like your typical dress pant with no exposed button on the outside. It just makes them look a bit classier than your typical chino I would argue.
I am looking for pants that are the most similar to the old Banana Republic Aidan chinos - little not no “stretch” and no exposed button. I’ve heard good things about Bonobos chinos and I like the look and the fact they are 98% cotton. They do have a button on the outside though (yes, I could probably live with this). Their Weekday Warrior dress pants have the look that I like but I worry they are probably more like typical dress pant and are more thin and delicate. This would lack the durability and versatility I’m looking for.
I was going to buy a few pairs from Bonobos to try, but figured I would ask this first. Thanks!
UPDATE - for anyone who comes across this post in the future and is looking for chino recommendations.
I chose to order a few pairs from Taylor Stitch and Bonobos and was generally very happy with both. The Taylor Stitch pants had the durable, 100% cotton feel that I like, but wish they had some more color options. The Bonobos Original Chinos were comfy and fit well. I am slimmer, so the tailored fit worked best for me. I also threw in a pair of their Primo Chinos to try and was pleasantly surprised. They have a much softer feel and definitely a bit dressier pair of pants. I plan to keep pairs from both companies. I was disappointed that one of the pairs I received from Bonobos was clearly from a different lot or something from the others. The color didn’t match (even though I ordered the same color for all sizes and styles I order) and worse, there were multiple stains on them. Hopefully this isn’t indicative of a greater quality issue with them.
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Hi folks,
Weird, for some reason I can't post if I have the word Aiden in the title. If I remove it, it lets me post. Anyway...
Standard Banana Republic Aiden Slim cotton chinos have been good pants for me over the last decade. 30/30 fits me well. They last a long time for for me. They eventually became called Tailored Slim I believe. Same as the Aiden apparently.
They do not seem to sell these any longer. I tried on current Banana Republic slim chinos and they felt baggier/longer in the same 30/30. Maybe mine have just been washed so many times they shrank and these new ones will too? Has the fit changed?
I see that the Banana Republic Factory Outlet has slim chinos and they say "formerly Aiden fit". But I'm not in love with the idea of outlet quality pants. I wear each pair once a week and they get washed often and I like them to last.
J. Crew slim felt baggy/long too.
Maybe I just need to let them shrink and can't really compare them to my well-worn current pants?
What are your go to chinos presently if you were happy with standard Banana Replica Aidens 10+ years ago? I just want to replicate that fit and durability/longevity.
Thanks!