I have a 0 Chinos wardrobe crisis atm. I'm learning that quality is important and I need to buy all my base colors, clean wardrobe build strictly for casual wear in small art city vibes.

I tried on J.Crew in store and Slim and Straight fits, and Slim rides my junk when doing light movements. I'm 5'11, 165lbs, toned and work out, but not very big built. Do I just deal with the crotch being slightly tight and go Slim?

For quality, should I shoot for J.Crew, Banana Republic, or pony up more money for $100+ Bonobos or something else?

I don't have a CostCo membership, so I bought a pair of Banana Republic tech chinos on impulse when I went with a friend and saw them for only $15.99. At that price the risk seemed minimal. Looking at their website in hindsight, I think it must be these. Mine are black.

TLDR: you still get what you pay for. A shock, I know.

I'm from the school of thought that I travel with my regular clothes, rather than buying specific travel/onebag clothes. That said, my main transportation is my bike and live somewhere warm, so I appreciate clothes that breathe and move well, while looking like "normal" clothes.

I think these Banana Republic pants must be a special cheaper line that they make for CostCo? I've owned regular BR pants and these just don't measure up.

So what do they do well?

• They actually fit me pretty well. Just luck really, as there are no fitting rooms at CostCo. But waist/leg measurements seem consistent. The cut is flattering and slim-ish - there's room for my cyclist's power thighs, but they aren't boxy or schlubby.

• The fabric is fairly structured, not like floppy PJs

• The fabric seems to breathe reasonably well

• Stretch is ok. Enough to add comfort on the bike, but still structured

• I'm impressed at the 3 belt loops on the back - a belt will actually keep the pants looking good while squatting or leaning over on a bike. I otherwise like the Eddie Bauer 5 pocket pants, but they fail on this one with a single belt loop. I've had other more expensive tech pants that have failed on this too.

What don't they do well?

• Swish swish - yeah, they're noisy

• Creak groan - the pocket fabric somehow manages to creak loudly against the leg fabric when sitting/squatting. It quite loud, I honestly don't know if I'd wear these in a quiet environment like at work - even though they look nice enough to pass for office casual

• Odor - a single 5 mile ride on a warm day had them smelling a bit. I worry what they'd be like after a 10 hour flight in a clammy airplane seat. Polyester is maybe one of the worst fabrics for odor retention? Cotton jeans will last me a week easily, and even the EB pants will last longer. YMMV.

I guess that's it. If you don't care about any of those downsides then they might work for you at a low low price! I'm still on the fence, but I might donate them.

I know these pants are one of the most recommended items on this sub. I love them too, but am super confused about the sizing.

I thought I had outgrown my pair, which are now a bit tight in the waist and noticeably short on length, especially because when I bought a couple pairs in the same size used, they were even more tight and short.

However, in store, when I tried on some new, unworn pairs, my original size is perfect. This makes me think that I have not, in fact, outgrown them, and they just shrink a decent amount over time.

Does anyone have any experience with this? How should I combat this? Buy a size or two up and wash them normally? Avoid drying at all? Any input?

I know they are popular pants but didn't find a ton of clear info searching on this.