My quest for Collegiate cut chinos has led me to a pair of Jack Donnelly’s chinos. I am sure that many of my readers are already familiar with this brand. However, this post is not about the brand itself, but the fit of the chinos and most importantly finding a consistent resource for chinos in the Collegiate cut. The chinos in this post are size 30 slim fit Daltons in British khaki. I want to shout out Jack Donnelly for donating a pair of chinos to my cause (Thanks!). You have to respect the confidence that they have in their product. Now let’s get to it!
First and foremost of importance are the measurements:
A) RISE 10″ (outseam minus inseam)
B) LEG OPENING 7.5″
C) KNEE 9”
D) BOTTOM OF CROTCH 12″
E) WAIST 30″
So far these chinos come closest to having the Collegiate cut right out of the box. The leg opening is 7.5” which is just about perfect for me using the “your leg opening should be 3/4ths of the length of your shoe” standard. The overall drop from the top of the thigh to the leg opening is 37.5% which is in line with the 40% drop that Collegiate cut trousers generally feature. However, the rise comes in at 10 inches which is just a little too short for the collegiate cut look.
Unfortunately these chinos were not the Collegiate cut chinos that I am searching for. First, the rise was not quite high enough. Secondly, the drop was not dramatic enough. I am tempted to give the Dalton khakis in regular fit a try. I have heard that they feature a higher rise (somewhere around 11.5 inches) and with a fuller thigh I could create a more dramatic drop with a little tapering.
Overall, these are the best OTR chinos that I have found yet. The material is great; it is both soft and has a nice heft which results in a fantastic drape. They feature on seam pockets, are offered in a deep British khaki, and are made in the USA. There is not much more that you can ask for and 98$ is a very fair price. I do know that I will be grabbing a pair (or three!) of these chinos in the future as a man can’t live on Collegiate cut trousers alone, but for now the search for the perfect pair of Collegiate cut chinos continues.
HerrDavid – That is the outseam minus inseam. I remeasured them and I am going to call it 10 inches. Remember that this is a size 30 and that larger sizes should have larger everything.
Thanks for the info, OCBD, although it’s disappointing to hear. I’m a size 30 as well and won’t go less than a 10.5 rise. I had been looking forward to trying JD, but those plans are shelved now.
At any rate, I look forward to your further adventures in chinos!
(On a side note, I welcome your decision to start center-creasing your chinos. I’ve always found them to “sit” better on loafers that way.)
HerrDavid – If I measure crotch seem to waist band I get about 10.5 inches. I would not count them quite yet. They might work for you. I agree with you on the creasing and I am moving towards the center crease only. Not only does it sit on the loafer better, but I think that it emphasizes the silhouette that I want.
Those do looks pretty nice, good length with a rise that is not too short. I, like you, like a slightly taller rise to lengthen my legs but I do like that their “trim” model doesn’t feature the trendy low rise.
Have you tried Bills? I’d try the JD’s in the regular fit Dalton’s first, but if those aren’t right, try the Bills m2 and get it tapered some. They can be had for a song on Sierra Trading Post.
Enjoying this series. Curious to hear your thoughts on Bill’s M2; haven’t tried the regular JD’s but I would certainly enjoy a review on those if decide to purchase them.
Thanks
Interesting write up, looking forward to hearing about the traditional cut. I take it these Donelly chinos don’t have the dreaded ‘non iron’ treatment?