I've been wearing these made-to-measure chinos for over a year — they're affordable, have a custom fit, and blur the lines between casual and formal
- Made-to-measure menswear brand Indochino recently added chinos to its product offering.
- Cleverly named INDOchinos, these chino pants are completely customizable with options for pleats, cuffs, pockets, buttons, and more.
- I got fitted for a pair and they're more comfortable and better fitting than alpha-sized and other custom-fitted pants I've worn.
- They're originally priced at $79 each, but for a limited time, you can get two pairs of INDOchinos for $129 with the promo code "BUNDLES" at checkout.
- UPDATE 3/9/2020: More than a year later, Indochino's chinos are still my favorite chinos in my closet. Since the original release, Indochino has released four new colors and a new lightweight cotton version for warmer climates.
Since its inception in 2015, Indochino has been the premier online destination for made-to-measure suits. The brand has revolutionized the suit buying process for men by providing them with personalized fits, a seemingly endless amount of customizable options, and affordable prices — all from the comfort of their homes.
By flipping the traditional menswear tailoring process on its head, Indochino has made custom menswear accessible to virtually everyone and it recently added another key wardrobe staple to its product offering — chinos.
Cleverly named INDOchinos, these business-casual pants are made from a mid-weight, 100% cotton material that's durable, comfortable, and suitable for all climates.
Coming in khaki, navy, olive, black, sand, stone, sage, and cadet (a medium blue), you can further customize INDOchinos with specific details like pleats, cuffs, pocket styles, and button colors. The customization options allow you to better achieve your desired look. For example, you might add cuffs and flap pockets to be more casual or pleats and creases to be more formal.
At $79 each, INDOchinos are extremely affordable, even compared to some off-the-shelf pairs with one fixed style, but for a limited time, you can get two pairs of INDOchinos for $139 with the promo code "BUNDLES" at checkout.
Aesthetics and pricing aside, the made-to-measure fit is what makes these a standout menswear piece.
There are two ways to go about getting fitted for Indochino: You can follow an in-depth, step-by-step video guide to accurately measure yourself at home, or you can visit one of Indochino's many showrooms in the United States and Canada to get measured by a professional.
Although several of my coworkers have raved about Indochino for its suits and the customization process, I had personally never tried anything from the brand. The new chinos served as the perfect opportunity to do that, so instead of giving me any sort of special treatment as a product reviewer, Indochino simply provided me with a promo code to use online so I could experience the process for myself. With that, I went through the entire customization and ordering process as a normal customer would.
The Broad Street location in New York is just a few blocks away from the Business Insider office, so I decided to make an appointment in order to get the full in-store and online experience. After getting fully measured, I tried on sample-fit garments to see if I wanted to make any further adjustments. I was able to work with the showroom manager to add some extra room to the seat of my pants and to shorten the pant legs to show more sock. What you change (or don't change) is completely up to you, but if you need some style and fit advice, they're there to help you.
With my measurements now on my Indochino profile, I ordered an olive pair with one-inch cuffs and flap pockets to wear casually with boots this fall, and a black pair with jetted back pockets and no cuffs for a sleek, dressy look.
What they're like to wear
About a week later, my INDOchinos arrived and they truly are the best fitting chinos I've worn, beating out standard chinos and other custom pairs I've tried. Compared to the more expensive Woodies Performance Chinos that use figures like your height, weight, desired style, and normal alpha sizes to sort of guesstimate your fit (which is admittedly still pretty accurate), INDOchinos are truly made-to-measure.
In my experience with clothes in general, there's usually some sort of compromise that prevents me from saying an item is perfect. There have been plenty of times I've said, "These pants are just an inch too long for me, I'll have to cuff them," or "I love the color, but I wish they were a little bit slimmer," and I'm sure other guys have, too.
With INDOchinos, that wasn't the case at all. Unless you lose or gain a substantial amount of weight or grow inches taller between the time of ordering and delivery, it'd be really hard to get a fit that you don't like.
If for some reason you do end up with a garment that doesn't fit you as you'd like it to, Indochino will work with you to make it right. You can make an appointment at an Indochino store for alterations and if there isn't a store in your area, the brand will reimburse you for a local tailor in your area.
Update after 1.5 years of ownership (March 2020)
It's been well over a year since I first reviewed my Indochino chinos and they're still my favorite pairs to wear. What I like about chinos, especially when they fit your body perfectly, is that they can be worn for so many different occasions.
In the picture on the left, I wore the olive chinos with a Thursday Boot Company leather jacket, a black button-up shirt, and "Black/Red" Air Jordan 1s. In the picture on the right, I wore the black chinos with a tan blazer, a black button-up, and "Ivory Snake" Air Force 1s. It's easily the best style of pants to wear if you want to blur the lines between casual and semi-formal.
Since the initial release, Indochino has released four new colors — sand, stone, sage, and cadet — and a lightweight cotton version to wear in warmer climates.
The bottom line
All in all, if you're looking for a pair of chinos that are truly unique to your body and style, then INDOchinos should be your first choice. The price, fit, and customization options set the bar extremely high for other made-to-measure brands and standard apparel companies alike.