Guides

Short answer: Most of the time, yes. If chinos already show up on a regular Tuesday and the handbook, uniform rules, and safety requirements do not say otherwise, a neat pair of khaki pants can fit right in. First, read the room. Then check the cut and condition of the pants. Finish with a shirt and shoes that belong at the same level. If your office leans formal, navy or charcoal trousers are still the safer move.

Say you need pants for a workday, dinner afterward, and an errand somewhere in between. You open a chino page, click Khaki in the color menu, and pause. Are these khakis or chinos? Quite possibly both. Khaki may be the color, while chino may be the trouser style. In everyday American English, khakis can also mean the pants themselves. The label gets you started; the fabric, cut, waistband, pockets, measurements, and care instructions tell you what the pants are actually like.