Hiroshi Kato Chino fit advice
Hey yall, picked up a pair of Hiroshi Kato Everyday Chinos from Blue Owl Workshop. Wanted fit advice. I think they're a little small. The waist is dead on (size 33, 34.5" waist) but the thigh is a little tight and you can see the pocket flare. I'm thinking I'm going to size up to 34 and hope that gives me a little bit of wiggle room in the thigh without the waist being too loose. The age old problem. Thoughts? Do folks agree a size up is necessary?
Mirror isn't dirty, just an old victorian and this is as clean as I can get it :(.
Final thought - I've only bought denim from unspun.io for the last 5 years but they don't make chinos. I didn't miss the age old struggle to find pants that fit in both the waist and the thigh. Hoping Unspun starts making chinos soon.
23 Replies
These look way too small IMO
Too small and unfortunately I don't think a size up in this cut will give you enough breathing room in the hips and thigh
Yeah looks like it’s intentionally slim/skinny
They're very slim. I wouldn't bother with this cut at all, slim chinos like this are a dated look
Regardless of slim cut, these chinos are far too tight on you and draw a lot of attention to the crotch, and I suspect going up from 33 to 34 will not fix it. (Though I am not sure how a size 33 being 34.5" around is dead on)
@gimp yea it's definitely vanity sizing - I meant that the size chart for the "Size 33" states it has a 34.5" waist, and that is just about my true waist size.
@youngblood @GSH et al, thanks for the advice. I still prefer a more slim or tapered fit, though I know style is swinging bback towards looser fits. That being said I don't enjoy my thighs being encapsulated nearly this tightly and fear yall may be right that one size up (and a .2" increase in thigh width) may not get me where I'm trying to go. The rise increases by nearly an inch, which will definitely give the junk a bit more breathing room...but yea. Definitely a gamble.
If folks have any ethically produced and/or made in America chinos they recommend, I would love to hear it. Starting a new job in a couple weeks and trying to pick up a pair of chinos or two.
Haven’t tried them personally, but I’ve heard good things about Bills, but unfortunately they only do straight and relaxed fits if that’s a dealbreaker for you
Wonder if Epaulet and/or rochester tailors company make chinos
Yea...maybe I'm an out of touch millenial, but I'm not looking to swing back to relaxed fits, even if I don't need my pants to be 2010 skinny anymore either. Tough to find a slim/tapered fit that allows for meaty thighs 😦 T_T
Fair, I just recently transitioned away from slim and skinny to straighter/slim-straight fits and I don’t see myself ever going back lol. The difference in comfort and mobility is insane. I don’t even wear super wide stuff, just straight
I laugh at my raw denim days. I live a very mobile life and definitely require a stretch fabric, which allows me a slimmer silhouette, comfort, and full mobility. I agree not having comfort and mobility is a non starter. I can see myself slowly transitioning towards somewhat straighter fits, but I'll probably always want some level of taper below the knee.
I wouldnt size up
I had pbj jeans and had the same dilemma. I tried upsizing but my crotch with extra fabric looks odd. I think a straighter legs will accommodate well and still give you a slim look
here's an interesting twist
the fabric is pretty light and stretchy so I could see it being pretty prone to stretching. but i don't know about wearing sausage leg chinos in the hopes that it will stretch out enough
It won’t. I think a different cut with a tad roomier legs would be better.
The cut on these look incredibly skinny. That's not going to really change one size up. And I mean, obviously they're going to encourage a size up vs a return.
of course. i'll keep my eyes out for a different cut, though it's damn hard to find an ethically produced, tapered below the knee chino with a roomy top block. A boy can dream though T_T
I did purchase the Rogue Territory Infantry pant, which has a roomier top block, in olive. If I like that one then I may purchase the khaki color in a month or two. But I did hope for a lighter stretch fabric. the Hiroshi Kato hits so many things I was looking for..just need a little more room in the thigh...plz
you want stretch because you're going for a skinny fit?
no experience with them myself but have you looked at left field?
https://leftfieldnyc.com/collections/coal-miners/products/coal-miner-bronze-9-oz-japanese-stretch-sateen-twill
Left Field NYC
Coal Miner Dark Khaki 9 oz Japanese stretch sateen twill
Left Field jeans and chinos are not vanity sized. Please check the measurement table below before ordering. Details 9 oz Japanese Sateen Twill 98% Cotton 2% polyurethane Crafted with pride in the USA washed and hot dried Measurements The best way to determine your Left Field size is to measure a pair of jean
made in us, tapered, slim, etc
Wow this takes me back. I bought a pair of Left Field Atlas Denim when I was in grad school in 2015...haven't thought baout them in years. Thanks for sharing! I'll take a look.
I look for stretch because it fits my life a lot better. I bike everywhere, and its useful to have full range of motion at my job too. And because I still like a slim/tapered fit. If I was ready to go full Neo-90's Gen Z relaxed fit, I wouldn't need the stretch, it's true.
i do think there's a middle ground between those Katos and baggy 90s fits but I feel you on needing the stretch to fit your lifestyle, absolutely. Gotta go with what's comfortable for you.
You're absolutely right. If I do see if Jay at Blue Owl is right and the thighs do stretch out, it'll be because there's no other good options I can find at the moment for a) made in america/ethically produced b) khaki colored chino c) stretch fabric d) tapered below the knee e) roomier top block.