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Are Khakis Cool Again?

This story originally appeared on the Gents Cafe Newsletter. You can subscribe here.


For many Men of a Certain Age, khakis have never really gone out of style. But for me, at 30-years-old, it’s been a bit of a more contentious relationship. My formative years were growing up in the mid-aughts, where skinny jeans reigned supreme. A decade on and I’m happy to report the pendulum has now swung to the classic khaki.

In between casual and classic, the khaki has always been a staple in the prep scene. Cast your eyes on Camelot to see JFK beaming in a crisp pair and sunglasses throughout his youth. But for me, the contrarian that I am, I’m more interested in the updates to these classics than the classics themselves.

Two brands come to mind. Abercrombie and Fitch has eschewed their mallrat aesthetic for a more cultured, Ivy-league approach, building a roster of khakis over the years that have a modern tailoring at a great price point. In fact, they did an entire JFK-centered line in 2018 built around his love for khakis. And on the other end of the retail spectrum is the unlikely pairing of Dockers and Transnomadica. Playing with structure and dimensions, this collab gives a totally modern update to a staple item in the Docker’s catalogue for over 30 years. It definitely ain’t your daddy’s workwear, folks.

So yeah, khakis are cool again. Thank God, too. I was beginning to worry what all the years of wearing skintight denim was doing to my reproductive capabilities.


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