The chinos
100€ for a pair of chinos isn't exactly cheap. But if you take a closer look, you'll see that they have features you rarely find all in one pair:
- Our fabric (made in France from organic cotton) costs almost twice as much as a comparable productmade in Asiafrom conventional cotton: our ethical standards and commitment to quality come at a cost.
- Made in Europe: These pants are made in Portugal, while most brands have both their products manufactured in countries where wages are not enough to live with dignity.
- Quality: In addition to what you can read on this page, all our clothing is pre-washed so it won’t shrink when you wash it at home, guaranteed to be free of substances toxic to your health, and covered in the event of a defect… And this commitment also comes at a cost.
Released in April 2016
Released in April 2018
- Improved cutting
- Reinforced seams
- Buttons added to the back pockets to keep them from gaping
Released in May 2019
- New fabric: better color retention and greater resistance to distortion
- Replacing the fly button with a sturdier metal button
- A zipper fly instead of a button fly
- One zippered back pocket
- Improved fit with more room in the hips
- Reinforce the waistband with a thicker iron-on interfacing.
Released in January 2021
- Fabric with less shine and static, thanks to an adjustment to the fabric stabilization process
- Reinforced crotch with a double-stitched seam
- Measurements taken at the hips
These chino pants are made primarily of organic cotton, which is grown using organic farming methods (we explain this choice here). They also contain T400 for resistance to distortion and spandex for comfort.
Full composition: 89% cotton, 9% Lycra T400 elastomultiester, 2% spandex
Fitted without being tight, the semi-slim cut follows the line of the leg.
Manufactured by the French company Velcorex, based in the Vosges.
When washed, the color of these chinos holds up better than that of other chinos on the market that we've tested (see the photos after 6 wash-and-dry cycles at this link)
La résistance à la déformation de ce tissu est exceptionnelle (déformation résiduelle <1% après 60 secondes d’étirement). Cela permet d’éviter le “pochage” aux genoux par exemple.
Worn, tested, and approved by thousands of customers, these chino pants are the result of several years of continuous improvement. We’ve refined them over time to achieve a balance of quality, ethics, and price that we now consider optimal. For example, we could make the fabric less shiny, but that would negatively affect the fabric’s color fastness over time.
Techniques That Ensure Quality
Mercerization
This finishing process causes the fibers to swell, allowing the dye to penetrate more effectively, which helps prevent fading over time.
Mercerization
T400 Wire
Double-twisted
Reinforced seams
Pre-wash
T400 Wire
Elastomultiester (T400) filaments act like a spring when the fabric is at rest, which limits its deformation over time.
Mercerization
Fil T400
Double-twisted
Reinforced seams
Pre-wash
Double-twisted
The threads are twisted together (as if to make a cable) before being woven. This is what makes the mesh very strong.
Mercerization
T400 Wire
Double-twisted
Reinforced seams
Pre-wash
Reinforced seams
The seams are reinforced in the crotch—the area that bears the brunt of the strain when you walk.
Mercerization
T400 Wire
Double-twisted
Reinforced seams
Pre-wash
Pre-wash
These chino pants are pre-shrunk and pre-washed at the factory to prevent them from shrinking at home (with cotton clothing, most of the shrinking occurs during the first wash).
Mercerization
T400 Wire
Double-twisted
Reinforced seams
Pre-wash
No relaxation, no takeoff
By crafting them from fabric made in France (in the Vosges region), we’ve managed to minimize the typical issues associated with chinos: these pants fade very little because they’re mercerized, and they lose their shape even less thanks to the addition of T400 Lycra yarn.
In detail
Deep Color
Mercerization makes the fabric reflect light well.
Back pocket with a zipper
A button would eventually come undone; left on its own, the pocket would eventually gape open.
Piped seams
At the crotch, the seams are “taped,” meaning they’re covered with a layer of fabric. It looks nice, but more importantly, it prevents the stitching from coming undone when you wash it in the washing machine.
YKK Semi-Automatic Zipper
A zipper developed by the leading Japanese brand that prevents your fly from opening on its own: when the pull tab is folded down, the slider is completely locked. As soon as the pull tab is lifted, the zipper unlocks and the fly can be closed or opened.
Metal button
Since regular buttons always end up coming undone, we put on a metal one, like the ones on jeans. Because steel is (a little) stronger than cotton thread.
Two loops at the back
Instead of a single center buckle, to distribute the belt's tension.
How to Wear It
A few ideas if you're stuck
Composition
89% cotton, 9% Lycra T400 elastomultiester, 2% spandex
Origin and Certifications
- Manufactured in Portugal
- Dyeing and Finishing: France (Vosges)
- Weaving, spinning, cotton: Pakistan
...manufacture in Portugal instead of France? Of course, manufacturing in Portugal allows us to sell at lower prices. But it’s also easier to produce high-quality products there: in the 1980s, when France outsourced its manufacturing, Portugal strengthened its own. That said, other brands besides ours manage to make very good chinos that are 100% made in France, like1083.
... is the fabric woven so far away? Despite numerous attempts, Velcorex, our French supplier, is having a hard time having this fabric woven closer to home.
How This Product Will Age
How do we know this? We ask our customers for their feedback on the product one year after purchase. And if the product is less than a year old, we provide our predictions based on some unsolicited feedback and our experience with similar products.
The chinos will remain in very good condition, with minimal distortion and good color retention.
From repeatedly slipping your hands into them, the pockets may eventually wear out.
On stiffer areas, particularly the back pockets or the fly, there may be more noticeable discoloration due to repeated washings (which is why it’s important to wash your chinos inside out).
Care Instructions
First, there are two things you should know:
1/ The fabric is mercerized, which may give it a slightly shiny appearance at first; this will disappear after 2 or 3 washes.
2/ The legs are relatively long: if you find them too long, you can roll up the cuffs or have them hemmed at your favorite tailor.
Next, how do you care for your chinos?
They’re machine-washable at 40 degrees, but it’s better to wash them at 30°C: it’s just as effective, much more eco-friendly, and will extend their lifespan. Wash them inside out to avoid friction that could cause slight discoloration in certain areas, and make sure to zip them up completely before putting them in the washer: this will prevent the zipper teeth from getting damaged. And if you don’t want them to come out too wrinkled and want to make ironing easier: spin-dry on a low speed (600 or 800 revolutions per minute) and hang them to dry while they’re still damp. If you really want to use the dryer, choose the delicate or synthetic cycle to be on the safe side: your chinos contain a small amount of spandex, which could stretch out at high temperatures.
Don’t iron them at too high a temperature: the spandex (again) could melt if the heat is too high. And to avoid any shine, iron them inside out.
If, after a few years, you start to see wear in the crotch area, take them to a tailor right away before a real hole appears and it’s too late. And remember to empty your pockets :)
Environmental Cost
This environmental cost is calculated using the official methodology of the French environmental labeling system (to be rolled out starting October 1, 2025).
The label above shows the product’s environmental cost according to the official French environmental labeling methodology. This represents what its production “costs” nature when considering its impact on climate change, ocean acidification, its toxicity to freshwater, and so on. Currently in use in the textile sector, this label should soon appear on many everyday consumer products (food, cosmetics, furniture, etc.) to help you make more eco-friendly purchasing decisions.
Chino, therefore, has an environmental cost of 1,134 impact points*.
By comparison, a garment of equivalent weight—made of 100% conventional cotton, manufactured in Bangladesh, and sold by a fast-fashion brand—has an environmental cost of 4,695 points*.
Why is there this difference? Here are the main reasons:
- Countries of origin: Manufacturing in Portugal or France requires less fossil fuel energy than in Bangladesh (one of the leading producers of low-cost clothing). As a result, this more local manufacturing reduces the impacts on climate change, ocean acidification, and resource depletion.
- The material: Organic cotton has a relatively low environmental impact compared to conventional cotton, particularly because it uses few pesticides (and thus poses a low risk of toxicity to freshwater) and is biodegradable (and thus causes fewer issues related to microfibers or end-of-life waste).
- Sustainability: Fast-fashion retailers encourage purchasing—in particular by rapidly refreshing their collections and offering a vast number of styles—and they discourage repairs by charging rock-bottom prices. This, in turn, increases the number of garments sold per person and reduces the number of times a garment is worn. In contrast, at Loom, we’ve chosen to adopt business practices that encourage our customers to keep their clothes for as long as possible.
Even though we've done everything we can to minimize it, this product's environmental impact is not insignificant. So before you buy, make sure to get the most use out of your clothes.
*Calculations performed by Loom on August 24, 2026. Click on the links to access the simulations from the official Ecobalyse tool and get more details on the assumptions used. Please note: The number of points is not always exactly the same on Ecobalyse (whose methodology changes regularly) as on the official environmental label (based on Ecobalyse version 7.0).
Reviews of this product
The standard practice is to send review request emails a few days after the purchase. We wait a month—the minimum amount of time needed to form an informed opinion.
Customer Review Policy
When do you ask customers for reviews?
We’ll send you a review request one month after we receive your order. We believe this is the minimum amount of time needed to have worn and washed an item several times and to form a truly informed opinion. After that, all your reviews are published within a week, whether they’re positive or negative.
Do you request reviews for 100% of the products ordered by customers?
We used to do that at first, but then we realized we were starting to send way too many emails to certain customers who shop with us regularly. In short, we were spamming them a bit. Plus, it was starting to take the team way too much time to respond to reviews—since we want to reply individually and privately to almost everyone who leaves us a review. Today, we no longer ask for reviews on products that meet the following two criteria: 1/ There are enough reviews posted on the site for potential buyers to form an informed opinion about the product. 2/ We on the Loom team have read enough reviews to understand how to evolve the product into the next generation.
Just a quick thought: What proof is there that we aren't manipulating reviews by giving 5-star ratings to everything?
Honestly: nothing—we’re just giving you our word. Just like with everything else, actually: where we manufacture our products, where our wool comes from, our lab test results, and so on. The only times we might edit what you write is if your message contains spelling mistakes (and even then, quite a few slip past us) or if it’s racist, homophobic, etc. (but that’s never happened so far).
Asking for feedback after just one month isn't enough to know if the clothes are really durable, is it?
You're right—that's why we send you another email asking for a review one year after your purchase—we even ask for a photo to see how your garment has aged. We use the responses to improve our clothing and to provide information on “how this product will age” on our product pages. To avoid unnecessarily bothering our customers, we don’t ask for reviews on 100% of the products ordered: as soon as we have enough data to understand where we can improve, we stop asking for reviews after one year.