The chinos
€100 for a pair of chinos isn't cheap. But if you look closely, you'll see it brings together features you'll rarely find in one place:
- our fabric (made in France, from organic cotton) costs almost twice as much as an equivalent made in Asia from conventional cotton: our ethics and our quality choices come at a cost.
- made in Europe: the trousers are made in Portugal, whereas most brands have both produced in countries where wages aren't enough to live on with dignity.
- quality: on top of everything you can read on this page, all our clothes are pre-washed so they won't shrink once you get them home, guaranteed free of substances toxic to your health, and covered if there's a defect... And that level of care comes at a cost too.
Released in April 2016
Released in April 2018
- Improved fit
- Reinforced seams
- Added buttons on the back pockets to stop them from gaping
Released in May 2019
- New fabric: better colour retention and better resistance to stretching
- The fly button replaced with a sturdier metal one
- Zip fly instead of a button fly
- A single zipped back pocket
- Improved fit with more room at the hips
- Reinforced waistband with a thicker fusible interlining.
Released in January 2021
- Less shiny and static-prone fabric, thanks to an adjustment in the fabric stabilisation process
- Reinforced crotch with a double-stitched seam
- Measurements adjusted at the hips
These chinos are made mostly of organic cotton, meaning it's grown using organic farming methods (we explain this choice here). They also contain T400 for resistance to stretching out of shape, and elastane for comfort.
Full composition: 89% organic cotton, 9% Lycra T400 elastomultiester, 2% elastane.
Fitted but not skin-tight, the semi-slim cut follows the line of the leg.
Made by the French factory Velcorex, based in the Vosges, in eastern France.
In the wash, the colour of these chinos holds up better than the other chinos on the market we tested (see the photos after 6 wash-and-dry cycles at this link)
This fabric's resistance to deformation is exceptional (residual deformation <1% after 60 seconds of stretching). This helps avoid sagging at the knees, for example.
Worn, tested and approved by thousands of customers, these chinos are the result of several years of continuous improvement. We've refined them over time to reach a quality-ethics-price balance that we now consider optimal. For example, we could make the fabric less shiny, but that would have a negative impact on how well the colours hold up over time.
The techniques behind the quality
Mercerisation
This finishing process makes the yarns swell, allowing the dye to penetrate more deeply, which limits fading over time.
Mercerisation
T400 thread
Two-ply yarn
Reinforced seams
Pre-washed
T400 thread
The elastomultiester filaments (T400) act like a spring when the fabric is relaxed, which limits its deformation over the years.
Mercerisation
T400 thread
Two-ply yarn
Reinforced seams
Pre-washed
Two-ply yarn
The yarns are twisted together (like making a cable) before being woven. That's what gives them very good resistance to holes.
Mercerisation
T400 thread
Two-ply yarn
Reinforced seams
Pre-washed
Reinforced seams
The seams are double-stitched at the crotch, the area that takes the brunt of the strain when you walk.
Mercerisation
T400 thread
Two-ply yarn
Reinforced seams
Pre-washed
Pre-washed
These chinos are stabilised and pre-washed at the factory so they won't shrink on you at home (with cotton clothing, most of the shrinkage happens during the first wash).
Mercerisation
T400 thread
Two-ply yarn
Reinforced seams
Pre-washed
Neither relaxation nor color loss
By cutting it from a fabric made in France (in the Vosges, in northeastern France), we managed to reduce the usual problems with chinos: these trousers fade very little thanks to mercerisation, and stretch out even less thanks to the addition of a Lycra T400 yarn.
In detail
Deep colour
Mercerising gives the fabric a subtle sheen.
Zipped back pocket
A button would eventually come loose; with nothing there, the pocket would eventually gape open.
Bound seams
At the crotch, the seams are "bound", meaning covered by a layer of fabric. It looks nice, but above all, it stops the stitching from pulling apart when you machine wash it.
Semi-automatic YKK zip
A zip developed by the leading Japanese brand, which stops your fly from opening on its own: when the pull tab is folded down, the slider is completely locked. As soon as you lift the tab, the zip unlocks and the fly can be opened or closed.
Metal button
Since classic buttons always end up coming loose, we went with a metal one, like on a pair of jeans. Because steel is (a little) tougher than cotton thread.
Two belt loops at the back
Instead of a single central one, to spread the tension of the waistband.
Composition
89% cotton, 9% Lycra T400 elastomultiester, 2% elastane
Origin and certifications
- Manufacturing: Portugal
- Dyeing and finishing: France (the Vosges, in eastern France)
- Weaving, spinning, cotton: Pakistan
... make them in Portugal and not in France? Of course, producing in Portugal lets us sell at a lower price. But it's also easier to achieve good quality there: in the 80s, when France offshored its industry, Portugal strengthened its own. That said, others besides us do manage to make excellent chinos that are 100% made in France, like 1083.
... the weaving is done from so far away? Despite many attempts, Velcorex, our French supplier, is struggling to have this fabric woven more locally.
How this product will age
How do we know? We ask our customers what they think of the product one year after they've bought it. And if the product is less than a year old, we give you our predictions based on some spontaneous feedback and on our experience with similar products.
The chinos will stay in very good condition, with minimal deformation and good colour retention.
From slipping your hands in and out, the pockets may eventually start to fray.
On the more rigid areas, particularly the back pocket or the fly, you may see more pronounced fading due to repeated washing (which is why it's important to wash your chinos inside out).
Care instructions
First, there are two things to know:
1/ The fabric is mercerised, which can give it a slightly shiny look at first: this will disappear after 2 or 3 washes.
2/ The leg length is fairly long: if you find them too long, you can cuff your trousers or have them hemmed by your favourite tailor.
Next, how should you care for your chinos?
It's machine washable at 40 degrees, but it's better to wash it at 30°C: it's just as effective, much greener, and it will extend its lifespan. Wash it inside out to avoid the rubbing that could slightly fade your chinos in certain spots, and make sure to close the zip before putting it in the machine: this will keep the teeth from getting damaged. And if you don't want to get it back too creased and want to iron it more easily: spin at low speed (600 or 800 rpm) and hang it up while still damp. If you really want to tumble dry it, choose the delicate or synthetic setting to be safe: your chinos contain a little elastane that could lose its shape at high temperatures.
Don't iron it too hard: the elastane (that one again) could melt at too high a temperature. And to avoid any shiny marks, iron it inside out.
If after a few years you start to notice wear at the crotch, take it to a tailor quickly 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 labelling scheme (in force since 1 October 2025).
The label above shows the product's environmental cost according to the official methodology of the French environmental labelling scheme. It's what its manufacture "costs" nature when you look at its impact on climate change, ocean acidification, its toxicity for freshwater, and so on. Currently rolled out in the textile industry, this label should soon appear on many everyday consumer products (food, cosmetics, furniture, etc.) to help you shop more responsibly.
The chinos therefore have an environmental cost of 1134 impact points*.
By comparison, a garment of equivalent weight, made from 100% conventional cotton, manufactured in Bangladesh and sold by a fast fashion brand, has an environmental cost of 4695 points*.
Why the difference? Here are the main reasons:
- The countries of production: making clothes in Portugal or France requires less fossil fuel than in Bangladesh (one of the main producers of low-cost clothing). The result: this more local production limits the impacts on climate change, ocean acidification and resource depletion.
- The material: organic cotton has a fairly low environmental impact compared to conventional cotton, in particular because it uses few pesticides (so low toxicity for fresh water) and because it's biodegradable (so fewer issues with microfibres or end-of-life waste).
- Durability: fast fashion brands drive purchases by refreshing their collections very quickly and offering a huge number of styles, and they discourage repairs by charging ridiculously low prices. This increases the number of garments sold per person and reduces the number of times a garment is worn. At Loom, we've taken the opposite path: our business practices encourage our customers to keep their clothes as long as possible.
Even though we've done everything to keep it as low as possible, the environmental impact of this product is not negligible. So before you buy, make your clothes last as long as you can.
*Calculations made by Loom on 14/09/2026. Click 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 isn't always exactly the same on Ecobalyse (whose method evolves regularly) as on the official environmental label (based on version 7.0 of Ecobalyse)
Reviews for this product
The standard practice is to send review request e-mails a few days after the purchase. We wait a month, the minimum time needed to form a well-informed opinion
Customer review policy
When do you ask customers for reviews?
We send you a review request one month after you receive your order. We reckon that's the minimum amount of time needed to have worn and washed a garment several times and to really form a well-informed opinion. After that, all your reviews are published within the week, whether they're good or not.
Do you ask for reviews on 100% of the products customers order?
We used to do that at first, then we realised we were starting to send far too many emails to some people who buy from us regularly. In short, we were spamming a bit. On top of that, it was starting to take up way too much of the team's time to reply to reviews - since we want to reply individually and privately to almost every person 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 shown on the site for people who want to buy to form a well-informed opinion about the product 2/ We've read enough reviews within the Loom team to understand how to improve the product for the next generation.
Hold your horses: what proves we don't tamper with reviews by slapping 5 stars everywhere?
Honestly: nothing, we're just giving you our word. Same as for everything else, by the way: where we manufacture, where our wool comes from, our lab test scores, and so on. The only times we might touch what you write are if your message contains spelling mistakes (and even then, quite a few slip past us) or if it's racist, homophobic, and so on (but that's never happened so far).
Asking for a review after a month isn't enough to know whether the clothes really are durable, is it?
You're right, which is why we send you another review request email a year after your purchase – we even ask for a photo to see how your garment has aged. The answers help us improve our clothes and provide information about "how this product will age" on our product pages. To avoid bothering our customers needlessly, we don't ask for these reviews on 100% of the products ordered: as soon as we have enough data to understand the areas for improvement, we stop asking for the one-year reviews.