Chinos, Chukkas, Polo: Budget Bond – CHEAP

The Suggestion: Chinos, Chukkas, & a Polo for Hot Weather Casual

There are endless combinations. It’s timeless. It’s comfortable. And if you get your fit right, it looks terrific.

No one is saying you can’t wear shorts. What IS being said is that chinos, chukkas and a fitted polo should be strongly considered by anyone who wants to look grown-up, put together, and athletic, yet still feel comfortable and look relaxed in the heat of the warmer months.

For example:

Now imagine this scene if Craig was wearing shorts and flip flops.

The man is in Haiti. Yes it’s fiction, but there are a few reasons why wearing pants and boots (instead of shorts and sneakers) really isn’t as hot and stuffy as some might think:

#1. Chinos & Boots pair perfectly with medium to lightweight wool socks: It seems counter-intuitive to many, but medium weight to thinner wool socks (not boot/cabin weight) will prevent summer swamp foot. That’s worth repeating. Wearing moderate weight wool socks PREVENTS SWAMPY FEET. Wool is a temperature and moisture regulator. Cotton is not. Wearing wool socks is much more comfortable than even going sockless. Sweaty hot feet = sweaty hot person, no matter if you’re in shorts or not. And some smart, wool socks will keep your feet dryer and cooler than alternatives.

#2. Chinos keep the sun off your legs: There’s a reason why the Tuareg are constantly covered. Keep the fabric light, crisp, and breezy, and you won’t feel gross.

#3. Pants elongate your frame: This is purely aesthetic, but shorts visually chop you up into more pieces than a pair of pants. Pants are more slimming than shorts, and they make you look taller.

Here’s more proof that this combination works. Same character, different movie:

Casino Royale came out in 2006. Notice the boot cut flare to Bond’s pants.
Fits change over time, but the combination still works.

Pretty much the same outfit in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Yet there are 8 million other ways to do this. Change the polo color. Change the chino color. And so on and so on. As another Spring and Summer wanes on, we’ll (continue) to show off a few different ways to do the Chinos Chukkas Polo look. But for now, here’s where to start, while keeping price very much in mind:

The Polo: Old Navy Performance Core Polo – $12 ($19.99). The polo that won the “best cheap” award in last year’s polopalooza, and is poised to do well once again this year. It’s a basic, yes. Very basic. Nothing earth-moving in the design or details. But it’s so dang well executed. Lightweight, breathable, moves great. All poly tech fabric that somehow doesn’t feel crinkly or plastic-y or junky. Collar might suffer from some curl or flopping as the day rolls on (there aren’t any buttons hidden under the collar points), but holy smokes are these things excellent for the price. Big thanks to Nirmal P. for the tip on these. Here’s how a size medium fits on 5’10″/185.

The Chinos: Target Goodfellow Every Wear Slim Fit Chinos – $20 ($25). 98% cotton, 2% spandex, now on sale for just twenty bucks. The light gray version would also look great.

The Sunglasses: Kent Wang Aviator or Fairway (wayfarer style) Sunglasses – $55. Craig’s Bond really liked Tom Ford and Persol eyewear. That’s wonderful for him. But these are under sixty bucks. Wire frame aviator style or acetate wayfarer style. Up to you. Bond wears both styles throughout Craig’s tenure.

The Watch: Casio Diver – $60ish on a Crown & Buckle Black and Gunmetal Supreme NATO – $34. What many long time readers were expecting. Because it’s a combination that looks great and wears great.

The Chukkas: J. Crew Made in Italy MacAlister Boots in Suede – $158 (but often on sale). Comfortable, good quality materials for the price, and versatile. Full review (albeit in “crazyhorse” leather uppers) can be found here. On sale for 40% off through tomorrow, 4/6/23.

The Belt: GAP Basic Belt in Brown – $30ish ($44.95). Still, forever, and always. How much more belt could it be? The answer is none.

The Socks: Banana Republic “Breathe Merino” Striped Socks in Navy – $15.99 ($20). Lighter in weight but breathable and comfortable. Not as much cushioning with these socks, so make sure your chukkas (or shoes, or swim fins or whatever) are broken in before wearing. Your feet will stay nice and cool though.

Note: Now that “Cheap Bond” has been covered, we’ll soon do a Splurge Bond – Chinos Chukkas Polo post for those with more of a budget to work with. We’ll still avoid movie-star, mega expensive designer luxury stuff, but we’ll next execute a highly similar look with gear that’s a little higher up the ladder. Should run early next week. Stay tuned for that.

Want more of these Chinos/Chukkas/Polos outfits? Head here for the archive. We’ll be rebooting this series as the warm weather rolls on with currently available items.