"Forget it, Jake. It's Chino Town."

I seem to have smartened up a little of late. This is, of course, relative; I still practically never wear shirts (they remind me of my old job in the City), and proper leather lace-ups never grace my feet. Nonetheless, I've taken to a smarter look, with plainer clothes that are well-cut, rather than the old graphic T/cardi combo (though I'm sure that'll be back come the summer). I'm dressing more cleanly, and this is evident in my embrace of the chino. It's not exactly revolutionary, I'll grant you that, but then The Staple has never been about revolutionising; it's a document of my evolving wardrobe, and the ways in which I wear it, rather than a blog all about designers and the industry. That's what magazines are for, no? Anyway. Chinos. I have three pairs that kind of fall under the chino banner. The first pair are an old pair of Helmut Lang's I picked up in a closing down sale in Nottingham about 6 years ago, for a tenner. They then lay in the back of my wardrobe, unworn for years, surviving cull after cull until I dug them out this summer and decided that straight cut cream jeans are actually wearable. The next pair are ASOS cargo trousers, in a carrot fit. I'm still unsure about the 'carrot' trouser shape; I love the slim fitting legs, but the low crotch and baggy arse is unflattering to say the least. That said, they do look modern and are perfect for duffing around Shoreditch in - also it's an unusual novelty having pockets on one's knees. Not that I've filled them with 'cargo' at any stage, but they add detail to what might have looked like a faintly rubbish pair of trousers. Only problem is that I've managed to get oil from my bike chain on the hem of one leg. Ah well. I still wear them, the oil kind of hides in a fold, and it doesn't bother me hugely. The final pair are gorgeous. Neatly tailored, slim-cut and made from a luxe cotton, these Filippa K beauties were picked up (like a lot of the nice things in my wardrobe) from the Liberty sale. I've worn them a few times for work, and they are as comfy as they are smart, with the added bonus of being terribly flattering to the derriere. They're actually my ideal trousers, and I expect to wear them for most of LFW. So yeah, not exactly groundbreaking, but I've definitely moved away from the blue jean lately, and as my black jeans seem doomed to fading and untimely/unsightly rips, it looks like I'll be in Chinotown for awhile yet. Other Staples this week:
Pentel rollerball pens
Tartan scarves
#boozefreeFeb
The Jamie XX/Gil Scott-Heron album
Orange Capri-Sun
Green & Black's dark chocolate with cherry
Blue APC desert boots (Totally living in these beauties at the mo)