S4/ Two Pleats – Chino Pants

The term chino designates a model of pants, semi-casual, cut almost exclusively in cotton. Beige cotton of military camouflage, it was discovered in the Philippines during the Spanish-American conflict of 1898. Chinese merchants were selling pairs of pants that the Spanish called “pantalones chinos”, simply Chinese pants. The term passed directly into the English language alongside the term “khaki”.

When the Americans arrive in Europe during the First World War, their use of cotton interests. But it was not until the end of the Second World War and even the 70s that this cotton chino often beige landed massively in Europe, where until today, its interest is not denied. It is as practical and versatile as jeans and can be worn in the working environment without any problem.

In addition to the original sand color, it comes in an infinite number of other colors, almond a little gray, navy blue, brown, hazelnut, red, etc. … And old pink as sails from Nantucket. For the S3 cut, we opt for a heavy cotton gabardine, allowing to have a good holding of the pleat and a lot of style with little wrinkled effect.

In August 1895, in Sondrio, a small town in the heart of the Italian Alps near the Swiss border, two Swiss families joined forces to produce cotton yarns. Thus was born the company Spelty, Keller &C.O. which registered its first trademark in 1897. This region of Valtellina with its water resources is ideal for the work of cotton fiber.

An Italian, Alberto Fossati, buys the factory and develops the industrial aspect. During the First World War, he produced a uniform cloth, the « MASSAUA BLEU 10 SANFOR » which, once patented, became a reference for high-quality work clothes. By 1951, the factory was so large that it employed half of the entire province’s workforce. In 1975, Fossati was nationalized and passed from hand to hand, first Tescon, then Lanerossi (Eni Group). Finally in the 2000s, the Marzotto group reorganized the plant and created the brand: Tessuti di Sondrio. In order to become more competitive, it invests heavily in the weaving and finishing processes. At the same time, it strengthens its presence in the local economy, an objective dear to all Italian weavers.

A pair of trousers is not just fabric. It also includes a belt lining, pocket linings, and buttons. And they are all Italian!

The belt lining consists of three layered fabrics. The upper band is made of Oxford cotton, and the lower band is made of undyed ecru cotton, separated by an embroidered anti-slip piping by Scavini. The pocket linings are cut from the same undyed ecru cotton. The absence of dye is the best option from a hypoallergenic perspective. It also allows for a discreet appearance of the pocket linings behind the light-colored fabrics. The belt lining and pocket linings are pre-manufactured by the Italian company FVL, founded in 1990, ensuring ISO and GOTS-certified quality standards. FVL is particularly committed to sustainability and ethical and social protocols, with continuous control of production processes and a fast and efficient traceability system.

As for the buttons, we don’t go far either, still in the Veneto region. We chose to exclusively use corozo buttons, also known as vegetable ivory, which is natural and biodegradable. Corozo is the hard, white albumen found in the seed of a tropical American palm tree. Bottonificio Padano, established in 1982, aims for the elimination of chemical pollutants and the use of increasingly natural pigments. Since 1982, all water used in production, including dyeing and tumbling, is purified and reused in a “closed loop” system, without any discharge into the environment.

Our development is accompanied by a great awareness of quality, while favoring local production, we have directed our research in Italy during the year 2021. After many months, we found a small traditional workshop south of Naples that is a blessing.

Our genius craftsman created his workshop at the age of eighteen, in the year 2000. Before that, his parents had also had their own trouser workshop. His only limitations were the space and the recruitment of seamstresses. Apart from that, what finesse, everything is possible! With our new workshop, we develop our volumes and bring a great craft aesthetic. We can work in-depth on models and details, far from the large industrial platforms.

A close collaboration that allows us – it’s very nice – to go to Italy from time to time and come back with a head full of new ideas. The keywords of a Scavini pant are now refinement, craftsmanship & localism. A very luxurious pant, cut from Italian or English fabric. The equivalent of the models of great luxury brands.