Goodbye, Black Jeans. Hello, Giant Chinos.

Ever since I’ve been able to choose my own clothes, I’ve gravitated towards black jeans.

I’m talking decades of life wearing black jeans – and maybe blue jeans if I want to go a little crazy. Are you going on a date? Black jeans. Are you going to work? Black jeans. Are you going to the airport? Black jeans, even a six-hour flight. Are you going to the beach? Change from black jeans to a swimsuit. My wedding day? Don’t worry, I’m wearing a tux. But I definitely changed from black pants.

Despite being set in my ways, I’m still something of a clothes hash. While perusing the land of endless sales – the J.Crew website – I found their Giant-fit Chino Pant and laughed at the idea. Chinos, for me, were the type of pants my mother chose for me when I was 10, the same year she gave me a bowl cut.

Enjoying gently torturing my wife, I showed her the page, thinking she would be surprised to see that I was wearing ridiculously large pants. I was surprised when he encouraged me to take them. What the heck, I thought. Big pants, and written on. If they looked funny, I would take them back. So I put a pair of khakis in my cart and left the rest to chance – confident that no pair of pants could loosen my ​​​​death grip on black jeans.

Turns out I was wrong — I love these pants. My wife loves these pants on me. And I get compliments from them when I go out again. I even bought another pair in blue so I could wear them regularly. I’m not just a chino guy now, but a Giant-fit Chino. Then I became like me? I am sure, and I look better than ever.

Giant-fit chinos are exactly what they sound like – a regular pair of trousers but with a noticeably wider leg cut. The silhouette is completely different from my usual look: It presents a straight upper line from my shoulders to my feet, the look I was worried might be too angular but instead it seems refreshingly clean and relaxed. And because these chinos are so different from my usual pants, they have become a statement piece in my wardrobe.

The pants are made of medium cotton (8.5-ounce), combined with a large ankle opening, which allows for good breathability. They have held up for over two years, with strong cover stitching on the seams and belt loops. They come pre-washed and break through more washes; if you’re worried about how tight and straight they look when they arrive, note that they eventually loosen up a bit. Big chinos also mean big pockets – I can easily fit a glasses case and my usual wallet, phone, keys, and headphones in there – and the pockets are angled for easy access.

All that means is that they are free. They let my legs breathe in the summer months, even over nine innings in the sun at a baseball game. I’ve worn them on long drives and long flights, never realizing that I could both look dressed up and feel comfortable on long hours of travel. And because of its width, in the depths of winter I can slip long johns under it without sacrificing comfort.

I can dress myself or dress myself. I can wear them with a collared shirt at work or with a t-shirt on the weekends. They also go with a number of my favorite sweaters, including Wirecutter writer Hannah Frye’s favorite sweater, which is a staple in my wardrobe. I can wear them a little below my waist for a casual look, or I can keep them high for a clean, straight line look. I can show off the new sneakers in some way, or hide the Blundstones that are always on in the winter in another way, by zipping these pants up a little or down a little. (The cuffs are attached, so you have to work with it.)

About the only thing they don’t go with are some large pieces of clothing, like some of my oversized sweaters and long shirts, which can create a very boxy look for my personal style. Of course, when it comes to style, everyone is different. You might feel differently based on how it falls on you, I can’t say.

However, I can say that these pants are not made for any kind of rain – those wide legs stick out under the umbrellas and pick up a different water mark on the hips as you run forward. And yes, these pants do sag a little as you walk. If the thought of that bothers you, our big-pants ways may not last, though at least you’ll hear me coming.

If your interest is piqued, but you’re deterred by the nearly $120 base price of these chinos, I suggest holding on for a week or two, until J.Crew definitely sells them for 40% off. (J.Crew salespeople know how to hold tight until you get 60% off, no matter how many “Last Chance!” emails you get.) I bought my pairs for $63 each.

Will these pants change your life? I wouldn’t go that far, but I will tell you that they changed mine. They opened up a new side of my personal style and allowed me to experiment in ways that men’s fashion doesn’t always allow.

Plus, it’s good to know that even after decades, a tiger can really change its spots – or at least wear something other than black jeans every day.

This article was edited by Hannah Rimm and Maxine Builder.