Club Obi Wan

The dress chinos appear to have the back pocket flaps again this year, as well as the re-installment of a coin/pocketwatch pocket, so if the description and photos are to be believed this year, the dress Chinos are a good bet for a 'close enough' pair of Indy trousers. I've worn out more of these over the past 20 years than I care to admit, and those back pocket flaps come and go at the whim of the company (and purchase agents ). Looks like they're in again! Regards. Michaelson

Michaelson,
I checked the web site just after reading your post and is it just my screen or does the "Dark Olive Gray" here look exactly like the old "Taupe"? http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... eat=sdp339

I've seen the darl olive gray in the past and it was more green, here it looks different. Are they playing a cruel trick on us?

Looks that way in the catalog too. I'm wondering if maybe they think folks don't know what 'taupe' is, so they called it that color. You're correct, though, it looks JUST like the old taupe coloration. Regards. Michaelson

Hold on to your horses guys...I wear almost nothing but the Bean's Chinos...and the dark olive gray are nothing like the taupe! Not even close. Taupe is a grayish brown mixture....the olive gray mix is more like
OD (olive drab) colours but even drabber. Nice colour, but not close to taupe, if that is what 'you' are going for....the dark Khaki looks a great deal closer to the taupe than any other(s), I have seen. When placed up against my Bean Taupes, the dark khaki is quite close. W>

There you go. You can't tell beans from apple butter when you're trying to get an idea about a color staring at a 1/2 inch box. Thanks for the heads up!! High regards. Michaelson

That's why you find 'em at the Goodwill and pay $3.50 apiece for 'em! In fact, I'm off to pick them up from the alteration shop after a good hemming!

bink

...and, just in the nick of time -- the voice of reason! Good comeback Bink !!!! W>

Hey, I'm not knocking L.L. Beans! They're worth the money if you can get them new. But if you can find them just as good as new, but have to get them taken in or hemmed, you can still save a lot of cash by going the thrift route.

bink

bink, you gotta remember, you live in an area where you CAN find decent trousers at the local Goodwill. Down here, I'm lucky to find a decent pair of polyester shorts, let alone decently made Chinos! (not that I'd ever LOOK for a pair of polyester shorts....but they could be something that Jess would be interested in. ) The thrift stores here are literally the last stop for garments (read that 'rags') before they are put in the dumpster. I've ever seen the like. Regards. Michaelson

Totally agree WConly, they ain’t nuttin’ like the taupe LLBean Chinos I have which were really a very nice color alternative to the ubiquitous khaki color you see on most everyone these days, or at least I see on everyone. If they were like the taupe that I have now, I’d buy several more pairs. It’s just my opinion, but next to blue (as in blue jeans) as the most common color worn by guys/gals, khaki and it’s subtle variations must be a close second.

BTW: There's nothing wrong with polyester shorts as long as you remember to pick up a pair of argyle black socks to wear with them.

I live about 40 min. from Rehobeth Beach which has an LLB outlet. I picked up a pair of Dark Khaki Chinos with the pocket flaps for ten bucks. Great finds when their getting in their new shipments.

Geoff

Here's the mystery, or mistake, on these LL Bean pants. Look at the "Dark Olive Gray" here:
http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... pp&feat=ln
(These are the greenish ones we all are annoyed at.)

Now, look at the "Dark Olive Gray" here:
http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... pp&feat=ln
These are the old "Taupe" color. It's probable that they made an error, but it is possible that they have tweaked the color. With a new catalogue comes new colors. The problem is: why would the color be different in two different cuts of pants when that color is named the same thing?
Of course, there is one way to be sure: call them, which is what I'm about to do (and after I wrote that I realize that even that might not bring certainty because I cannot see color through a phone!) Oh well, here goes!

Hey everyone,
I just spoke to Bean and they have the taupe dress chinos in Classic fit in Taupe, but not my size (38"). I should have asked for a list of sizes, but I didn't. I do know, however that they have Taupe Classic in size 36". So all of you guys thinner than I am, get on the phone!

And, BTW, the woman on the phone admitted that the colors were off.

I just happened to have a picture of the old 'taupe' color as they appeared on LLBean when I purchased several pairs a few years ago.

http://public.fotki.com/Rixter/indy_gea ... hinos.html

They look closer to the current color than I initially thought just by looking at the picture, but I can attest to the fact that they have a very nice brownish sheen to them that I really love and that don't quite show up as well on screen. In comparison though, the newer offering seems more grey to me, and not quite as rich.

To me, taupe is about as easy to pin down as mauve. Regards. Michaelson

The only thing that worries me is that it says:

Our slimmest fit, with traditional straight legs

I mean, shouldn't Indy pants actually be a baggy, loose fit?

Like I said in my opening post....'close enough', not exact. The pleated fronts are baggier than the plain front versions, and though no where near being 'screen accurate', they'll still work in a pinch, and are quite comfortable to boot. Regards. Michaelson

Yes, YOU did say that, and I then I said “They look closer to the current color than I initially thought” and probably a good alternative since it doesn’t appear LLBean will nail the same color they once had after so many years have passed, unfortunately. But by all means, it would make a good substitute especially if you want something a bit different than the usual Khaki color. ...but then why quibble; like you said "taupe is about as easy to pin down as mauve."

Also, that’s a good observation HJ. That does seem odd and I haven’t looked at the catalog (don’t know where it is) so I wonder if it is the same there. ...oh well, close enough, is good enough if you they don’t offer better.

The ONLY thing we ever have to worry about is standing next to another guy or gal wearing a different colored pair of trousers. I never saw as many shade of taupe or khaki than at the last QM summit. Separately, we're fine...seen together, we're dead.

About the biggest gripe I have with LLB is they pretty much go with the item description, then what ever vendor is the flavor of the month...THAT'S the color and style you receive. Sure, they're all 'Chinos', but they change from supplier to supplier, and that can include their idea of color, pocket number, and back pocket flaps.

High regards. Michaelson

Working in the clothing industry, you learn a lot about what goes on with these items. You get variations between shades because the same style of pant can be made and assembled in three different locations, so then you have three different shades that are all supposed to be khaki. Sometimes the difference is so drastic that you start encroaching on another color all together, and then you can't tell the difference between khaki and british tan which is much lighter. There isn't much in the way of quality control anymore on garments. So if you were to be in the L.L. Bean warehouse and looking at a pair of pants in a specific color, you'll probably notice all sorts of shades. Just the way it is nowadays...

Don't forget the color can vary from different dye lots, too. The thrifted Beans I got are both different. The darker pair are more "mauvy brown" but they are plain front trousers. They are quite comfortable, though. I also like the shape of these pocket flaps better than any other pair of Beans I found since they look a bit more like the Wested pocket flaps and aren't as rounded as the usual Beans. The second pair has the pleats, but they are a stone white color. I was toying with the idea of dyeing them, but I have to figure out the right mixure of which Ritt colors, etc., to use. (Any help there, Dalex?)

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