Club Obi Wan

I got a pair of the LL Bean Chinos a little while ago.
Im trying to decide if I should keep them or not, so even though I have had them for a few months I havent worn them.
They fit a bit baggy, moreso than I think they should, and the color is too light, more of a greyish khaki than a brownish pinkish khaki.
They appear very close to the same color as my What Price Glory shirt.

They do have good looking pleats, and pocket flaps. But at 50 bucks, Ide like to have a darker color.

Any opinions on other brands that are around 50 bucks?

I too just received a pair of LL Bean Chinos in the mail and I agree with you, the color is lighter than what I expected. It comes too close to the same color is my shirt.

I also would like to know about other options...

That's why I dyed my pair...The construction was perfect for me, but the color was too light....Though it was a little tricky, I ended up with a great result.

viewtopic.php?t=29188&highlight=

Not to rub it in, but I found my taupe LL Bean Chinos at a Goodwill for $3.50. In fact, I just saw another pair this past weekend. If you're diligent enough, you can find them in thrift stores on a fairly regular basis.

binkmeisterRick wrote:Not to rub it in, but I found my taupe LL Bean Chinos at a Goodwill for $3.50. In fact, I just saw another pair this past weekend. If you're diligent enough, you can find them in thrift stores on a fairly regular basis.

YIKES! That's a deal...

I've found LL Bean's catalog colors to be quite different than the actual item. Well made stuff, just I'm careful about their colors.

Randy

Their taupe is considered by most the best color for their chinos. I tend to agree.

I'd have to agree...The Microfibers in taupe are really nice...But the material just isn't 'Indy'....I need to find a pair of the old cotton ones in Taupe to add to the collection!

Ok so how do we go about dyeing them?
Im all for trying it at least once.
What kind of dye did you use, how durable is it? Does it fade in washing?
Whats the process?

The link above is fairly detailed about my experiences with Dyeing these pants. The best method ended up being the washing machine and 2-3 packages of Rit 'Cocoa brown' color.

I agree that the cotton chinos are too light, but the look is right. I prefer the taupe microfiber. The material may not be "Indy" but, technically, neither is the cotton! So, until I start having Bink's luck in thrift stores, I'm going with microfiber for close-enoughs.

I like the microfiber being here in FL.

Ha, I actually never thought of that. Makes sense to me. I've been wearing Gap's Surplus Khaki's lately, very cool and comfortable, no pleats or close enough colors though.

Duh, I should have followed your link.

So you wound up having to get several packs of dye and do it in the washer machine? Was that on the same pants you had already dyed, or antoher pair.

Is this the dark khaki or the regular khaki that you are talking about? I just got the new LL Bean Catalog and the Double L Chinos are $29.95 right now. I was thinking of getting the dark khaki. Maybe even a lined pair for the winter.

Cheers!

Dan

DanielJones wrote:Is this the dark khaki or the regular khaki that you are talking about? I just got the new LL Bean Catalog and the Double L Chinos are $29.95 right now. I was thinking of getting the dark khaki. Maybe even a lined pair for the winter.

Cheers!

Dan

Don't forget, Dan, if you're planning on using 'em as Indy pants the Double L Chinos don't have flaps on the back pockets.

So you wound up having to get several packs of dye and do it in the washer machine? Was that on the same pants you had already dyed, or another pair.

Yes...the washer ended up working out well. Between the washer and stovetop, I ended up using three packs of dye. And yes, it was the same pair of pants...The LL beans in 'Dark Khaki'....

How are the Dark Khaki chinos?

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... 23-tn&np=Y

They're more medium-khaki, IMHO...Which is why I dyed them. I do like the fit and construction, though...

PyramidBlaster wrote:They're more medium-khaki, IMHO...Which is why I dyed them. I do like the fit and construction, though...

Okay, thanks! It wasn't clear which color Rich Johnson was speaking of so I didn't know. But I just saw your link, oops! Otherwise I was thinking of getting the 'Pants costume for Indiana Jones KOTCS World War II' off ebay from the chinese seller that go for $60 plus $18 shipping. I know they're cotton but in FL I would need that.

I own all of the LL Bean Chino colors in the tan range.

Dark Khaki is the closest to the right color for Indy pants available in cotton, but they are a bit light and have a greenish undertone.

Regular Khaki and Stone are almost identical, and very light. Lighter than a WPG shirt in both cases.

Taupe, only available in the Microfiber and the all season wool, is the best color offered by them.

Heritage Khaki (no longer available) was very gold in color. There are a couple of scenes in the movies that match it closely, but very few.

As for style, the Dress chinos and microfibers have the pocket flaps. The Double L's and the all season wools do not.

I went the same route, I have an LL Bean outlet here so pants are only 13 dollars for me:) I dyed it cocoa brown, and I like it but I think its too light, Im going to experiment on another pair using both cocoa brown and dark brown, to see the end result.

Indiana Joyce wrote:I went the same route, I have an LL Bean outlet here so pants are only 13 dollars for me:) I dyed it cocoa brown, and I like it but I think its too light, Im going to experiment on another pair using both cocoa brown and dark brown, to see the end result.

Please be sure to let us know how it turns out. I just ordered a pair of the Classic Fit Dress Chinos in dark khaki (I prefer the straight legs, and they don't provide the length I need in the microfiber), so I'm sure they'll need to be dyed.

The other day I dyed my pants. I used RIT liquid brown since that was all they had. I used just more than half of the dye and the perscribed amount of salt. I used about 3 gallons of hot water in a 5 gal bucket and stirred it for a while.
They came out darker, but not dark enough.
There is a deffinate contrast from my WPG shirt to the pants, but I think I will dye them again. Im going to just soak them in the solution that I still have in the bucket for a few hours and see if they take any more dye in. Then wash them and dry em to see what Ive got.

PyramidBlaster wrote:The link above is fairly detailed about my experiences with Dyeing these pants. The best method ended up being the washing machine and 2-3 packages of Rit 'Cocoa brown' color.

Did they shrink at all because of the hot water? I'm asking because I received the pants I ordered today and, even though I ordered a size up in the waist because I wanted them a bit baggier, they're very snug. If they shrink even slightly they may not fit, so I'd rather return them for exchange than not be able to wear them.

I don't recall them shrinking much...But then again I always line-dry....

Mine didnt shrink at all, but the ones I orderd were I think called natural fit, they are real baggy to begin with as opposed to the other sytle that looks cut tight in the but.
My wife does not like how baggy they are on me.

Im pretty sure that LL bean pants will not shrink at all. Its the type of fabric. I think the cocoa brown makes them look nice, I got the light stone color to begin with. The problem is they did not dye evenly for me on the first pair. I dyed a second pair and they came out much better, they photograph pretty well. After a few washings they seem to have lightened up, although the dark khaki pants i bought somewhere else that i used cocoa brown on dyed up super brown...choose a light fabric first. Now that I have a camera phone, I hope to take pics of the pants when I dye them with the dark brown this weekend. If that succeeds, then I want to redye another pair mixing the dark brown and cocoa brown and see what happens.

None of mine have shrunk. I tend to dry them in a machine most of the way, then hang dry the rest of the way. But I do that with all my clothes to be safe.

As for the regular cut. I finally tried it, and it's not as trim as they make it out to be. Don't be afraid of it.

Well, I dyed the pants again, and gave them a few washes, and guess what. Almost all the dye washed out. even from the first dying. They are back almost the same color they were before. Huge bummer.

Rich Johnson wrote:Well, I dyed the pants again, and gave them a few washes, and guess what. Almost all the dye washed out. even from the first dying. They are back almost the same color they were before. Huge bummer.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the "stain-resistant" treatment (as stated on L.L. Bean's website) they perform on the cotton. Maybe it's acting as a barrier and preventing the dye from permeating and/or bonding with the material? I've used Rit dye on quite a few garments and, though it never dyes quite as dark as it should, I've never had the dye wash out that quickly.

Actually, that's not completely accurate. I remember one time I dyed some material and washed it immediately afterward without drying it first, so the detergent removed most of the dye. Lesson learned--dye, throw it in the dryer and dry it thoroughly, then wash.

Speaking of which, thank you all for sharing your experiences about whether or not your pants shrank...er, shrunk...shrinked? I've decided to exchange mine for a larger size; the waist was so tight, even if they didn't shrink I couldn't imagine them being comfortable to wear any longer than a few minutes. Anyway, thanks!

Thats been a concern of mine as well...ive heard lots of people complain that rit dye is the walmart of dyes. If that is indeed the case, then what other dye is out there? because Ive never seen any other dye. My solution thus far, and I will keep you informed of the results, is I redyed both my pants with a mixture of dark brown and cocoa brown, and actual nestle quik powdered chocolate in the mix( hey chief wiggum said nothing gets chocolate out right?). The end result was that they dyed up darker then screen accurate, and thats fine, because I figure after several washes, they will lighten up and stay that way.

I think the dye washing out may have come from the fact that I didnt DRY them......Ok stupid me. THough the dye from the first round a week ago washed out too. Ille have to try it all again. But after I pull them out of the dye solution, they need a rinse cycle in the washer to even out the mess, they look scarry patchy if you observe them wet.

So next time I will dye them, give them one rinse, then dry them maybe twice and then wash them a couple times with detergent.

The problem I ran into was that from the first dye job that was a tad light, I risned and washed one cycle each.
Then from haning in the closet next to my WGP shirt, dye trasnfered onto my shirt, Very SCARY.

So here's what it looks like so far....
WGP shirt
LL Bean Chinos
San Diego Leather Jacket Factory "Indy Jacket"
Kepler Fedora
Kepler bag
Kepler gunbelt and custom longer holster (to fit M1917)

Rich Johnson wrote:I think the dye washing out may have come from the fact that I didnt DRY them......Ok stupid me. THough the dye from the first round a week ago washed out too. Ille have to try it all again. But after I pull them out of the dye solution, they need a rinse cycle in the washer to even out the mess, they look scarry patchy if you observe them wet.

So next time I will dye them, give them one rinse, then dry them maybe twice and then wash them a couple times with detergent.

The problem I ran into was that from the first dye job that was a tad light, I risned and washed one cycle each.
Then from haning in the closet next to my WGP shirt, dye trasnfered onto my shirt, Very SCARY.

As I posted earlier I've used Rit dye several times in the past, so I've picked up a few useful tips that, in my experience, yield better results:

• If you're using the powdered dye use twice as much dye as you think you'll need. The liquid dye works better, but it still doesn't dye quite as dark as it should. Note--the original color of the material will affect the outcome; i.e., you can't dye a yellow shirt blue--it'll come out green.

• Pre-soak the garment/material in water until it's thoroughly saturated before putting it in the dye solution; the longer, the better.

• The washing machine method works best; be sure to clean the machine afterwards (before doing any regular laundry).

• At some point during the "agitation" cycle, stop the machine and let the garment/material soak in the dye solution for the recommended time (or longer).

• Dry the dyed garment/material completely before you wash it; this seems to help "lock in" the dye.

• Wash the dyed garment/material at least once before using it to avoid dye transfer to other clothing/materials.

These are lessons learned through trial and error. I hope some of you find them helpful.