Best Khakis Clothe You from Head to Toes & Never Go Out of Style

The best khakis for you from head to toes feature innovative designs and elegant engineered textiles.

The craze for khaki moves this favorite front-and-center for the current spring/summer fashion season.

Look for Unique Touches

Look for something a little different in a blazer, such as a khaki with a slight check, fabric with a tone-on-tone stripe, or distinctive styling.

Create a khaki-suit look with dockers and a jacket.

Avoid Mis-Matched Hues; Use Contrast

Mix-and-match khaki colors of distinctively different hues when you make an outfit of different brands.

A khaki pant with a slight yellow cast may not look good with a jacket that is a shade toward tan.

Some shades of khaki may appear slightly green when worn against an uncomplementary hue.

Instead, try for two different color groups, such as tan pant with a camel jacket, or a smart near-off-white jacket with stone-gray khaki pants.

Fabric Blends Are Ironing Free

Women's khaki pants incorporate stretch fabrics for addded fit and wrinkle-free drying.

Some of the best khakis also adapt these go-everywhere slacks to the curvy figures of contemporary women.

The history of textiles offers clues to why this fabric seems to be everywhere and used for everything.

Khaki Started as Military Wear

Historical sources agree that khaki fabric originated when British soldiers, colonizing India, started dying white uniforms a more durable dusty color.

Everything from mud to tea provided tints. No wonder today’s best khakis vary from near-green to off-white.

Khaki Is Word for Both a Color and
A Type of Cloth

Khaki became so popular that the word is used for both a color (or a range of colors) and a type of fabric.

Some of you may remember when boys wore chinos to school. That was before jeans were permitted. These cotton twill pants often were khaki color.

Khaki Color Comes in Upscale Fabric Blends

Eventually, the fabric descriptions of chino or twill dropped out of use.

Now, khaki may be cotton or a fancy blend, such as silk-linen, in one of a range of beige colors that are popularly called khaki.

There are three social factors that combine to make khaki the spring-summer 2010 fabric of choice.

Why We're Crazy for Khaki Right Now

First, we've been living in a society consumed with its military goals since 2001. This cloth's military roots in the history of textiles makes it a timely fashion statement.

Second, khaki never goes out of style. In a recession when so many of us are worried about expenses, the best khakis offer you timeless fashion.

Third, khaki cotton twill is a durable, washable fabric. It offers economic benefits by avoiding dry-cleaning costs, and khaki clothing will last several years without going out of style.

Details Make Best Khakis Unique

If you can’t find or can’t afford one of this season’s khaki suits, buy a jacket, shirt, or accessories to update wardrobe items you already own.

Find something a little different or off-beat to stand out from the crowd. For example, several jackets and shirtdresses on this page offer such features of ladies-military-jackets as epaulets, gold buttons, or a double-breasted closure.

Coordinate Colors and Accessories

Complement your women’s khaki pants with coordinating shoes. Even all-purpose Crocs is crazy for khaki. Or try sporting a khaki watchband.

Spice up a muted ensemble with a red belt, red hatband, or khaki handbag with red trim or colorful imprinted pattern.

The color coral is another winner teamed with khaki -- and in profuse variety now for women's summer clothing and women's fashion accessories.

Return from best khakis to Fashion After 50 home.

If you're crazy for khaki, preview the next great neutral --pewter -- with this selection of charcoal sweaters , and a list of related colors. Learn how today's engineered micro-fibers and fiber blends are wrinkle-resistant and durable.

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