In the 19th century, this light-coloured cotton gabardine replaced, for the sake of discretion, the red tunics of English soldiers posted in India. Re-employed by the American army during the Second World War, the chino – thus called because the fabric is Chinese – found its place in wardrobes of demobilised GIs, and became popular on university campuses. It is still worn today in peace time, and if possible, under clement skies.
Gabardine
Naturally elastic, strong and waterproof, gabardine denotes a weave with oblique ribbing deriving from the serge, as well as the rainproof garments tailored from this cotton fabric.