The name is older than the oil fields. American soldiers in the Spanish-American War of 1898 took to calling their cotton twill trousers "chinos," after the Chinese mills they believed wove the cloth, and by the time the oil boom spread from Pennsylvania to Texas, the khaki chino had become the working uniform of the derrick crews. The Oilman is The Rite Stuff's version of that trouser, here in black.
The cloth is a 7.7oz, 100% cotton chino twill milled in Japan, a weight picked for year-round wear: dense enough for the job, light enough for an oil-patch summer. Where most chinos economize out of sight, the Oilman lines its waistband, pocket bags and piping in a 6.5oz Japanese salt & pepper chambray in cedar brown — the same cloth used on the brand's Cedar Atlas Work Shirt — so the inside of the trouser is as considered as the outside. The buttons are urea, made in Japan, the material found on prewar work clothing, and the fabric comes pre-shrunk, so the measurements hold through washing.
The cut shares its pattern with the brand's Daybreak Work Pants: a mid-high rise with a flat front and a relaxed straight leg that tapers gently below the knee — roomy enough to bend and move in all day without drifting into excess. Clean and unfussy, in the manner of the originals. Made in Japan.
Fit Notes: The Oilman fits true to size. Sizing runs S through XXL, and each size matches its numeric waist exactly (30,32,34,46,38). Pick the size whose waist matches your usual jeans size. The relaxed cut is meant to sit with a little ease and the pre-shrunk, lined waistband will not stretch much. The rise is high, sitting at or just above the natural waist. As always, we strongly recommend checking our size chart and comparing it with your best-fitting garment to ensure the right fit.
