SPECTRE Brunello Cucinelli Gabardine Chinos

UPDATE: Thank’s for visiting! We have a new version of this post with great alternatives that you can see here. 

During his adventures in Morocco in SPECTRE, Daniel Craig’s Bond wears the Brunello Cucinelli Aged Gabardine Chinos, first with the Matchless Craig Blouson and Tom Ford Polo, and later with his Cucinelli blazer, Cucinelli belt, Tom Ford tie and shirt, and the J Crew Kentons. As near as I can tell, it was AJB007 forum member Awilliams007 that first identified the maker of the pants, while member 000-7 got the confirmation of the model (M067DF1050) and color (C1581) direct from the company. A few years ago, they were sold at Harrod’s for the low, low price of £439.00.

So we can get a good idea of the “real world” color of the chinos, AJB007 forum member DBS has kindly shared one of his photos  showing the Brunello Cucinelli Linen Blazer with the Chinos, the Tom Ford tie and JCrew Kentons in the screen accurate Sahara color. AJB007 forum member TinTin’s photo shows his Chinos, again with the Kentons and the Matchless Craig Blouson.

Features Wanted for the SPECTRE Brunello Cucinelli Gabardine Chinos

• Slim fit 100% cotton chinos
• Belt loops and button tab closure
• On-the-seam front pockets
• Rear welt pockets with button closure
• Medium taupe in color (it’s really all about the color)

After a few years of looking at alternatives for these, I’ve come to believe that choosing the right color depends a lot on the jacket with which you’re going to wear them. You want the jacket and chinos to be similar tones. But there should still be enough contrast so you don’t look like you’re wearing a mixed up suit. So if you have a darker alternative for the Cucinelli blazer, you can go with darker chinos. Got a lighter colored blazer? Go with one of lighter chino alternatives.

Best Option for the SPECTRE Brunello Cucinelli Gabardine Chinos 

There are some great alternatives this season in lighter tones and darker shades of taupe. And I actually had a difficult time picking just one pair to be the “Best Option”. So I’m doing something a little different this time and sharing two “Best Options” at different price points. That way you can choose the pair that will best match your sport coat and your budget.

Johnston & Murphy Garment Washed Slim Fit Chino in Taupe: on sale for $44.99

So Johnston & Murphy makes more than just shoes and boots! And boy, did they nail the styling of the SPECTRE chinos. Made from a 98% Pima cotton, 2% Spandex twill, they feature on the on-seam side pockets and the two welted back pockets with the button closures. The color is also a great match. About the only thing they’re missing is the tab button closure at the waist. I’ve linked to the slim-fit above, which has a lower rise and a slight taper. They also make them in a straight fit for the same sale price for those of you with thicker legs and that like a higher rise. Still lots of sizes left on their website. And if you add some shoe cream to your cart to get it over $50, they’ll throw in free shipping and returns.

Asket “The Chino” in Taupe: $150.00/£110.00

The price is getting up there, but these will definitely elevate your chino game. They’ve used an Italian mid-weight 98% cotton, 2% elastane blend fabric with a slight sateen finish. So expect a little sheen at the start that will die down with washing. The chinos feature slant front pockets, welted back pockets (but no buttons), and a natural horn button waist tab closure. They’re also available in slim and regular cuts to help you dial in the fit. And they currently have 4.6 stars out of 5 after more than 300 reviews. Asket has almost all sizes in stock.

Options Under $50

Amazon Essentials Slim Fit Wrinkle Resistant Flat Front Chino in Taupe: $12.40 to $22.00/£17.40 to £21.90

A basic chino from Amazon’s house brand that just happens to be a great color match for the Cucinelli trousers. The fabric is a 60% cotton, 40% polyester blend (hence the “wrinkle resistant” in the product name). They also have the two button-through welted back pockets, which is a nice style detail to have. They also make it in a straight fit for around the same price (those of you in the UK can see them here). Just read the reviews and sizing chart carefully! They have 4.3 stars out of 5 after more than 15,000 (!) reviews. But some of the more negative comments mention that they can fit a little weird.

Old Navy Slim Ultimate Built-In Flex Chino Pants in Weimaraner: on sale for $27.00

We’ve shared these alternatives on the site before. But now that Old Navy has dropped the price from $50 to under thirty bucks, they’re an even better bargain. We’re obviously not going to get all of the style details that we saw on the Brunello Cucinelli screen used trousers. But the color of these ones looks to be a very good match. And the 61% cotton, 37% polyester and 3% spandex blend fabric should make them plenty comfortable to wear. Even though Old Navy isn’t exactly famous for their quality, these particular chinos have 4.6 stars out of 5 after more than 500 reviews. So plenty of customers have been satisfied with them. Still lots of sizes left in the Weimaraner color.

Spier & Mackay Chinos in Warm Taupe: $48.00

If you need a darker taupe to match your blaze, these chinos could be a great alternative. I’ve mentioned before that Canadian company Spier & Mackay has really made a name for itself by consistently offering excellent quality and fit at an affordable price. And they’ve made a chino that meets a lot of the criteria on our “Wish List”. They’ve used a garment washed 100% 2-ply Egyptian cotton and added the waist tab closure and the two welted back pockets with buttons. They’re also available in slim and contemporary fits, although sizing is starting to run low.

Under $100

Volcom Frickin Modern Stretch Chino Pants in Mushroom: $58.00/on sale for £39.00

These guys have been a part of this post FOREVER! Definitely a darker colored option. Volcom has used a 58% cotton/39% recycled polyester/2% elastane fabric and they describe the fit as “slightly slim with tapered legs”. We’re starting to see some sizing gaps in their inventory, but there’s still a decent selection of sizes left. If you feel like hunting for an even better deal, Nordstrom Rack has some sizes available for $24.97.

John Lewis Essential Straight Cut Chinos in Taupe: £39.00

A true straight, these alternatives from the John Lewis house brand are made from a 97% cotton, 3% elastane blend so there’ll be plenty of stretch. They don’t show a clear shot of the back, but at least one of the back welted pockets is button through. At that sale price, these should be a solid alternative for you bigger guys. Plenty of sizes left in stock on their website.

Dockers Big & Tall Smart 360 Flex Tapered Khakis in Dark Pebble: on sale for $59.99

With the brands we’ve listed so far, we know slimmer guys won’t have a problem finding an alternative. But what about the larger gentlemen? If you iron out the crease, these should quite nicely. The cotton/elastane blend fabric and more tapered fit still gives them a more modern look and feel in larger sizes. When we first started looking for alternatives for the Cucinelli chinos, the Dockers in Dark Pebble were an early favorite. Unfortunately, it looks like they’ve discontinued that color in almost every other style except these ones. Coming to you from Kohl’s, where they have sizes 34 to 52 in stock in various longer inseams.

J.Crew 484 Slim Fit Stretch Chino in Mushroom: $79.99

Here’s an example of how a website product photo can be misleading. In the straight on shot of these alternatives from J.Crew, the color looks like it would be too light to be a good match for Bond’s chinos. But then we see that pic of the guy sitting down and suddenly they darken up enough to be a worthy contender. These also come in a straight fit and I’ll admit to being a fan of J.Crew chinos in that cut. The overall quality is good for the price (especially when they go on sale, which they frequently do). And the straight fit has a comfortable amount of room in the top block but keep a slight taper below the knee to give them a contemporary look. J.Crew has plenty of sizes left in both fits.

Vuori Collins Chino Pant in Cocoa: $89.00

Coming to us from California lifestyle/surfwear brand Vuori, these alternatives are a solid color match and feature a couple of interesting design details. They’ve used a 2-way stretch, sueded 97% cotton, 3% elastane fabric and the chinos have a tailored, but not skinny, sit. They also have slightly off-seam slanted front pockets and two welted back pockets (but no buttons). There’s also a handy zippered pocket that would be a great place to stash your keys. They currently have 4.9 stars out of 5 after 23 customer reviews, with most comments complimenting the fit and softness of the fabric. Vuoir has sizes 28 to 38 in stock.

Options Under $200

Gagliardi Washed Cotton Twill Chinos in Camel: $116.95/£85.43

A solid, if pricey, alternative from the Malta-based brand. The features are very similar to other chinos on this list: fabric is 97% cotton, 3% elastane, the have the two welted back pockets with buttons and the button tab at the waist. What’s really special about them is the number of available sizing options. You can get them in slim or contemporary fits in short, regular or long lengths. And they have waist sizes 28″ to 46″. That selection is going to help you get as close to perfect a fit as possible for your body type. So the up front cost may be up there. But think of what you could save on tailoring costs!

Rag & Bone Fit 2 Mid-Rise Chino in Timber: on sale for $168.75

And now a little something from a newer Bond-brand. The color is a little hard to read based on the online photos. Sometimes it comes across as more khaki. In other photos it seems to have a reddish tone. But overall it looks to be a good match for that faded taupe Bond wears. They’ve used a 97% cotton, 3% polyurethane overdyed Japanese twill for the fabric and they come with two welted and buttonless back pockets and slanted front pockets. They’re also made in the U.S. Rag & Bone has sizes 28 to 33 and 38 in stock. If you need a 34 or 36, try Nordstrom. They should also meet that sale price.

The Investment Piece

Incotex Straight Leg Chinos in Taupe Brown: $266.00/£234.00

Incotex is well known for the exceptional quality, detailing and fit of their trousers and they white-label for many famous luxury designers. As part of the Slowear Group, it really is one of those “if you know you know” brands. These particular chinos are made in Italy with a 97% cotton, 3% elastane blend fabric and have two welted back pockets, slanted front pockets and the tab closure at the waist. So not really that different than the other alternatives on the list. You really get to see how they’re a step up when you look inside and check out the construction and details. Almost every seam has a taped finish and their 3 button closure style and waist band design keep the pants in place all day. I have a similar pair of chinos and some dress pants from Incotex and they are some of my favorites. Just great stuff. And since they normally retail for north of $350 at places like Neiman Marcus, that sale price at Farfetch is actually a pretty good deal.

As always, we’ll be adding more options as they’re found! If you’ve turned up some good alternatives for the James Bond SPECTRE Brunello Cucinelli Gabardine Chinos, share away in the comments below. And remember to check us out our Facebook page, Instagram account and Pinterest Boards for more James Bond style advice, inspiration and info on where to find the latest deals!