For a pant with a decidedly plain beige look, the style that has come to be known as chino or khaki pants has a decidedly colorful history. What started as a fabric imported from China, used to make military uniforms, was eventually embraced by the counter-culture movement and later emerged as a unisex fashion that would win the hearts of more than one generation.

The name “Chino” is, surprisingly, the result of some unknown chap with poor reading skills. When the US military first began importing the cotton twill fabric to make their uniforms, someone misread the word “China” on the boxes as “Chino” and it was assumed that this was the name of the comfortable fabric itself. Later, as WWII wound down, men adopted chinos as an alternative to common denim jeans in the workplace. They weren’t truly embraced as casual wear, however, until Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, founders of the counterculture beat movement, began wearing them. Soon their beatnik followers were following suit and by the late-50s, they were considered must-wear apparel by the rebellious youth of the day.

Flash forward a few decades and chinos, now more commonly referred to as khakis, would find new popularity with the preppy crowd of the 80s. With their double pleats and cuffed hems, they paired perfectly with those iconic alligator shirts and became the fashion statement of record with college students. Soon, they would cross the gender barrier as well, as females eventually decided they wanted a little khaki comfort as well.

Today, places like Banana Republic and J.Crew keep the khakis well stocked – ensuring that the legacy of these soft pants, with a hint of counterculture attitude mixed in, remain available for future rebels and preppies alike.