Khakis. Not the most scintillating item of apparel on the market. But Dockers — yes, that Dockers — is making khaki’s cool again. Like, James Dean cool.
The world’s biggest manufacturer of dad pants debuted an installation at edgy L.A. boutique American Rag‘s World Denim Bar yesterday to showcase its K-1 capsule collection of classic and colored khakis (and corduroys).
And let me tell you, the signature K-1 pant isn’t the same old “cubicle khaki” you’re used to. The sleek, flat-front pant ($150) took the khaki back to its roots — 1931, to be exact — when the camel-colored pants were first invented. “This is our 501,” said brand representative Melina Baxter. “It’s our most true interpretation of a military chino.”
What makes it so special? The flat-front K-1 uses the same material (called Cramerton cloth) that was used in the originals, along with old thymey-looking melamine buttons on the fly. The silhouette’s been reshaped to more modern proportions — thin but not skinny — and the pockets were moved to the side seams to create a more streamlined shape.
Dockers is also offering a broken-in variation of the pant — called the Affected K-1 — that features gentle staining around the pockets (where the WWI-era military man would have stored his metal tools) and gentle whiskering, along with a slouchy garment-dyed version ($175) that features hand-abrasioning.
The K-1 cord is just as divine — available in rust, gold and gray, it looks like something a 1960s college professor would cruise around in (toting a joint in his pocket, of course).
And there’s more savvy fashion to come from Dockers (which, Baxter said, will never abandon its loyal-dad customer base, but also hopes to ensnare the jeans-wearing younger generations). This fall, exclusively at American Rag and on dockers.com, the company will debut fashion-forward cargo and single-pleat-tapered pants for guys.
It’s all worth checking out — and this Saturday is the time to pop in. The brand is hosting an event (open to the public) from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at American Rag, featuring an on-sight historian who will be displaying the museum-worthy original pants the K-1s were inspired by, while models walk around in Dockers’ fresh new looks.
American Rag’s World Denim Bar, 150 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles.
Photos, from top: The K-1 khaki (courtesy of Dockers); an inside-out look at its features at the American Rang in-store presentation.
