The Cortina Chinos: A Sartorial Journey

Elegantly tailored, wrinkle-resistant, and timeless: for decades, chino pants have been an integral part of a man’s wardrobe thanks to their unique versatility and durability. Luca Faloni has reinterpreted chinos by adding a modern touch to a classic design, enriched by the traditional approach and attention to detail typical of the Italian craftsmanship our garments radiate. The result is our cotton twill winter chino: Cortina.

Cortina features a medium-thickness, cotton twill gabardine, ideal for the colder seasons and giving a unique silky, luxurious feel to your skin. We decided to name our latest chinos Cortina to celebrate the iconic history and lifestyle of Italy’s most charming alpine town, famous for its apres ski. 

This article will look into the history of this fascinating fabric and how our Cortina chinos are made.

The gabardine fabric our Cortina chinos are made of is a tightly woven warp-faced twill weave fabric. A firm and durable material, gabardine was created in the late 1800s by Thomas Burberry, the founder of Burberry, who wanted to create a new, versatile blend for his creations.

At first, gabardine became popular because it can hold its shape and does not wrinkle easily. When it started being waterproofed with lanolin, it also became a must-have for travellers and explorers worldwide. Today gabardine is a versatile and exceptional fabric for suits and casual-wear and is often used to make chinos or pants that can stand the test of time.

Our gabardine fabric is crafted from high-quality cotton twill and blended with 3% elastane to improve the garment’s comfort and durability. They’ll seamlessly adapt to your shape, and thanks to the thoughtful details and luxurious feel on your skin, they may well become your go-to chinos in any smart-casual situation.

In our Italian laboratories, we have reimagined this timeless classic by adding a modern touch and subtle details such as invisible stitching to keep the design clean and ensure the pants’ quality and size measurements.

Cloth cutting is made electronically to obtain the highest level of precision. After cutting the cloth, the Italian laboratories move on to tailoring, where traditional craftsmanship comes into play.
Cortina features internal double seams to ensure outstanding durability over time. The inner belt has embossed stitching, which will keep the shirt tucked in more easily. The reinforcement in the bar tacks is visible on all pockets, giving further strength to a garment that's both elegant and highly sturdy.
The Cortina design is secure with a triple horn button closure and the inside button is hand-stitched by artisans to ensure greater durability.

The pants are then dyed using a 'Tinto Capo' process resulting in a natural harmonious colour throughout. Additionally, dying the garment at the end ensures that the trousers won't shrink after the first wash. 

The final stage to bring the Cortina chinos to life involves ironing the pants, first using machinery and then by hand. As it's the tradition in Italian laboratories, each garment is meticulously checked by expert artisans in all its details, from size to stitching, ensuring the quality and durability of the Cortina pants are in line with the excellent quality our garments always display.