After Drake’s · Spring/Summer 2026
Navy Cotton Drawstring Trousers
A pair of loose navy work trousers whose shape comes from the baggy, gathered-ankle trousers worn by Japanese construction workers, the tobi shokunin. The design keeps the practical features of that trade: a high rise, a roomy leg, reinforced knees and cords at the ankle so the leg can hang free or be drawn in. A flat drawstring waist keeps the front plain. They are made in Italy from Japanese cotton and are intended for hard, frequent wear, during which they gradually show their use.
In Proper Cloth
Navy Cadet Chino
We chose a solid navy cotton twill to match the original's colour, fibre and weave, and set the trouser to a high rise and loose fit with a drawstring elastic waist and side seam pockets. Proper Cloth offers neither reinforced double knees nor an ankle drawcord, so we finished the leg with a wide plain hem and accepted a straighter, more conventional trouser shape. The available navy twill is noticeably heavier than the Japanese cloth, which gives a firmer, more substantial hand in place of the original's dry, lighter feel.
A navy 2-ply cotton twill woven in Portugal, at about 9.6oz (325 g). It is a left-hand twill, which gives it a softer drape than its weight would suggest. The cloth is dense enough to hold its shape and is meant to soften slowly with washing rather than wear thin.
- Composition
- 100% Cotton
- Weight
- medium heavyweight
- Care
- Machine wash with cold, non-chlorine bleach, air dry
Options
- Style
- Vintage Chino
- Front pockets
- Side Seam Pockets (change this in Customize)
- Back pockets
- Square Patch Back Pockets (change this in Customize)
- Fly
- Zipper Fly
- Buttons
- Slate Horn Buttons (change this in Customize)
- Waistband
- Drawstring Elastic Waistband (change this in Customize)
- Front
- No Pleats
- Coin pocket
- None (change this in Customize)
- Cargo pockets
- None
- Closure
- Button Through
- Hem
- Wide Hem
- Pocketing
- Navy
- Thread
- Standard
$195
Opens the Navy Cadet Chino in this cloth. In Customize, change the options marked , then choose your size.