Style is a universal language open to interpretation, creativity and evolution; it can be used to communicate, empower and rejuvenate. Despite fashion's inherently ephemeral nature, certain style traits transcend time and are universally appreciated.

Chinos are a contemporary fashion icon and a wardrobe staple. In our recent editorial project, we celebrated the popular pants and their supreme diversity with heritage brand Closed. Together we selected five avant-garde fashion experts and cultural figures to style its various fits and share their fashion insights. After speaking to Emil Rebek, Barnabé Fillion, Eugene Tong, David Fischer and Oh Hyuk, the reasons behind chinos' lasting popularity became obvious.

Firstly, they’re functional. Whatever the fit, chino cloth remains comfortable and hardwearing which dates back to chinos’ original military use. And secondly, they’re diverse. Chinos sit somewhere between formal trousers and casual denim jeans making them easy to dress up or down. Diversity also makes them universally appealing, everyone from streetwear enthusiasts to dads can add personality to a pair of chinos.

Our style experts agree that basics are the items they can’t live without. Jeans, leather jackets, crewneck sweats and tees might change shape, cut, fabric and color to satisfy contemporary fads but the original, basic concepts remain popular. Closed recognizes this and keeps its chinos simple. While it offers a vast range of fits, they all feature classic colors and fabrics, basic fastenings, and modest details. The brand’s focus on quality makes its products a reliable choice.

Check out the individual editorials in the series via the links in the article and shop the Closed website here.