Coffee, curry, and mulberry juice - How the khaki trousers got their name. Khaki, chino or also known as Dockers - These are the names of both sporty and elegant summer trousers. They are preferably worn when jeans are too casual and suit trousers are too formal. Various stories exist about the origins of the khaki trousers. However, they only became very popular in the early 1980s. Combined with a blazer and boat shoes, they were the favorite trousers among American students. Ralph Lauren copied this look and made it world-famous. In 1986, Levi Strauss launched the internationally successful casual pants under the name Dockers. The trousers themselves are actually much older.

The origins go back to India in 1848. Sometimes the commander of a British regiment, Sir Harry Lumsden, came up with the idea of smearing his soldiers' shining white uniform trousers with a mixture of coffee, curry, and mulberry juice, to make them more resistant to the omnipresent dust. The new color was enthusiastically received and the Indians called it Khaki, which in Hindi means the color of the fabric or earth. The name chino did not appear until about seventy years later. According to legend, soldiers stationed in the Philippines were equipped with these robust trousers. The trousers were made in Manchester, sold to China, and then re-exported to the Philippines. Americans later took their trousers back home and suspected their place of origin, chino. Whether you choose chino or Dockers Khaki, such trousers can be worn on almost any occasion and can be combined with a variety of clothing. By the way, Teddy Roosevelt apparently also wore khaki trousers during his safari in Africa.