During the American occupation of Japan after WWII, post-war Japanese youth started to take style cues from their occupiers in a phenomenon that is now called Ametora. The popularity of imported American clothing rose rapidly, particularly military uniforms, denim, and the "Ivy Style" found on college campuses in the NE of the US. Eventually, Japanese firms dedicated to replicating the quality and aesthetic of these goods were formed. The manufacturing company that is now Barnstormer, founded in 1977, was the first of these to make authentic chinos, modeled after those that American officers wore during the occupation.
As American manufacturing has declined, Barnstormer continues to make arguably the best chinos in the world. Their pants are made almost exclusively with Japanese-milled, military-grade fabrics. They combine sturdy construction methods with their tailoring expertise to create pants that are, remarkably, whatever you want them to be - sturdy enough to be worked in, casual enough to be worn with a shetland sweater or T-shirt, dressy enough to be worn with a sport coat. At Old House Provisions, we can't speak highly enough about Barnstormer, and we're proud to be (as of the writing of this) the only store in the US to sell them. I can't imagine we'll be able to say that for much longer, though.
