Is there a reason to own linen trousers if a man already has a good pair of chinos? The question comes up every spring, and it is a fair one: both are light-coloured, both are worn with an open collar, and both sit between jeans and tailored trousers in formality. The difference between linen trousers vs chinos lies in the cloth, and it decides where each one belongs.

Chinos are made of cotton twill. The name is usually traced to the Spanish word for Chinese, after the cotton twill from China used for military uniforms in the late nineteenth century, and the trousers kept their military practicality when they moved into civilian wardrobes. Twill is woven so that the threads form fine diagonal lines. That structure packs the yarn closely, which makes the cloth smooth, firm and quite dense. Linen trousers are usually woven in a plain weave, one thread over and one under, from flax yarn that is thicker and less uniform than cotton. The result is a more open cloth with a dry, slightly textured surface.

In heat, that difference is felt at once. The open weave of linen lets air pass through the cloth as the wearer walks, and flax fibre handles perspiration well, so the trousers stay comfortable on the skin through a long, humid afternoon. Chinos, closer and heavier, hold more warmth against the legs. On a spring day in a temperate city that warmth is welcome; at thirty-five degrees in Dubai or on a Greek quay it is not. A fuller comparison of the two fibres is in linen versus cotton.

Creasing is the honest counterpoint. Chinos hold a pressed line and recover from sitting with only light wrinkles, which makes them easy for an office day or a long meeting. Linen creases readily at the knee and the lap, and those creases soften into the character of the garment rather than disappearing. Some men find that relaxed look exactly right for summer; others want the cleaner line of twill. Neither view is wrong, but it is worth knowing which camp one is in before buying.

Drape and movement follow from the weave. Linen hangs straight from the hip and moves with a slight swing; chinos keep more of their own shape and sit closer to the leg. That is why linen trousers look natural with a loose shirt worn untucked, and chinos with a tucked shirt and a belt. The two fabrics also age differently. Chinos fade gradually at the seams and pockets; linen softens with every wash, growing smoother to the touch while keeping its body. Both are natural fibres, and both can be worn for many years.

Within the PP collection, the choice is made easy because the house makes both kinds of trouser. The PP Casual Linen Trousers, in Black, Oatmeal, Roosewood Pink, Sapphire Blue and Vanille, are the relaxed linen option, described in the PP Casual Linen Trousers guide. The PP Trousers 100% Linen, in Sapphire Blue and White, have a more tailored presence for evenings and are set out in the PP Trousers 100% Linen guide. Both close with walnut buttons. For cooler days, the PP Trousers 100% Cotton in Blue and White give the firmer handle of cotton. The linen lines sit within the men's linen collection.

Choosing between them comes down to place and season. For the Gulf from October to April, the Mediterranean in summer, the Caribbean in winter and any beach or resort, linen is the obvious fit. For autumn in a European city, an air-conditioned office week or a day that starts cool and stays mild, cotton earns its place. A man who travels between the two climates is well served by one pair of each: linen for the destination, cotton for the journey home.

The trousers also set the tone for the shirt above them. Linen trousers ask for a linen shirt, and the two together have a coherence that is hard to achieve any other way, the same texture and the same ease from collar to hem. Chinos sit better with a cotton shirt. Mixing the two is possible, but the eye notices when a soft linen shirt sits over stiff twill, and the outfit looks as though it belongs to two different days.

Read more: Classic vs Casual Linen Trousers  ·  How to Style Linen Trousers for Men