Banana Republic’s New Core Temp Chinos are Made from Coconut Shells and Volcanic Sand

The sleek stylings of Banana Republic have just been given a mad scientist twist. The twist? It has to do with coconut shells and volcanic sand… The fabric, that is, of BR’s latest men’s chino is made from the makings of a beach on an island somewhere, to create and end-product that’s environmentally friendly, looks good, and feels great.

Did one of BR’s designers dream these pants up while stranded on a deserted island? No, but these chinos are created with the help of super smart scientists that have extreme sports in mind. Banana Republic is taking some of the best technology in fabric, and design in performancewear, and applying it to men’s ready-to-wear – last year with the Rapid Movement Chino, and this season with the Core Temp Chino, which, you guessed it, has temperature regulating technology built in. Up until now, this temperature regulating technology has only ever been used in extreme sports and performancewear, making BR is the first to bring it to ready-to-wear apparel.

Without nerding out too much, the best way to describe the chino is to compare it to a thermos (or maybe the opposite of a thermos). (Stay with us.) Thermoses keep hot things hot and cold things cold, and these chinos do essentially the same thing in reverse. The pants essentially prevent you from overheating or getting too cold by regulating your temperature. 

How does this work exactly? Jane Ibarra, Senior Director of Fabric Research and Development  at Banana Republic, gave us a quick rundown. “The active particle that comes from the volcanic sand and carbon from coconut shells absorbs the heat. And one of the coolest things about this pant, is that we’ve been able to embed that temperature regulating technology directly in the fiber, which means it won’t wear off over time.”

“Even better,” says Ibarra, “is that it’s not harmful to the environment. We’re using the nature-given temperature regulating abilities of the coconut shells and active volcanic sand, and mixing in natural fibers like cotton from there. “

All of this technology works to keep you at the optimal temperature for human comfort, which is 37.5 degrees Celsius, and the temperature you want to at when you’re running from one thing to the next in a busy day (or night). “We know that people dress differently now – much less conservative and much more relaxed. We’re trying to strike that balance of stylish and functional, given how active our customers lives are.”

When you get down to it, this latest pant in the long line of BR chinos, reflects the brand’s approach to dressing the customer of today. “The Core Temp Chino is work-style fit, incorporated with the comfort elements of cotton, with performance elements that keep our customer comfortable,” says Ibarra.

The Core Temp Chino is a performance pant that is full-day-tested, taking into account everything from your commute, to your typical 9-5, to your after-work going-out plans. You can check them out here.

Don’t miss out on the latest Gap Inc. news! Sign-up to get email alerts about news on Gap Inc. and our brands.