Asa Pants - Beige

麻 (asa): "hemp and linen cloth."

Until cotton became a common crop in Japan in the 1500s and 1600s, most people dressed in asa, cloth woven from the stalk fibers of plants like hemp and ramie. Silk belonged to the court and the wealthy. Farming families grew the plants, split and spun the fiber and wove it at home, and left undyed, the cloth kept the pale tan of dry straw.

The beige is close to that undyed cloth, a warm sand with a slub you can see and feel, because cotton-linen keeps its little irregular threads. The legs fall straight from a relaxed hip to the ankle, and the elastic waist has a drawstring, with a pocket at each side.

Pair them with a black tee and black sneakers, as in the photos, or go light with a white tee and white sneakers. They're the pants for hot days that still call for long legs, from a garden wedding to a long flight. Three more colors of the cut sit among the linen pieces.

• Fabric: cotton-linen blend with a natural slub texture
• Waist: elastic with drawstring
• Pockets: side pockets
• Fit: relaxed through the hip, straight leg, ankle length
• Sizes: jeans-style waist sizes 30, 32, 33, 34, 36, 38, 40
• Size reference: 6 ft 2 in, 172 lb wears 32; 5 ft 11 in, 198 lb wears 34

Measurements for every size are in the size guide.