Asa Pants - Charcoal

麻 (asa): "hemp and linen cloth."

At a Shinto shrine the priest purifies visitors by waving a wand hung with paper streamers, and the wand's old name, ōnusa, is written with the characters for great hemp. Hemp fiber is still twisted into some of the thick shimenawa ropes that mark sacred ground. The paper charm that the Grand Shrine of Ise sends out through local shrines across Japan carries the same two characters in its name, Jingū Taima.

The charcoal is a true mid to dark gray, like wet slate, and the cotton-linen slub gives it a faint texture up close. The legs drop straight from a relaxed hip to the ankle, and the elastic waist has a drawstring and pockets at the sides.

Charcoal sits between black and khaki, sharp enough for a workday and easy on a weekend. A plain black or white tee and simple sneakers are all they need. Wider and gathered cuts wait in the pants collection.

• 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.