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A few years ago, if you had told anyone that Dockers was going to become one of the most exciting menswear brands, most people would have balked. For years, Dockers was the business casual punchline of a man’s wardrobe, associated with pleats that went down to your ankles and colors that were somewhere between "milquetoast" and "bleh." That all changed when the Alpha Khaki debuted in 2011. Focusing on fit and hardy materials, the pants spoke to style nerds who were sticklers about cuffed hems and breaks to average dudes who simply wanted a pair of affordable, stylish chinos. Building on that success, Dockers took the pants into bolder territory with camo khakis that were, well--anything but khaki. Appealing to sneakerheads who wanted to wear them over covetable kicks or #menswear guys who paired them with blazers and double monkstrap shoes, Dockers is riding that wave into a full lifestyle collection.

The Alpha Collection draws from the same pool of military references and men’s wardrobe staples for clothes like paisley-printed shirts, camo corduroys, blackwatch plaid chinos, and fall-appropriate outerwear like MA-1 bomber jackets and rust-colored blazers. In addition, Dockers is opening up a 4-week long pop-up shop in New York City, featuring a custom khaki bar where you can select from 10 colors and two Alpha fits (Slim and Standard). We caught up with Doug Conklyn, head of global design, to talk about the new collection and why guys should wear more than just the pants.

_GQ: _The term "game-changer" gets abused a lot, but it’s apropos when referring to the Alpha Khaki don’t you think?

**Conklyn:**Dockers has been known for a lot of great pants over the years, but we hadn’t attracted a younger consumer for a really long time. Alpha was a game-changer because all of a sudden, khakis had attitude. For so long, they’d been associated for "in-between" occasions where you didn’t need a suit but couldn’t wear jeans, and they suffered from a lack of a cool factor.

Through fit, finish, and color, Alpha really changed the whole landscape.

_GQ: _Fit is so paramount in menswear, but pattern is what really got the Alpha Khaki noticed. It seems like every other guy rushed out to buy the camo versions.

Conklyn: It’s so funny because I took a lot of heat for that. It wasn’t a popular pant inside the company--people felt it wasn’t on brand. I thought that authenticity should always be the core of what we do. We’re known for tan pants. Tan pants came from the military, camouflage is also from the military. That was my logic.