When I wore cargo pants in primary school, I certainly didn't look cool. When they cropped up decades later on the Spring '19 runways, I held my breath and thought, HERE WE GO AGAIN. I was not ready for this — was anyone ready for this? Maybe Jenna Lyons could show me the way. I think I saw her styling cargo pants with a sequinned blazer once, and remember thinking: I want that whole outfit. Jennifer Aniston also had a memorable run in cargo pants circa 2001. Brad Pitt may have had a matching pair, but I digress. The point is, how the heck are we supposed to wear these right now?
The short answer is that Jenna Lyons and Jennifer Aniston were on to something. They transformed the utilitarian-looking pants with slim-fit t-shirts and fashion-forward frills (read: sequins and heels). If, like me, you've resisted the trend, our editors have some ideas. I also tapped into the street-style set to deliver on outfit ideas to last all season. Ahead is a veritable buffet of looks to choose from, because cargos are back and they don't have to look anything like the outfits you put together in seventh grade. Unless, of course, you want them to (and in which case, you're far cooler than I ever was).