If you are a perennial scroller on your Instagram feed, you must have seen a whole lot of influencers and fashion icons flaunting cargo pants. They look chic, effortless and supremely stylish. If you still do not know what cargo pants are or haven’t developed a fetish for the style yet, we are here to change that.
Whether it is in India, or abroad, the influencers have warmed up to this pant style with a full heart. And why not. It is time for you too, to embrace this stylish form of trousers and make it a part of your everyday as well as occasion wear wardrobe.
What are Cargo Pants?
Well, valid question. If you think that cargo pants are the ones that carry the military or army print, well no, cargo pants, are not just that. Yes, till a few years back, that was the only print that this pant style bore, but not anymore. Cargo pants are free-style, loose-fitted, cotton pants, with big, broad pockets featuring on the outer side of each leg. They have the typical side pockets just below the waist belt and in addition, have large pockets, around the knee, on both leg sides. They may be slightly fitted at the hip but are straight or loose fit at the bottom. Extremely comfortable, yet super-stylish, these pants are for all age groups, body types, and occasions.
Till a few years back, women had only restricted their bottoms choice in western wear to denim. The major brand that was ruling the roost in denim was Levis. While we love denim and the brand Levis to death, with fast fashion and international brands like Forever New, Mango, Marks and Spencer and the ubiquitous Zara making their foray into the Indian market, women are now spoilt for choice. You do not need to wear denim every time you move out. There are loose-fitted trousers, pinstripe trousers, wide-leg pants, skirts in denim, satin, ribbed cloth, and more, and cargo pants, of course. There is a wide variety of silhouettes to choose from when it comes to your bottom wear and thank God for that.
Why Do People Love Wearing Cargo Pants?
There are mainly two reasons for this: one, this trouser style is extremely stylish and second, they are comfortable and versatile. Cargo pants are an urban casual/ semi-casual attire that complements the style sensibilities of the modern-day youth – millennials and Gen Z, both, included. With a thousand tasks to do in a day and a sky full of stars to achieve as their goal, people these days want to wear something that means business, establishes their authority on style, makes them feel confident about themselves, yet is comfortable enough to take them from day to night. And cargos do just that. With their loose and stretchable fit, they are very comfortable. The many pockets on the trouser make it easy to carry your wallet, keys, and mobile phone (the basic necessities) without any hassle. While denim may feel too body-hugging and uncomfortable, especially during hot and humid summers, cargo pants, made in cotton, offer that ease of movement and fabric breathability. Available in many colors, and patterns, you can choose from a design that aligns with your innate style.
Anybody can flaunt cargo pants and own up to this style – regardless of the body type that you have. Be it short, tall, curvy, lean, pear, or rounded, cargo pants flatter every body type.
When Can You Wear Cargo Pants?
Cargo pants, or cargos, as we like to call them, can be worn all day long, and during all seasons. Whether you are out for a brunch with your ladies, shopping with mom, or on a dinner date with your partner, cargos are an impressive style statement. Depending on the dress code at your office, you can even consider wearing cargo to the workplace; but that also depends on the work profile you are in. If it is a sales, marketing, PR, advertising or any creative role, cargo trousers will make for a very comfortable and chic office attire. However, if you are in a finance role or a direct client-interfacing role, then skip these pants for formal trousers to wear to the office.
Cargos come in a lot of styles these days, so there are plenty of ways to style and wear them with other pieces from your wardrobe. You can give them a boho, classy, casual, or even a very dressy vibe, depending on your mood for the day and the occasion you are wearing them to. Consider pairing your cargo pants with a floral shirt for a night out or dinner date. You can also pair them with a bralette, denim jacket, kaftan, sheer top, blazer, and more or less any interesting top that you have in your wardrobe. A good thing about cargo pants is that they give you a unique vibe and final look every time you style and wear them differently.
Kim Kardashian rocking the Cargo Pants look
Where Can You Shop Cargo Brands From?
Since these pants are selling as hotcakes these days, and girls and women from all demographics have taken a liking to them, a lot of brands have launched exciting collections of these pants. You can shop them online and offline from various stores. A few urban wear brands we love and would highly suggest for purchasing cargo pants from are as below:
- Zara
- Mango
- Marks and Spencer
- H&M
- Levis
- Lulu & Sky
- Urbanic
- Nykaa Fashion
- Vero Moda
- Adidas
- Guess
- Nike
How Much Does a Pair of Cargo Pants Cost?
They can cost anywhere from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 10,000 depending on the brand that you are buying. A Zara or Mango cargo pants generally cost between Rs. 2,300 to Rs. 5,000. A premium pant pair from Adidas or Nike in their typical stretch dry-fit material may even cost as expensive as Rs. 10,000. If you are looking to embrace the trend without digging a hole in your pocket, check out brands on myntra.com, tatacliq.com, or Nykaa fashion for more budget-friendly options.
While, generally speaking, cargo pants, have contemporary style written all over them, we still have a few variations of the style that we highly recommend for a fashion-forward statement. Choose designs that are wide-legged, the more voluminous it is, the better; experiment with colors and fabrics, not just cotton, opt for nylons, denim, satin, quick-drying synthetics, and more. Also, let the colors be as whimsical and fun as your personality – don’t steer shy of pinks, blues, reds, greens, and even military prints. Wear topstitched pockets to show off your uber-cool side. Let your personality shine through these pants and experiment with style to your heart’s content.
Love,
Team LadyInRoseGold
