Are Those Cargos?

Nick Wooster

This fit is crazy. The man in the photo above is clearly going for a live action G.I. Joe look. From the camo blazer to the classic military haircut, this fit is not the move. However, it is not the focus of this week's post. It's the rolled up baggy cargo shorts. This particular article of clothing has plagued me since my mom first laid them out for me to wear as a kid. Where is this article of clothing from? Why won't it die? We are embarking on these answers today.

Cargos were first made in the 1940s for men in the military during World War II. Since World War I there were more items for soldiers to carry, so cargo pants made it easier to carry the load. Fast forward to the 1980s and cargos hit the mainstream market being promoted as camping and hiking gear. So, the origin of cargo pants was used in utility, and the reimagining of them were used as utility. That is until the 1990s when people started using them for "aesthetic" purposes. That, my friends is one of the biggest mistakes we have made in fashion. We should've kept this eyesore of a garment in the hands of the military. Pedestrians didn't need access to this type of technology. With entering the mainstream came the desertion of pocket use. So, in other words the pockets became a compliment piece. If you're thinking "well some people do use the pockets" I would tell them to buy a purse. Purses are more fashionable and practical. Fashion has been blurring the lines of gender conformity, and I think it's important to lean into that. It is more than ok for men to have a purse, wear makeup, or rock some high heels. I feel like cargos if anything need to be reimagined for a 3rd wave. It's retro in all the wrong ways, and it's a clear (to me) that you haven't had too much of a wardrobe renaissance if you're wearing the same clothes from middle school. There are so many ways to play with cargos. If I were to start the process of reimaging cargo shorts, I'd inflate the pockets and make them shorter. Believe it or not there are actually a number of things I despise in fashion. But I want to challenge myself to improve upon them. Everything from jean shorts to fedoras. Clothes that I will get to at a later date, because I don't want to come on here and complain every week. That's it for this week, but I do challenge y'all to reimagine the clothes and trends you hate most.