The Runways Have Spoken: Cargo Pants Are a Nonnegotiable for Spring

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Each season contains a handful of key It items that capture the current dressing mood. And this spring, no one piece defines utilitarian chic quite like the humble cargo pant. Beloved for its practicality and ease, the workwear essential gets reimagined for the fashion girl for spring, featuring new-and-improved details like exposed zippers, oversize pockets, and even barrel legs. In the spring collections, you could spot these chic cargos everywhere from Dries Van Noten to Proenza Schouler to Saint Laurent.

Vogue’s Cargo Pant Wish List:

• The Catwalk-to-Closet: Dries Van Noten shell wide-leg cargo pants, $840
• The Boyfriend Fit: Denimist cotton-drill wide-leg cargo pants, $495
• The Light-Wash Pair: Agolde Fraser utility pants, $325
• The Barrel-Leg Style: Proenza Schouler Jackson tapered cargo pants, $690
• The Quietly Luxurious Pair: Salon 1884 buckled pleated straight-leg cargo pants, $1,590
• The Oversize Option: Frame boyfriend cargo pants, $400
• The High-Street Hero: & Other Stories cargo trousers, $129
• The Cargo Jean: Citizens of Humanity Delena cargo high-rise straight-leg jeans, $300
• The Khaki Pair: Mango pocket cargo pants, $90
• The Notable Navy: Cos wide-leg cargo pants, $125

Apart from the runway’s heavy-hitters, both contemporary brands and the high-street have pushed through their own versions of the seriously chic cargo. Take Frame’s outstandingly oversize olive pair, for example. With a slouchy fit, it would look great with a plain white tee, some lightweight outerwear, and sleek city sneakers or preppy loafers. Cargo jeans are also on our radar–slightly more casual and cooler than classic cotton pairs. Options for spring can be found at Etro, Me+Em, JW Anderson, and Citizens of Humanity. Other nontraditional takes worth noting range from Reformation’s linen drawstring pair to Tibi’s pleated nylon pants.

There’s no denying: These days, cargo pants for women have earned their place as a modern wardrobe staple that can be worn running errands or for taking a cool-relaxed approach to dressier occasions. Whether you’re a minimalist in the market for a sleek white pair to keep in rotation throughout the summer or a trendsetter who wants to make a statement in wild camo prints, shop 34 cargo pants setting the sartorial tone for the season ahead.