WHAT ARE CARGO PANTS?

how to wear a cargo pants with techwear outfit. Full guide and best practices

What are cargo pants? Where does the term "cargo" come from? What is the origin of this garment?

At Karnage Streetwear we are passionate about the subject, so we will answer these questions for you.

Cargo pants have nowadays become a classic in streetwear fashion. We see them as wide-cut pants with multiple pockets.

In this article, together we will see:

  • What are cargo pants
  • Where does the term cargo come from
  • What's the history of these pants

After reading this article, you'll know all about this garment that is so intriguing at first glance when you're not familiar with the streetwear style. Are you ready? Let's go!

WHAT'S THE HISTORY OF CARGO PANTS?

Cargo pants, also known as combat pants, have their origins in military use. These loosely cut pants were designed for difficult outdoor activities, such as those practiced by the military: crawling on the ground, bending down quickly, and finding accessories. To do this, the cargo pants have several pockets, called cargo pockets.

This type of clothing was first worn by the British Armed Forces in the 1930s, quickly followed by the American Army during the Second World War. In the extreme and very difficult conditions of the confrontations of that time, the cargo pockets we mentioned just before were useful for carrying maps, bandages and other first-aid materials, food rations, ammunition, and other combat essentials.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE TERM "CARGO"?

The term cargo refers to the transportation of goods in the military. Therefore, since the purpose of cargo pants is to carry many things on military ground missions, the term "cargo" pants came naturally.

WHAT ARE THE CARGO PANTS MADE OF?

The cargo pants were originally made of cotton and had very heavily reinforced seams so that you could make wide and sudden movements as well as crawl and climb without the risk of tearing your pants and losing stuff.

Nowadays, although cotton cargo pants are often found, much modern streetwear and techwear styles are made of polyester or partially of polyester. The reason is that the fabric is cheaper and more suitable for the outdoor activities of this century.

WHAT ARE CARGO PANTS NOWADAYS?

Nowadays, cargo pants have extended their style and many brands offer very different variations of what cargo trousers were originally. This is caused by two things: firstly, these pants have no military use in everyday life for most people, and designers have been attacking this type of clothing.

Among the cargo pants popular nowadays, we can mention a few variants:

BLACK CARGO PANTS

It's the best-known variant. It will not have escaped your attention, the black color is not really suitable for camouflage, that's why cargo pants used to be green/brown to blend in with the scenery. Anyway, this variant is very aesthetic and fits any urban look.

CARGO PANTS WITH STRAPS

Let's get a little fancier with the cargo pants with straps. This kind of pants only came quickly with the techwear and futuristic style. The straps, in addition to being a very aesthetic accessory, are used to adapt the width of the pants to different places such as thighs, knees, or ankles, which makes this type of cargo pants very adaptable.

WHITE CARGO PANTS

Same kind as the black cargo pants, but this time with a color change. White is a very bright color, so this kind of pants allows you to get a less dark and casual outfit, thus allowing you to wear more original shoes. There are also white/black variants, very aesthetic and very original.

HIGH WAISTED CARGO PANTS

The designers thought of the women with the high-waisted cargo pants! Allowing the wearing of short tops, this garment is usually military green or black.

CARGO PANTS WITH CHAINS

 

Finally, gothic and techwear style fans are not left out in the cold with cargo pants with chains. Available for both men and women, these pants have the advantage of giving a perfect and recognizable goth style, which makes them a very popular garment.

NOW, YOU KNOW WHAT CARGO PANTS ARE!

Thanks to this article, cargo pants or military pants no longer hold any secrets for you. You know all about these originally military clothes which are now part of the core items of streetwear style!

If you don't find many streetwear cargo pants to your taste, don't panic! We have a collection for both men and women so that everyone is satisfied. Don't hesitate to have a look if you are a techwear lover. 😉