So Long Jeans—I’m Now Wearing These Casual Trousers Instead

By now, you’ll be well acquainted with the never-ending ‘90s and noughties renaissance that has been dominating fashion for some time. If the Juicy Couture tracksuit or dangerously low-slung jeans revival didn’t give you the heads up, then it’ll be TikTok and its many users’ sudden obsession with mini bags, trucker caps and hair gems—often worn together with total commitment to the full throwback look.

For those of us lucky enough to have worn the best that the late nineties and millennium had to offer the first time around, it’s been a nostalgic trip down memory lane—I dare you to check out the Blumarine S/S 22 show and not feel all of the Tammy Girl feels. However, if you don’t relish the thought of donning a handkerchief halterneck top and dusting off your platform trainers, there are more elevated ways to tap into the trend, and the first—and perhaps most important—is via a pair of cargo trousers.

Part sportswear and part utility with a healthy dash of All Saints energy (the girl group, not the brand), this laidback style is one of the more surprising pieces to have reappeared in my Instagram feed lately, but as with any trend that champions comfort first, I’m here for it.

With styles ranging from classic khaki to tonal tan, a wealth of cargo trousers have appeared on the high street almost overnight, but the brand to truly give cargo trousers the luxe makeover they so desperately needed is none other than The Frankie Shop. As soon as the now sold-out Jenna Cargo Pants dropped a couple of months ago, they were considered an influencer must-have. And for those a little sceptical about the ubiquitous shade of milkshake pink, the brand also has nine styles of cargo trouser currently available, from the tailored Maesa to the voluminous, oversized Hailey.

Perhaps I’ve taken so well to cargo trousers because they were a natural progression from the loungewear I loved during lockdown, or perhaps it’s the nostalgia, but either way, forget everything you once knew about these baggy combat trousers. The new styles on the block are anything but teenage.

So keep scrolling for 18 of the best pairs of cargo trousers that will make transitional seasonal dressing that much easier.