When did cargo pants become chic?

“One time, I saw Regina George wearing army pants and flip-flops, so I bought army pants and flip-flops.”

That’s a line straight out of Mean Girls, the circa 2004 movie about surviving a suburban high school and its cliques. Today, the same could be said for Bella Hadid, Rihanna, or Dua Lipa—and cargo pants. “I saw Bella wearing cargo pants and stilettos, so I bought cargo pants and stilettos,” is surely something that’s been posted on TikTok by now.

Cargos have been trending for a few seasons but at the spring collections of Saint Laurent, Dries Van Noten, and The Attico, we saw a more sophisticated and new way of them. Comfort and utility have become increasingly important to customers today, It’s also about getting the most out of your clothes. It might not be a coincidence that Mean Girls is returning in January, this time as a musical. Everything old is new again, sometimes all it takes is a good filter.

The post-pandemic fashion landscape has loosened conceptions about what constitutes “dressed-up.” What counts as fancy today is not what was considered so a few years back. Gilda Ambrosio and Giorgia Tordini’s collections for The Attico have helped define the new influencer wardrobe, but the distinctiveness of their sensibility lies in the way in which they challenge how wardrobe staples can be worn. Some of the Internet’s favourite dressers today give things enough of a twist that they find new life.

Next, when looking for an evening option to wear to an event, don’t discount your cargos.