Weekend Plus Desk :
Love it or hate it – the cargo shorts dominate streets, Twitter trends and fashion blogs as
one article on it goes viral.
Made for soldiers to store ammunition in the ‘40s, the cargo shorts got left behind in the
evolution of men’s fashion.
If the debate was around stone-studded Ed Hardy t-shirts that roam around in Khan Market, or those ultra-thin ties men pair with low-waist pants at cocktails, it would be worth all your time on Twitter. Even a bitchy piece on how hideous Crocs look would do. But of all things wrong that men wear, we seem to be obsessed with the most harmless of the lot – cargo shorts.
Recently, a piece in The Wall Street Journal on this poor cousin of the Bermudas has
divided fashion fraternity, and gotten men and women to debate its continued
existence. Titled Nice Cargo Shorts!
You’re Sleeping On The Sofa, the piece has gone viral, tweeted and re-tweeted till fashion magazines, mayors and everyone with a Twitter and Facebook account had their say.
Before we denounce this quick-fix social media-obsessed generation for making everything ‘trend,’ we must discuss this ‘90s staple and if at all it deserves the attention it’s getting. Created in the ‘40s in the US for soldiers to store ammunition, it peaked in the grime music era of the ‘90s. Thousands of miles away, here, cargo shorts are sold in bulk at Sarojini Nagar shops, and high-end stores in malls. “I have never owned a pair, I have never designed one either, and I never will. They are ugly, and if you have to carry things, get a bag,” says designer Troy Costa.
Once the WSJ article went viral, its author was bombarded with emails from men who justify them, and women who detest them. Most talk about how comfortable they are and how much bulk these cargo shorts can carry, making bags pointless. “No one gives a shit. If people are buying it, it’s the right product. This snob mentality has to go. Also, if you like it,
wear it,” says designer Anand Bhushan.
Over decades, denims changed, as did the dinner jacket. Somewhere in the midst of its casual appeal, the cargo shorts stayed back in the ‘90s, and forgot
to evolve. “It’s really a lifestyle, it’s comfort clothing which is very important. But I’d rather men wear drop crotch jersey pants now instead of cargo pants.
They are still ugly and shabby, make it more
aesthetically pleasing and its appeal will change,” says designer Gaurav Gupta.
Apart from comfort, it’s also nostalgia that makes us cling on to things, trends and people that rightfully belonged to a different decade. “I am a ‘90s kid too and they’re considered cool back then, so I
understand why people still wear it. A lot of people were sceptical about ‘80s fashion but look around, it’s everywhere now,” says designer Arjun Saluja. n
Love it or hate it – the cargo shorts dominate streets, Twitter trends and fashion blogs as
one article on it goes viral.
Made for soldiers to store ammunition in the ‘40s, the cargo shorts got left behind in the
evolution of men’s fashion.
If the debate was around stone-studded Ed Hardy t-shirts that roam around in Khan Market, or those ultra-thin ties men pair with low-waist pants at cocktails, it would be worth all your time on Twitter. Even a bitchy piece on how hideous Crocs look would do. But of all things wrong that men wear, we seem to be obsessed with the most harmless of the lot – cargo shorts.
Recently, a piece in The Wall Street Journal on this poor cousin of the Bermudas has
divided fashion fraternity, and gotten men and women to debate its continued
existence. Titled Nice Cargo Shorts!
You’re Sleeping On The Sofa, the piece has gone viral, tweeted and re-tweeted till fashion magazines, mayors and everyone with a Twitter and Facebook account had their say.
Before we denounce this quick-fix social media-obsessed generation for making everything ‘trend,’ we must discuss this ‘90s staple and if at all it deserves the attention it’s getting. Created in the ‘40s in the US for soldiers to store ammunition, it peaked in the grime music era of the ‘90s. Thousands of miles away, here, cargo shorts are sold in bulk at Sarojini Nagar shops, and high-end stores in malls. “I have never owned a pair, I have never designed one either, and I never will. They are ugly, and if you have to carry things, get a bag,” says designer Troy Costa.
Once the WSJ article went viral, its author was bombarded with emails from men who justify them, and women who detest them. Most talk about how comfortable they are and how much bulk these cargo shorts can carry, making bags pointless. “No one gives a shit. If people are buying it, it’s the right product. This snob mentality has to go. Also, if you like it,
wear it,” says designer Anand Bhushan.
Over decades, denims changed, as did the dinner jacket. Somewhere in the midst of its casual appeal, the cargo shorts stayed back in the ‘90s, and forgot
to evolve. “It’s really a lifestyle, it’s comfort clothing which is very important. But I’d rather men wear drop crotch jersey pants now instead of cargo pants.
They are still ugly and shabby, make it more
aesthetically pleasing and its appeal will change,” says designer Gaurav Gupta.
Apart from comfort, it’s also nostalgia that makes us cling on to things, trends and people that rightfully belonged to a different decade. “I am a ‘90s kid too and they’re considered cool back then, so I
understand why people still wear it. A lot of people were sceptical about ‘80s fashion but look around, it’s everywhere now,” says designer Arjun Saluja. n
