The World’s Best Cargo Pants

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Welcome to the Esquire Endorsement. Heavily researched. Thoroughly vetted. These picks are the best way to spend your hard-earned cash

Thank god for the big pants comeback tour. Pandemic waistlines and gym-swole thighs alike find egalitarian freedom in the comfort of wide-legged bottoms. It's a really good moment for pants, is what I'm saying: No longer must we break in our jeans, or worry about sitting down will tear a thread. Slim fit hasn't been on our radars in years. If we're kind to ourselves, it'll be a long time before we ever put on another suffocating pair again.

While there is no shortage of big pants we can wear to the office, or for date nights, more chill hangs call for another option entirely. The elements aren't a threat in your air conditioned nine-to-five, but the unpredictability of a good time means you need pants that can roll with the punches when you're not in the office.

What's a big pant that offers the comfort of joggers and the durability of workwear? What's a big pant that can weather a storm, or cheap beer at a ball game and not fuss over it? More importantly, what's a big pant that can look good dressed down (with, say, sleeveless tees or acid-washed hoodies) but can get classy with a nice sweater? The answer to all these questions is the Uniqlo Wide Cargo.

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Uniqlo unleashed the Wide Leg Cargo earlier this year, but even though the pants are fresh from the factory line, they look classic, albeit with a modern twist. At its core the Wide Leg Cargo is a no-frills cargo pant; they have a traditional tack button at the waist, feature two gusseted pockets at the thighs, and a generous opening at the legs. Uniqlo advertises these pants come with a tapered silhouette, but it's frankly hard to notice that shape at all. Especially when I'm pairing them with bigger sneakers like an Air Jordan 1 or the Puma RS-X. They have that slightly refined military surplus fit.

The difference with Uniqlo's take on the classic cargo is how they feel. While made of 100-percent cotton, the material resembles a mix of ripstop and thin nylon, as if Uniqlo cut up a windbreaker and made a featherweight bottom. Importantly, that means these aren't actually waterproof. I've spilled beer on my lap wearing these pants and still felt the moist kiss of Sapporo on my skin. But given its sporty look and how fast it dried up, and left no worrying stains, these pants are a must for those times when fun gets messy.

The aforementioned thinness gives the pants an airiness that make them wearable, perhaps even ideal, for hot temperatures. These pants are great in fall, but even better for the dog days of summer. If you don't want bugs latching onto your bare shins, or you're just not into shorts, these pants will cover you up without overcooking your lower half.

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Aside from how comfort, the main draw of Uniqlo's Wide Cargo is how adaptable the pants are for casual wardrobes. Coming in a number of neutral colors—black, light brown (almost khaki), chocolate brown, and slate gray/mint green—the pants compliment just about any character archetype.

Are you a streetwear guy? Pair it with your favorite designer hoodie and chunky kicks. More of an aging skater/punk? Rock a pair with your rattiest metal t-shirt, your favorite beanie, and feel like it's 1999 again. Woodsman? Even next to Timberlands, flannel, and shearling denim, these pants hold it all all together. Vintage military? Black shirt, black boots, and tuck in at the ankles. Boom—suddenly you're a man on a mission.

Sure, you can't pull off every look with these pants. They're not going to work for a five-star dinner. But these in particular are wildly versatile on the rugged style, pure putty depending on your own personality and gutsiness. On its website, Uniqlo offers customers space to show off how they style the brand's clothing. The section for Wide Cargos reveals only a glimpse of what these baggy bad boys are capable of.

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If you haven't got on board with big pants yet, now's the time. For me, slim fit is as dead as the dinosaurs, and it's going to stay that way. If you're a bigger guy, or have been hitting the squat rack more consistently, I'd encourage you to think the same. If you're a fashion guy, you've probably been playing with big pants for a while now. But the man who might need to hear this advice is somewhere in the middle. Maybe you've come to a style plateau, maybe you feel physically—or mentally, metaphorically—constrained by tight pants. It might be helpful to think big. Or rather, think wide.

Try a pair over a few summer weekends, and you'll realize Uniqlo's Wide Cargos are the ultimate pants for hanging out. They're the bottom half of what I'm calling the Hanging with the Dudes uniform. I've been wearing mine with my collection of tastefully distressed heavy metal tees, and it's conjuring a dirtbag vibe that I'm eager to stick with until after Labor Day. The pants match the energy of any location where sneakers or combat boots are welcome. From sweltering festivals to indoor breweries to basement games of Magic the Gathering, my Uniqlo pants are the only companion I need all summer. It feels good to go big.

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