O P I N I O N
NOT THAT PROFOUND
By Nathan Graziano
My approach to fashion has always been one of stubbornness. In other words, I play the long game, and in the mid-1990s, I discovered a fashion aesthetic that worked with me, and I haven’t budged from it in three decades.
This aesthetic includes wearing T-shirts—with a particular penchant for the concert T-shirt or T-shirts with clever punchlines—plain sweaters with muted colors, hoodies on weekends, and the occasional dress shirt for work.
My footwear includes either Birkenstocks or plain brown or black slide-on dress shoes, with a slight proclivity toward Skechers.
Even my hairstyle hasn’t changed much, although I had long hair in the ’90s. However, I’ve found that at my age, with a full head of gray, growing out my hair makes me look a little like a frontier woman.
I also wear blue jeans just about every day from September until May1, and maybe an occasional pair of khakis on special occasions. But once we hit May and the warm weather, I am 100 percent committed to rocking the cargo shorts, which are a summer staple for me.
However, the cargo shorts bring with them with a certain amount of controversy.
While cargo shorts have gone in and out of style throughout my 30 years of loyal wear, the war against them escalated in 2016 with an article by Nicole Hong in The Wall Street Journal titled “Nice Cargo Shorts! You’re Sleeping on the Sofa,” which was about a guy who owned 15 pairs of cargo shorts, and his wife kept secretly disposing of them until he was down to a single pair2.
The arguments against cargo shorts are that they are ill-fitting and unflattering, much too baggy and large, as opposed to slimmer cuts seen in most men’s shorts these days, and people do not understand why anyone would need so many pockets. There is even a Netflix video lambasting cargo shorts.
To which I will say this: Kiss my cargo-shorted ass!
Part of the cargo shorts’ appeal for me is the roominess and the comfort. I’m one of those people who hate wearing any clothing that clings to me. I couldn’t care less about clothes that flatter me. Is anyone really going to look at me in form-fitted shorts, looking like Angus Young, and shower me with compliments? Doubtful. So this is a no-brainer for me. I’m going with comfort.
Cargo shorts are also incredibly durable. I currently own about six pairs of cargo shorts that I rotate throughout the summer like starting pitchers, and I couldn’t tell you the last time I had to buy a new pair. There could be a nuclear holocaust, and all that would remain would be cockroaches, Keith Richards and cargo shorts.
And I happen to like the abundance of pockets, thank you very much. I have a pocket for my wallet, a pocket for my keys, a pocket for my phone, and even a pocket where I can keep an extra beer at a barbeque and not have to keep running to the cooler.
Again, cargo shorts for the win!
It does seem, according to some fashion sites, that cargo shorts are making a bit of a comeback in 2025, albeit with some slight modifications to its traditional, beautiful form. But still the haters are going to hate.
But we, my brothers—the cargo shorts-wearing men of the world—must resist. Wear your cargo shorts proudly and boldly with your shoulders back, your chin up and your pockets full! Wear your cargo this summer and next summer and every summer yet to come! I implore you to celebrate the cargo shorts with me.
Now, jorts on men…I have to draw the line there.
- In the 90s, I wore ripped jeans, but I stopped wearing those at least five years ago ↩︎
- This seems like a criminal offense to me. ↩︎