How to Wear Cargo Pants Right Now

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ANDERS OVERGAARD

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Every day of every month at GQ, we start your morning on Instagram with visual advice on What to Wear Today. But we want to go deeper. Give you the nuts and bolts of how to get the look into your wardrobe. This month we're providing you with a list of menswear essentials to upgrade your 2017 closet. Up today: the slimmed-down cargo pant.

If you're reading this, we're guessing you're someone who understands that there's big difference between your typical parachute-like cargo pant and the Nautica pants Zayn Malik is wearing, above. The former looks like a pair of sick-day pajama bottoms (never a good sign) while the latter has the personality of a nice trouser, but is cut in a fabric that's built for hanging out—or sliding down railings, as it were. This GQ-approved, Malik-approved cargo pant is usually slimmer through the leg (though roomier cuts can work, too), tapered at the ankle (or at the very least, hemmed at the ankle), and rendered in a strong, saturated neutral color.

There's also the business of styling cargo pants to look young, modern, and cool. But again, if you're reading a post about Zayn Malik, we're guessing you aren't the sort of dude who wouldn't simply reach for the free T-shirt you got at the bank in 2007 and call it a day. You understand that a nice knit and a pair of slick Chelsea boots is going to look infinitely better than that that sad boxy thing, not to mention be one hundred times more appropriate in your place of business.

So, given that we're on the same page and all, here are a few pairs for your consideration. Green and black are great, but Zayn's navy is especially nice because it has zero army-guy vibes. It also doesn't scream "cargo pants!" from the street quite as much. But you knew that.

Best All Around

Stone Island Cargo Pants, $369, available at endclothing.com

Coolest Pockets

Timberland Cargo Pants, $80 (Was $98), available at timberland.com

Affordable Find

H&M Cargo Pants, $20 (Was $35), available at hm.com

Swankiest Cut

DSquared2 Cargo Pants, $315 (Was $525), available at farfetch.com

The Hybrid Option

Balmain Cargo Pants, $1,019, available at endclothing.com

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