{"id":70499,"date":"2020-09-12T15:22:51","date_gmt":"2020-09-12T15:22:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T14:12:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T14:12:48","slug":"a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/","title":{"rendered":"A brief history of cargo pants, the military\u2019s greatest fashion contribution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Photographer Bill Cunningham once said, \u201cFashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For those serving in the armed forces that statement is far more literal than figurative. As a result, the military has, over the years, become a driver of clothing that is not only worn in battle, but civilian attire as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the trenchcoat to the peacoat and acetate glasses frames, the military has an oft-unacknowledged influence on the fashion world. But there is one particular item, laughed at by some as the antithesis of sartorial elegance, that traces its roots to militaristic origins more than any other: cargo pants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The earliest iteration of the cargo pant was the pocketed trouser-type worn in the 1930s by British soldiers in battledress, according to author Brian Jewell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"367\" height=\"478\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-09-11-at-3.51.11-PM.png.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-104973\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-09-11-at-3.51.11-PM.png.png 367w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-09-11-at-3.51.11-PM.png.png?resize=230,300 230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 367px) 100vw, 367px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">British records of a the uniform adopted around World War II show modified trousers. (UK Forces War Records)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn the 1930s the War Office grew increasingly aware of the need for a new and more rational combat dress, and by 1937 the design for what would become known as \u2018battledress\u2019 was complete,\u201d reads the <a href=\"https:\/\/ospreypublishing.com\/british-battledress-1937-61-pb\" target=_blank>summary of \u201cBritish Battledress 1937-61.\u201d <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThough the change in uniform was initially disappointing to the British soldiers, the new battledress served its purpose well, clothing the servicemen for more than 25 years with reasonable warmth and convenience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was indeed a diversion from the more formal uniforms that for centuries made the voguish British Army a fearsome thing to behold (especially during that era when it sported red coats). But the more relaxed dress eventually caught on, with the United States, notably paratroopers, also modeling its World War II-era uniforms closely after it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ww2-airborne.us\/division\/campaigns\/italy.html\"> German officer<\/a>, wary of American forces closing in, commented in his diary about the distinguishable appearance of the U.S. paratroopers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAmerican paratroopers \u2014 devils in baggy pants \u2014 are less than 100 meters from my outpost line,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;I can\u2019t sleep at night; they pop up from nowhere and we never know when or how they will strike next. Seems like the black-hearted devils are everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It wouldn\u2019t be long before each U.S. military service adopted the utility pants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBased on the success of that paratrooper pant, after World War II the dual pocket cargo pant became standard issue for almost all branches of the U.S. military,\u201d GQ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gq.com\/story\/dropping-knowledge-the-cargo-pant\" target=_blank>reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1952 the Army adopted the OG-107s \u2014 olive green dual-front-pocket pants that tucked into the boots \u2014 which were swiftly replaced by the ever-popular and evolving BDU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As for the civilian market, cargo pants enjoyed a heyday in the 1990s. In fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.complex.com\/style\/the-90-greatest-90s-fashion-trends\/cargo-pants\" target=_blank>Complex<\/a> praised them as number seven on its 90 best trends from the 1990s list, writing, \u201cCargo Pants were like SUVs for your legs. It\u2019s no wonder why both things experienced such a boom in the \u201990s.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indeed, contemporary cargo pants are notorious for their baggy fit and \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessoffashion.com\/education\/fashion-az\/patch-pockets#:~:text=Patch%20Pockets%20are%20created%20by,on%20Paddington%20Bear's%20duffle%20coat.\" target=_blank>patch pockets<\/a>.&#8221; And though they are now most often donned by dorky dads who pair them with New Balance tennis shoes, or vet-bros yet to graduate to fitted jeans of slacks, they\u2019ll always hold a special place in military history \u2014 and our hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The British first adopted pocketed pants in the 1930s.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":104972,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-post-observation-post","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":68,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,23,89,68,12,26,13,65],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3271],"class_list":["post-70499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-middle-column","category-military-culture","category-news","category-newsletters","category-off-duty","category-your-navy"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"JGO674S7ERGDLERBQXFA2UR2GA","arc_canonical_url":"\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"observation-post","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A brief history of cargo pants, the military\u2019s greatest fashion contribution - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The British first adopted pocketed pants in the 1930s.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A brief history of cargo pants, the military\u2019s greatest fashion contribution\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The British first adopted pocketed pants in the 1930s.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-09-12T15:22:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T14:12:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sarah Sicard\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sarah Sicard\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/off-duty\\\/military-culture\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/12\\\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/off-duty\\\/military-culture\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/12\\\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"A brief history of cargo pants, the military\u2019s greatest fashion contribution\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2020-09-12T15:22:51+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T14:12:48+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/off-duty\\\/military-culture\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/12\\\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 534,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/off-duty\\\/military-culture\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/12\\\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Screen-Shot-2020-09-11-at-4.21.43-PM.png.png\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Middle Column\",\n\t                \"Military Culture\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Off Duty\",\n\t                \"Your Navy\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/off-duty\\\/military-culture\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/12\\\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/off-duty\\\/military-culture\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/12\\\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/off-duty\\\/military-culture\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/12\\\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"A brief history of cargo pants, the military\u2019s greatest fashion contribution - Navy Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/off-duty\\\/military-culture\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/12\\\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/off-duty\\\/military-culture\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/12\\\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Screen-Shot-2020-09-11-at-4.21.43-PM.png.png\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2020-09-12T15:22:51+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T14:12:48+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"The British first adopted pocketed pants in the 1930s.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/off-duty\\\/military-culture\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/12\\\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/off-duty\\\/military-culture\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/12\\\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/off-duty\\\/military-culture\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/12\\\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Screen-Shot-2020-09-11-at-4.21.43-PM.png.png\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Screen-Shot-2020-09-11-at-4.21.43-PM.png.png\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/off-duty\\\/military-culture\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/12\\\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Military Culture\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/off-duty\\\/military-culture\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"military-culture\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"A brief history of cargo pants, the military\u2019s greatest fashion contribution\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Navy Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A brief history of cargo pants, the military\u2019s greatest fashion contribution - Navy Times","description":"The British first adopted pocketed pants in the 1930s.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A brief history of cargo pants, the military\u2019s greatest fashion contribution","og_description":"The British first adopted pocketed pants in the 1930s.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/","og_site_name":"Navy Times","article_published_time":"2020-09-12T15:22:51+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T14:12:48+00:00","author":"Sarah Sicard","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sarah Sicard","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"A brief history of cargo pants, the military\u2019s greatest fashion contribution","datePublished":"2020-09-12T15:22:51+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T14:12:48+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/"},"wordCount":534,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-09-11-at-4.21.43-PM.png.png","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Home","Middle Column","Military Culture","News","Newsletters","Off Duty","Your Navy"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/","name":"A brief history of cargo pants, the military\u2019s greatest fashion contribution - Navy Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-09-11-at-4.21.43-PM.png.png","datePublished":"2020-09-12T15:22:51+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T14:12:48+00:00","description":"The British first adopted pocketed pants in the 1930s.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-09-11-at-4.21.43-PM.png.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-09-11-at-4.21.43-PM.png.png"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/09\/12\/a-brief-history-of-cargo-pants-the-militarys-greatest-fashion-contribution\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Military Culture","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-culture\/","ad_zone":"military-culture"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"A brief history of cargo pants, the military\u2019s greatest fashion contribution"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","name":"Navy Times","description":"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization","name":"Navy Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","caption":"Navy Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-09-11-at-4.21.43-PM.png.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Navy Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70499"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70517,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70499\/revisions\/70517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70499"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=70499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}