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Comment by glial | Hacker News Reader

Y'all are a little touchy about someone criticizing your cargo pants! Consider that perhaps his criticism hits a nerve because there is an element of truth in it - for most people (myself included as a younger person), the symbolism of cargo pants is as important as the function.

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> most people

Have you performed a survey? My intuition, from my own experience, is that most people are completely ignorant of the symbolism of cargo pants and use them solely for the cargo feature.

I wear Eddie Bauer "Guide Pro" pants. I recommend them, mostly. I haven't found more stylish cargo pants. https://www.eddiebauer.com/p/12951063/men-s-guide-pro-pants

To be fair, no one thinks of pants that look like that when picturing cargo pants.

These pants look fine. When I think of cargo pants, I think of ridiculously large pockets that really only work in the context of the baggy style of the late 90s/early 00s. It's not my favorite look (though it was when I was a kid), but you can make it work on some level. Anyway, when most people are criticizing cargo pants, I believe they have the jumbo pockets in mind. Another poster correctly noted that they ruin a silhouette. The pants you linked don't have this issue as far as I can tell.

Note, this is just my impression. Maybe there are people out there who just really hate extra pockets.

I actually started wearing cargo shorts because I could fit whatever book I was currently reading in those pockets.

What you posted aren't cargo pants? Those are hiking pants. Cargo pants have large, external pockets.

Not all hiking pants have large pockets on the mid/low thigh. Seems more like a Venn diagram relationship.

Those aren't cargo pants, these (https://www.amazon.com/OCHENTA-Cotton-Military-Pockets-Trous...) are cargo pants.

Cargo pants symbolize something? :)

I never knew cargo pants had a symbolism. I love pockets. I carry as much as I can in my pockets so that I don't need to carry a backpack. I was slightly disappointed with the article because I find the pocket they created seems even smaller than the front pocket, so I don't get how they improve anything.

All fashion has symbolism. Just because you ignore doesn't mean it isn't there.

Fair enough. My point was that I don't think that's such a big reason for people to wear cargo pants, as I've wore and seen people wearing it, yet that was never communicated to me. It's anecdotal, I agree.

Not every garment is a fashion statement. Some people dress for practicality, and not to appease others' innane sense of fashion or vanity.

This is like saying "stop making everything political." It's not even possible.

Everything is a statement, the lack of intention can be doubly so. There are entire utilitarian schools of thought in fashion just like there is in everything else.

Also fashion doesn't exist solely to please others! I wouldn't dismiss an entire massive industry as inane. Vanity is a big part of it like a lot of other things, but if you're making a conscious choice in what you wear... fashion is playing some small role.

Everything can be analysed from a political, fashion or symbolic aspect. However, that analysis is not always insightful or even relevant sometimes. For instance, Lorenz transformation applies to every body in motion, however it's the wrong tool to describe most of the movement we encounter on Earth.

What is the symbolism of cargo pants?

neckbeard 4channer school shooter

Are you serious? I thought it was dad trousers?

Nah, it's because "pants pockets problems" is such a commonly-heard womens' issue, and they hate women :p

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