They May Be Ugly, But Cargo Shorts Are Still King

People have strong opinions about cargo shorts. Detractors say those bulky pockets are as dorky as fanny packs, or even socks with individual toes. Die-hard wearers want the critics to mind their own business. Or, as one incredulous columnist wrote: “They'll have to pry the cargo shorts off my cold, dead behind.”

Sorry haters—the stores know what people want, and they still want cargo shorts, despite their inherent sartorial, well, shortcomings. Cargo shorts made up a whopping 15 percent of all new shorts styles that hit online retailers over the summer months this year, according to new data from trend forecasting firm WGSN. That's up from 11 percent in 2015, despite sales having taken a dip this year. Yes, shops are actually stocking more cargo shorts than before.