Comfortable and yet neat - cargo pants for men are the best way to straddle the middle ground territory of business casual.

Long gone are the days of skater boys and rappers. Modern cargo pants are now stylish and easy to match with an outfit, while still channelling that cool and masculine feel.

As an alternative to jeans and chinos, they can be worn in the same way as those styles of trousers - while being easier to wear in warmer weather. Dress it up with a jacket, or dress it down with a hoodie.

If it's full summer, choose a lighter colour of shirt with your cargo pants, such as grey or light blue. Look for opposite colours you can contrast together. A white shirt can cut a clean shape when paired with black cargo pants for men.

The popularity of cargo pants for men really took off in the '90s, but they've been around for much longer than that. Men's cargo pants in Australia have been on a steady upward trajectory, from the warzone to the runway.

Yes, that military background is real. Cargo pants were first worn by British soldiers, way back in the '30s.Having said that, they were transformed by the Americans in the '40s to what we know them as today - the sturdy trousers with oversized, utilitarian pockets.

Cargo pants were popularized in the mid-to-late-90s. They became part of the street-style fashion movement, first worn by skaters and rappers, and then adopted by fashion designers and brought into the mass market.

With their resolutely practical design, men's cargo pants in Australia are making another comeback as we enter the 2020s decade.

Cargo pants for men came from soldiers' uniforms, so it makes sense to lean in fully and embrace the military-style.

Cargo pants with camo print have a versatile range of outfit options. The classic go-to is a grey, crew-neck shirt or sweater with camo pants. Yes, that combo is as amazing as it sounds! Just the right level of cosy, just the right edge.

Dark brown jackets go well with camo pants. That's especially true for heavier options, such as a shearling jacket, quilted bomber jacket or puffer jacket. It's the epitome of cool.

A lot of the styling options for camo pants will keep the outfit in neutral shades. For the shoes, you can keep to a duller tone that blends into the outfit, or go with coloured sneakers that pop. Think mustard!

Any collared shirt with a light or pastel colour palette will strike the right tone when paired with white cargo pants. Light blue is the classic, but you can gun for any colour you like.

Beige pairs well with a white cargo pant. Think beige or leather jacket with suede boots. Or, a yellow sweater will add plenty of warmth to your look. Make it look even cosier with some comfortable boots or sneakers.

Baggy white cargo pants look great when matched with a baggy white shirt. Even better if there's some bold print on the shirt - it's the effortless way to do cool. Complete the urban look with moon glasses and sneakers in black and white, and you're ready to hit the streets.

And what about black cargo pants? Black cargo pants for men pair just as easily with lighter colours, but also have the range to pair with darker colours.

Both polo shirts and t-shirts will match with cargo pants for men. Throw on a blazer to dress it up, or a jacket to add some more sturdiness to your outfit.

If your cargo pants look more formal - like something you can wear for business casual attire - then you have a wider range of shirt options to pair with. For example, you can soften the look with a v-neck shirt or crewneck sweater that brings out your shape as nicely as the pants do.

If your cargo pants have a larger, heavier look, choose a more casual shirt - or lean fully into the relaxed look, with a hoodie. Alternatively, a baggy shirt can be just the right complement for baggy casual cargo pants for men, for a moody urban look.

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What type of shoes you can wear with cargo pants depends on the style of cargo pants: Slim-fit or relaxed.

Slim-fit cargo pants for men, with a neater look, tighter silhouette and more discrete pockets, have a range of shoe options you can pair with.

You can dress up slim-fit cargo pants with loafers or oxford shoes. Being more similar to chinos, this type of cargo pants can make a smart business casual.

If you want to dress smartly for home - or casual Fridays! - wear them with low boots that cut off around the ankle.

Slim-fit cargo pants for men can be dressed down with sneakers. If you have the relaxed style of cargo pants, with a looser shape and chunkier pockets, these will always have to be worn with sneakers or a more casual style of shoe.

Cargo pants are military-inspired trousers that are both practical and versatile. With plenty of large pockets and made from heavy-duty material, they’re durable enough to last for years to come.

The military inspiration isn't just stylistic - the pants actually came from original soldiers' uniforms. That's why they're sometimes called combat trousers.

The military background also explains all those large pockets - to fit all the gear that a soldier might need on hand at a moment's notice.

Today, men's cargo pants in Australia no longer juggle bandages and maps. Instead, they're easy day-to-day wear that can fit all of your wallet, keys and smartphone, no matter the size of the screen.