Cargo trousers spent a long time being the thing you wore when you stopped caring. The baggy, plasticky, pocket-heavy versions from the early 2000s did a lot of damage to the category and most men have been avoiding them ever since. Which is a shame, because when the fit is right and the fabric is decent, a relaxed cargo trouser is one of the more useful things you can own. Practical without announcing it. Casual without collapsing into scruffiness. We have been looking specifically at versions that sit well without a belt, hold their shape through a full day, and have pockets placed where they actually make sense rather than just bolted on for the look. The fabric weight matters more than most people realise. Too light and they crumple by lunchtime. Too stiff and they never drape properly. The ones we have picked here get the balance right and look good doing it.