Joan Smalls Takes the Cargo Pants Revival to the Extreme

Not so long ago, cargo pants—with all their extra pockets and baggy proportions—were firmly in fashion’s “don’t” column. But the utilitarian silhouette, once a relic of construction sites and frat bros, has been steadily reclaimed by the fashion set over the past several months. Its latest champion? Joan Smalls.

Smalls made the case for oversized cargos at the Marc Jacobs spring 2026 runway show in New York last night. The model supersized the trend, however, by wearing a pair of deliberately huge trousers. Done in an army green color, her pants featured two comically large pockets on either leg and bunching at the hem. Though they nipped in Small’s waist, they were so long that her black heels were almost all but hidden underneath.

Smalls went minimal up top. She wore a mustard yellow bra that bared her midriff, with a brown faux fur coat that she styled coolly on her arms. Tousled curls and natural, glowing skin were the finishing touches.

The look actually joined pieces from Jacobs’s fall 2026 runway presented in July, which leaned into exaggerated, almost doll-like proportions. Though Smalls’s pants were shown with a lavender bubble top, she opted to go the lingerie route on Monday evening.

Smalls isn’t the only star embracing the look. At the Dior Men show in Paris last month, model Mona Tougaard took to the front row in a pair of too-big cargo shorts, designed with a sculpted bustle at the back, and a fitted knit top. The likes of Rihanna (and her sons, Riot and RZA), Tyla, and Gigi Hadid have all gotten in on the resurgent trend too.

But cargos aren’t just a celebrity phenomenon. In addition to Jacobs, the 2000s staple has been reimagined by Jonathan Anderson at Dior, New York favorite Willy Chavarria, and Sacai.

Consider it official: the bigger the pockets, the bigger the comeback.