I Tried The Viral Y2K Cargo Pants I’ve Been Seeing On TikTok All Summer

I’ve pretty much always been a dress girl. On even the most casual occasions, you’re far more likely to spot me in a sundress than in denim shorts and a T-shirt. Dresses make me feel stylish and put-together, and when the rest of my life is falling apart, that’s enough to qualify them as a wardrobe staple. But, like everyone else, I spend hours scrolling through my FYP on TikTok and the internet has finally sold me on summer’s must-have pair of pants so I took the plunge and tried the viral baggy cargo pants I’ve been seeing everywhere.

The Jaded London Parachute Cargo Pants were not an obvious choice for me. I never thought I’d be into a pair of cargos, but the Jaded London pair in question radiate Y2K energy in all the right ways. The legs of the pants are extra-wide and baggy, but the tie-front waistband allows you to cinch them up top, emphasizing the volume at the bottom. These are definitely not the cargos worn by the boy you had a crush on in middle school, but rather, an elevated take on the edgier styles worn by scene kids and the emo-adjacent crew from days of yore, just begging to complete your next street style ensemble.

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I first spotted these parachute pants on TikTok user @curvyqueensheen. We have a similar body type — I’m between a size 10 and 12 with a 34G chest and wide hips — so I always take her shopping recs to heart. Still, I wasn’t sure if such a baggy bottom would flatter my short frame. When Sheen started rocking these cargos with every crop top under the sun, I immediately committed them to memory and placed them on my mental fashion wishlist.

You know how it’s easy to go from not knowing a thing exists, to seeing it everywhere? That’s exactly what happened after I discovered these pants. Suddenly, I couldn’t scroll without encountering them in at least a dozen haul or styling videos! What’s more, they started popping up on celebs left and right, with both Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber snapping selfies and being seen out and about by the paparazzi in the Jaded London Cargo Pants in the Ecru colorway.

It seemed all my faves were head over heels for the effortlessly baggy silhouette, so I knew I needed to give them a go and finally snag ‘em. Dresses be damned!

I’d heard from a few TikTok fashionistas that the men’s version fit slightly different, but was also worth a try. In the end, I got the women’s Parachute Cargo Pants in Ecru in an XL and the men’s Parachute Cargo Pants in Khaki in a size large. Both iterations cost $90 and include size ranges of XS-XL, but I was curious to see if sizing down in the men’s pair would be equivalent to one size up in women’s. In the end, both pairs fit fine, with the Khaki pair just a touch more streamline (while still oversized) and the Ecru pair giving that extra-slouchy silhouette I craved.

To ensure they didn’t fall down, both pairs required an extra-snug tie at the waist. When it came to styling them for my first impressions test, I wanted to mimic Kylie Jenner’s all-neutral ensemble, so I went with the women’s Ecru XL. I loved her loose white tank, but decided a more fitted top would better flatter my curvy figure. Worried a baggy-on-baggy ensemble would overwhelm my short (5’1, to be exact) frame, I chose the SKIMS Cotton Rib Tank in Bone, one of my favorite closet essentials.

Committed to the all-cream bit, I reached for an old pair of New Balances designed for a collaboration with Staud (long gone, but this pair has a similar vibe). I was tempted to over-accessorize, but I decided to keep things minimal to complement the pants and their cool-girl feel. I decided on my Prada Cleo bag in Desert because of the perfect color match, and a pair of Quay Australia So Serious Sunglasses in a unique brown acetate check print for a small yet impactful pattern pop.

Another important thing to note — these pants can be worn two totally different ways. Cinching the ankles gives a ballonish jogger shape, while leaving them untied creates a more wide-leg silhouette. I tried both takes throughout the day and enjoyed each for different reasons. The jogger cinch felt more on trend, but the wide-leg fit gave my legs a more elongated look.

I mentioned earlier that I worried these baggy pants might make me look — or worse, feel — dumpy, but actually, the opposite was true. While I only saw super-skinny celebs rock this silhouette back in the early 2000s, I found it immensely flattering on my mid-size figure, especially styled as I did with a cropped, fitted top for some contrast. I’m all for wearing what you want and not shying away from trends you don’t think are for you, so pulling these off felt like a major win in my book.

All in all, I felt incredibly cool running errands around the city. On a casual solo day, I often rock this exact outfit with a pair of stretchy black biker shorts. Subbing in these cargos instantly elevated the look without sacrificing comfort. New day-off go-to, sorted. I’m also looking forward to incorporating these Parachute Cargo Pants into my fall and winter wardrobes.

Personally, I’m eager to style these parachute pants with cropped knits and long leather trenches over top. If you’re looking to shop them for yourself, I’d recommend buying them in your true size, or sizing one up for that extra-baggy feel. Either way, you’ll have the paparazzi confusing you for a Gen Z celeb in no time.