The new school year brings much promise, whether it’s your first year on campus or your last. Here in college, the transformation from boyhood to manhood takes place. This season, your boyhood and manhood get to be one in the same. In a surprising trend this season, cargo pants have made their way back from being synonymous with college students or mountain hikers, to making their debut on the runway in a more fitted and tailored look.

The cargo pants get an upgrade this season, being paired with button-up dress shirts and a good pair of monk strap shoes or boots. You can stand out at your internship, without looking like the businessman robot your college self hopes you never become. At the same time, cargo pants work as functional fashion to protecting hikers from nature. These pants can be casual, acceptable to do for the following activities: going to class in them, going on a date, even bike riding. Who knew pants could serve both for function and style?

These versatile pants can serve as  pants for those outdoor activities, and a casual Friday in the office. So instead of buying two pairs of pants, invest in a pair of cargos. However, you might want to buy two pairs anyway… you don’t want your boss to see the mud from the weekend.