Cargo shorts are coming out of a long, long hibernation if Lily Collins has anything to say about it.
Today in New York, the actress revived every dad’s favorite 2000s bottoms with a high-glam finish that’ll satisfy the fashion crowd. Collins, smack in the middle of a marathon press tour for Emily in Paris, was spotted wearing wide-leg cargo shorts that went just past her knees. The khaki green pair sat high on Collins’s waist and featured large side pockets and exposed zips. In a trick of contrasts, Collins paired her utilitarian shorts with a sheer “going out” top. If some fashionphiles swear by the “wrong shoe” theory—basically, completing an outfit with an unexpected footwear choice—why not give the “wrong top” theory a go?
Her black tank top was trimmed with ornate sequins and large gold baubles. Collins layered a black bra underneath and finished off her outfit with lace-up black pumps. The whole outfit actually had just a hint of Nicolas Ghesquière’s spring 2002 collection Balenciaga about it.
The actress has been hitting the Manhattan press stops over the past few days, just as the second part of Emily in Paris season four premieres on Netflix. Collins has changed her entire outfit over five times (that we know of) in the past 24 hours alone.
Before her cargo shorts moment today, the actress was in full tailoring mode, wearing two business chic looks in the span of a few hours. She began the day in a leather suit jacket paired with street-skimming trousers before changing into a black bandeau, high-waisted jeans, and an oversized double-breasted coat.
On the other end of the spectrum, Collins showed off the more formal side of her style for a series of appearances last night. Her evening kicked off gladiator-style in a metal mesh Rabanne top paired with a draped black skirt. She then shortened her skirt’s hemline considerably, picking out a gray Gucci romper designed with an open back to call it a night.
Collins and her stylist Andrew Mukamal have steered far, far away from the method dressing trend for the Emily in Paris press tour, instead favoring reworked basics and nostalgic callbacks. And considering the quirky, sometimes questionable fashion choices of Emily Cooper, that decision is probably a wise one.