
Blame it on the new season of Gossip Girl, but the fashion world has been engrossed with all things academia for a minute now. The latest object to come of that fascination is the schoolgirl skirt. From plaid minis to tartan skirts, cool girls, in particular, have absorbed the trend, wearing it with chunky boots, sweater-vests, and platform heels.

Cargo pants have long lived on the fringes of mainstream style, so it shouldn't be a surprise that cool girls have gravitated toward them again this season. Way more elevated than the cargo pants of yesteryear, the new take on them includes high-waist and, on the more extreme end, ultra-low-rise fits as well as baggier silhouettes. Wear them ironically with heels or go full G.I. Jane with combat boots.