The Many Shades of Camouflage

We can thank the French for giving us the word camouflage. Their word camoufler means to disguise or blind. While that is the original intent of wearing camo clothing, these days it has become more of a fashion statement than a hiding strategy.

Camo has been used extensively by the military, in natural coloring and patterns by animals, and adopted for vehicles and hunters as a means hide in plain sight, but when camouflage is introduced for clothing and accessories, items such as pink camo dresses and camo bathing suits are a complete different approach. Finding the perfect clothing and accessories is hard enough without having to coordinate a stylistic cue that comes with an inherently military background.

Stylistically, camouflage clothing can be used to stand out which opposes its main feature of hiding or masking a person from observation. In fact, as aerial capabilities grew during World War II, every military group adopted some form of battlefield camouflage. Today, when we see discount bathing suits, camo formal dress and pink camo dresses, they are just as likely to come in a little girls version that appeals to the softer side of fashion. The design has become a style in its own right.

Just as other designs go through periodic resurgences, camouflage rises and falls with some minor variations for the times. As the military developed more pixellated styles of camouflage for their enlisted soldiers, the same blocky camo style soon showed up in the most fashionable discount bathing suits. For those looking for a less trendy style, there is always the hunters green camo that harkens back to a more rustic style and attitude.

Once the camouflage style gets picked up in one article of clothing or accessories, you may find that you will be adding more and more. These days you can find camo for all ages. Gone are the days when it was only to be found in the sporting goods stores and hunting supply catalogs. In fact, the littlest swimmers can get their own matching camouflage bathing suits for swims with mom or dad. Also, it is showing up in bedding, wedding accessories, and car accessories among other items.