During the second World War when the French military commissioned two talented artists — or camofleurs — to create a pattern that would conceal their forces from the infamous Axis of Evil, they had no idea that army camo clothing would inspire such an important fashion trend that remains en vogue year after year, season after season. Believe it or not, being fashionable was most likely the least of their concerns.
While the military has always been a muse for fashion designers who were inspired by the clean lines and sharp silhouettes of pieces such as pea coats, boots, and berets, camouflage clothing for men and women has created its own wide-reaching niche in the fashion industry. In case you haven’t noticed, camo clothes are literally everywhere.
So why is everyone going camo clad and why is it such a big deal? Simply put, camouflage is perhaps one of the most versatile patterns in fashion. Sure, animal prints, floral, and plaid will always be popular, however, they don’t have the same universal and unisex appeal as camouflage. This limits them to very gender specific markets.
On the other hand, camouflage clothes offer a sense of versatility that makes them attractive to both men and women. This allows camouflage to be worn in several different ways, which in turn, only further perpetuates its inherent versatility. For example, consider the variety of styles of camouflage clothing, from country chic to modern urban styles, to high fashion couture and everything in between.
In fact, camouflage clothing has become so popular that it has inspired a variety of trends outside of the fashion industry. For some, camouflage represents an entire lifestyle. For example, the perfect white wedding dress has been replaced by a camo wedding dress complete with camo wedding supplies. Yes, camo wedding supplies are thing and they’ve actually become quite popular.
