Camouflaged
Military prints are known to have an androgynous feel and can be fashioned according to your taste.
This international trend has caught the fancy of our Bollywood stars and now even many others are flaunting military prints that have a strong androgynous feel.
From Demi Lovato to Kendall Jenner and Jacqueline Fernandez to Ayushman Khuranna, celebs the world over are sporting this print. Spunky, edgy and bold, camouflage prints can be worn in a variety of ways and stars can’t seem to get enough of flaunting this trend. While the Jenner sisters’ newest collection had minimal prints, their camo prints are something that stood out. Military prints are known to have an androgynous feel and can be fashioned according to your taste.
A fun night-out, a concert or a comedy show — you could wear it to so many events looking uber cool. Designer Niharika Vivek believes that camo prints are here to stay. “They have been around since the 70s and have been incorporated into all colours and styles on everything from lingerie to shoes. It’s really quite the fashion statement,” she states, adding, “Their main purpose is to be invisible, but fashion has taken it and re-appropriated it to speak loudly. Keeping that in mind, you can balance camo printed pants or jackets with plain white, black or shades of grey coloured t-shirts.” Niharika adds that keeping it simple and basic is the key as the print is loud enough. “An oversized camo jacket/sweatshirt definitely makes a strong statement. If you are looking for an edgy look and want to experiment a little, you can go for a short camo tunic with an oversized belt and boots.”
Singer Madonna turned up at in a full-length camo print gown (army-inspired camouflage print) and desi stars too are sporting it at various dos. They’re also often spotted going the casual camo way when travelling. “Celebrities are taking camouflage prints from the ‘basic street look’ to ‘chic looks’. It’s pretty cool that the trend is no longer just basic. I love as its effortless and can be worn at any point of the day,” says Nikitha Priya-Bharana, designer, Tantava. Shedding more light on how you can style yourself with camos, she reveals “It can be worn as simple casual wear — a camouflage oversized shirt with a white tee and basic jeans and white sneakers. For a more dressy look, the print basically being a masculine one, can be toned down with more chic or feminine additions to it — you could pair your outfit with a pair of camouflage-printed heels and a glossy dark colored bag/a camouflage skirt with a plain tank top.”
With a lot of B-town celebs opting to go the military way with dresses, trench coats and simple tee shirts/crops, Nikitha picks Alia Bhatt for her casuals and Jacqueline Fernandez for her more feminine combinations as her favourites.
Fashion consultant and celebrity stylist Tejaswini Kranthi feels that camo is a strong concept because of its bold print. “For generations, it’s been a ‘men thing and army thing’ and now, we see women sporting it. Celebs are the ones who bring in any style as they need to look for something new every day. Fashion repeats every 20 years and we’ve just gone back two decades to when camo had entered fashion with Gucci etc. It’s more about having monochrome which is in right now. It can be worn in a lot of ways — a simple dress can speak a lot. You can wear ganjees or maxis too,” says the stylist, who goes on to add that it’s a self-accessorising print. “You can accessorise with a hat or boots, but nothing else. If you really want to add on something else, then you try thin layers of metal chain or a hand accessory. Don’t make it too much — avoid bold lipstick or makeup. Let the dress talk for you — it’s all about attitude and confidence.”