Is It OK to Ask If It's OK to Wear Camo?
Brave. (Jose Mizrahi / Unsplash)

Is It OK to Ask If It's OK to Wear Camo?

No.

On Monday, New York Times fashion columnist Vanessa Friedman answered a reader query neatly summed up in one of the funniest headlines I've seen in a long time: "Is It OK for Me to Wear Camo in This Political Climate?

What's even funnier, though, is Friedman's answer: a resounding, stern "no." Not only could wearing camouflage possibly constitute "stealing valor" (LOL), she writes: "Given the heated and chaotic situation on the streets of the United States, with ICE agents conducting raids, protests spreading and the military parade in Washington drawing thousands of soldiers to the Capitol in full battle dress—as well as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East—wearing camouflage as a fashion statement seems like an increasingly tone-deaf and potentially dangerous choice." In essence, now that there's conflict in places that the Times actually cares about—the United States, Israel, and Ukraine—instead of just unimportant wars in countries like Sudan, Burma, and West Papua, the verdict is in, and camo is out.


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