Wear Camo Like a Fashionista

When I first looked into adding camo prints into my wardrobe, I thought to myself “how hard could it be?? Here’s a medium scale print full of neutral colors. What WON’T it pair well with?”

I coo’d when it arrived. This beautiful, mid weight, stretch twill, perfect for a pair of Fall skinnies!

I immediately threw it on the floor with the rest of my “must-sew this season” apparel fabrics, eager to make it fit in my style sudoku. (New to the “style sudoku” concept?? It’s my favorite way to plan seasonal wardrobes! You can read about that here.) Surely camo will go with the solid colors. Overall, the print reads as “olive”, which along with it’s coordinates (black, tans, grays, golds – basically anything in this Pantone collection), is everywhere this season. But what about the other prints?

Ya’ll, I could NOT make it work. It looked great beside the blandest stripes ever (white and off white)… but the plaids, the micro prints? It all felt like I was “trying too hard.”At best, I’d get an A for effort. At worst, I’d look like an extra from M*A*S*H.

So I marched right on over to Pinterest and did my research. “How do the stylists wear camo??” Thankfully, this on-trend print is everywhere! It didn’t take long for a pattern to emerge…

Without further ado, I present the Fashionista’s Formula for Fall Camo:


Go Girly

img_4720-horz

Camo obviously has a very masculine, military history. The fastest way to neutralize camo is to add soft, feminine textures, like the ruffled neckline seen here. Obviously sleeveless tanks aren’t Fall-Friendly (at least, not in central Virginia!) – but lace edged kimonos sure are! Or even a chunky cable knit sweater as the temps drop.

Shop this Ivory Knit Coordinate

Go Glam

img_4698-horz

Textures aren’t the only way to add a “dash of diva” to your camo outfit. Load up on the professional polish with accessories, pointy pumps, and more sophisticated substrates like this rayon challis top.

Shop this Faux-Button-Up Pattern

Go Monochrome

img_4825-horz

This is a trick I’m borrowing from the short-girl’s-style-guide. Pick any color from the print – like this charcoal modal knit – and wear like colors from top to toe. It certainly doesn’t “hide” the camo, but it does draw the eye across the whole outfit, bringing balance to a bold print.

Shop this Charcoal Knit Coordinate

Don’t Overthink It

img_4760-horz

When in doubt, wear camo just like your favorite jeans: with a standard screen t-shirt or slouchy dolman. Pair with your favorite booties or flats and call it a day. Fashion doesn’t have to be hard, it just has to be fun!

Shop this Skinny Jeans Pattern


What do you think – are you ready to wear some camo? Which look is your favorite? What print would you like to see styled next? I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts in the comments below!

XOXO, Becca

Free Notion

Hey there, friend! I'm Becca - Lifestyle Photographer, Wanna-be Fashionista, & Sew-blogger Enthusiast behind Free Notion, Sewing Stadium, and Sew the Show. I'm always whipping up fun clothes between yoga class and preschool pickup - so subscribe below to keep up with my latest work!

You May Also Like

Boho and Preppy Meet

Summer Weight Wool Skirt

Baby Bonnet

Brown Twill and Rayon Sateen

8 thoughts on “Wear Camo Like a Fashionista”

Leave a Reply

Follow on Feedly
%d