Camouflage—or more commonly referred to simply as “camo” these days has become one of the newest trends in fashion. Today’s camo is up there with yesterday’s leopard print. And as the leopard print has become both a new neutral and a mainstay This mixture of olive green, brown and gray is rising to the top of the new normal in clothing.
It took me a while to come around to leopard print–and I am in absolute love with this leopard pencil skirt I picked up at J. Crew Factory. So how do I feel about camo–and how can we “mature” girls wear it? Keep reading to find out….
It’s been around for decades. I can remember back in the late sixties, oversized camouflage and army fatigue jackets being worn at war protests and rock concerts. And when I was in high school, many of the boys I went to school with had the iconic army fatigue green jackets that they wore with their torn jeans and long hair.
Who knew that the print on the camouflage uniforms these Green Berets were wearing in Vietnam would end up becoming the new neutral trend decades later…
And the uniforms worn at protests would become fashionable?
My brother, Tommy, had the original G.I. Joe complete with a camo ensemble!
Barbie’s fashion certainly has a run for the money now–GI Joe’s outfit is more of a statement these days!
And camo has inched its way into our everyday fashion.
You might think that it’s a print strictly for the younger set. I mean, everywhere you go, you are bound to see a millennial dressed in a variation of the camo!
They are younger women, but I’ll tell you this much–any older woman would be able to rock any one of these outfits!! I’m especially sweet on the middle one!
But I digress. Camo is age-appropriate for everyone—even for women over 50 and beyond. Yes. We mature women can rock camo like it’s nobody’s business. We just need to know how to rock the look!
That’s right ladies!! Yours truly climbed aboard the camo love train!
Quite honestly, I never thought I would get aboard the camo train. But I did. And I love it. And that’s one of the great things about pro-aging! We can take risks with clothing that we would have never done back in our twenties or thirties. These days I find that I’m going for a more relaxed look in clothing than I did going back just five years or so.
Anyway, I had been thinking for a while about how to incorporate camo into my wardrobe because, like leopard, my opinion is that it looks better when it’s discreetly done and not over-the top.
Yes–I said discreet! High fashion is not always the way to go!
But how to start? In small doses. After Googling “camo tees for women”, I came across the perfect tee at American Eagle Outfitters. Online, it looked great but it was also worn by a model who could not have been older than 22—how would it fare with me? Luckily, there is an American Eagle at the local mall and when I saw the shirt in real life, it looked surprisingly better than online.
The tee is soft and feels well-worn. The V-neckline is extremely flattering. The camo print is muted and not too much. The shirt is relaxed and has a loose fit. I ended up purchasing two. One in a small, that is slightly more fitted—it would make a great top for office casual wear. The other, a medium runs looser and a bit larger and is great for weekend wear.
The tees I bought at Americal Eagle. They are so soft and comfortable with a loose fit. Got ’em in two sizes. The sleeve length is great too because it’s a true short sleeve!
In fact, I wore the smaller camo tee today to work. I paired it with olive green pants and a natural colored linen blend blazer. The blazer offered a more polished look to an otherwise very casual vibe. To add a bit more polish I wore pointy-toed flats. The point was to bring everything together and have the camo item blend in rather than to stand out.
I wore the smaller of the two shirts today to the office. Paired with my olive green pants from J. Crew Factory–it’s a very age-appropriate look.
I’m hooked on that front tuck! And the V-neckline is extremely flattering. I don’t even care about my crepe-ish neck!
And the $7.00 thrifted J. Crew flats gave the ensemble some polish…
A lightweight schoolboy blazer from…..J. Crew Factory tied it all together for the office!
It was rainy today but this outfit will do well into the fall!
Since it’s summer, the camo tee also looks great with white jeans and will look just as good with a pair of white denim shorts. I follow the K-I-S-S rule “Keep It Simple Simple” One camo item with solids.
I wore the shirt with white jeans this weekend and wore Rondini Tropezienne sandals for a super-casual vibe!
A closer look with the white jeans!
In the fall, a camo tee will suffice with darker jeans.
BTW, I purchased these AG jeans at Nordstrom Rack. My “fall” purchase. Check out Nordstrom Rack before heading to the Anniversary Sale–you’ll get a better deal! I love the raw hem!
I’ll be honest. As much as I love these jeans, they are too heavy to wear in the summer. I’ll be saving them for when the weather cools off–too bad because I love the fit. These AG jeans are very flattering to the mature body!
Not to stop there, I treated myself to a pair of camo jeans. Here’s where it gets tricky and you have to know your body type.
These camo print Rockstar jeans from Old Navy are absolutely incredible. Light enough to wear now and they hug the curves. As you can see from my hind quarters I got the hips and the skinny jeans are fine. But–this camo print isn’t “in-your-face” loud. The darker colors blend in nicely. It’s a great pair for the “over 50, 60, 70..” woman!
Camo pants come in a variety of styles. Unless you are incredibly long and lean, the baggier camo pants can make you look squat, sloppy and add to any extra pounds you may have.
Off the bat, I know of two mature women who could carry these pants off and both are extremely lean and on the tall side…but for the woman with a bit of meat, these could be an unflattering fit..
..and although I love the sneakers, the tight knit cuffs ruin the long line of a skinnier pant.
Instead, if you have curves or don’t care for the baggy look, stick to a skinny pant style. I found these Old Navy Rockstar jeans on sale and I’m thrilled with them. The raw hem gives it a bit of an extra edge and, they are light enough to wear in the summer.
These lightweight camo jeans from Old Navy are another great way to incorporate camo into your wardrobe. And at $30, the price was right. I might wear these into New York City this weekend.
Even this Violet wig by Estetica Designs in Caramel Kiss RT/4 goes so well with camo!
Here’s a close up of the print. The darker camo is more subtle and that one item of camo can really make an outfit look sharp!
What other camo items would I wear? Well, presently on my radar is the search for a camo pencil skirt. This could be a great item for fall and winter. Paired with a black turtleneck and black boots, I can see a very age-appropriate ensemble—and one that all mature women can rock.
Finding a skirt in this style but with a darker camo print would definitely be a plus in your winter/fall wardrobe! Might I recommend different shoes though?
Also, on my Wishlist is a camo jacket, but I refuse to spend a ton of money. Again, Old Navy (what is it with Old Navy lately?) has a great camo jacket—I’m just waiting for the right sale! This jacket is perfect for fall-into-winter casual wear. I think that for a more mature woman, a fitted camo jacket can also look fantastic!
Twill Field Jacket for Women – Army Camo
I am in lust with this camo jacket from Old Navy. It isn’t expensive and is another wonderful way to incorporate camo as outerwear!
Another idea is a blazer like this one–it’s fitted and feminine without being twee! I like this look!
Remember—the key is to keep it simple and not overdo it or not to overdo it! If you’re unsure of the print, maybe starting off with a scarf would be a great choice.
If you don’t want to commit to camo clothing, accessories can do wonders to add that something-something extra. A camo scarf is perfect!
Or pointy-toed ballet flats!
I can’t even with these shoes. My eyes misted up with happy tears when I saw these shoes. They are precious!!!!
Whatever your feeling is, I think camo will be sticking around for a while! Have fun with it and remember, you can own the camo look!!! For your shopping pleasure I created an idea list on my Amazon page for you. Camo for the Mature Woman Print the page out, put it in your purse and take it out when you go shopping to get some ideas!!
And remember–don’t let anyone ever tell you that you’re too old to wear camo! You can wear whatever you want!!!