In this article, we use so-called affiliate links. With every purchase through these links, we receive a commission from the merchant. All relevant referral links are marked with . Learn more.
War moves into the wardrobe
When the first Gulf War broke out, a particular pattern suddenly took over the high streets: camouflage.
In short: camo.
Camouflage caps, camouflage trousers, camouflage jackets. Schoolchildren, teachers, bankers and pensioners walked about as if they were about to report for military conscription.
Coincidence? Hardly.
Fashion is a sensitive barometer of society. It picks up on moods, fears, longings and heroic figures. Perhaps camouflage was, back then, a sign of solidarity with the ‘good guys’. The world seemed simple: on one side, the Western world; on the other, Saddam Hussein, the dictator with his poison gas crimes, his killer guard and – as we were led to believe at the time – weapons of mass destruction.
We now know that the story was more complicated than that.
In the past, it was the people. Today, it’s the algorithm
The world hasn't got any easier. Quite the opposite.
We live amidst fake news, half-truths and a constant state of alarm. Every conflict is fought simultaneously on the battlefield and online. The good guys aren’t always just good. The bad guys aren’t always just bad. Everyone has their own version of the truth. And we sit there, scrolling, reading, doubting.
Is there going to be a war here too? Are the Russians coming back? Was Grandma right after all when she hoarded preserving jars in the cellar in case it all started again?
I haven't a clue.
And that is precisely why camouflage clothing suddenly looks different.
The paratrooper on the Stumpjumper
In front of me lies a New Troy Lee Designs suit: Skyline Pro Camo. It goes perfectly with my Specialized Stumpjumper Evo. It looks absolutely brilliant.
Unfortunately.
Because that’s exactly where the problem starts. The design screams adventure, forest, wilderness, action. It’s a perfect match for a mountain bike. After all, we’re riding through undergrowth, over roots and rocks. A bit like a commando unit – only with much better suspension and much more flow. But as I pull up my knee pads, I think of the real soldiers who are dying in Ukraine right now – on both sides.
Cow spots instead of war paint
So: Is it OK to wear camo? What do you think?
I say: Of course you can. A pair of camouflage trousers doesn’t turn anyone into a warrior. Just as a football shirt doesn’t turn anyone into a world champion.
But symbols change their meaning. A skull and crossbones means something different in peacetime than it does on a collar tab on the battlefield. And camouflage patterns have a different effect when war is no longer just a news item from a distant land.
Maybe that’s why I should just give my Troy Lee suit a different name.
No camouflage markings.
Cow spots. And let’s be honest: they do look a bit like that.
And if anyone asks me about it, I’ll say with a straight face:
“Of course. It’s the new Alpine Cow Edition.”
Moo.
And off we go on the trail.
The outfit
Shirt: Troy Lee Designs Skyline Pro LS Jersey Flow Camo Pumice
Price: €85 for the long-sleeved version, €75 for the short-sleeved version
Also available in a darker camouflage pattern, known as Carbon
Trousers: TLD Skyline Pro Trousers in Flow Camo with 4-way stretch. Featuring laser-cut ventilation holes, three zipped pockets and an easy-to-use ratchet fastener. Price: €160 >> available here
Who invented Flecktarn?
Irregular patches instead of clear outlines: the camouflage pattern revolutionised warfare. It was developed from 1935 onwards – by a professor from Munich.
The man’s name was Johann Georg Otto Schick. He was a professor and director of the SS ‘Camouflage’ department. His task: to develop a pattern that would allow soldiers to blend into the forest. The principle: coloured patches on a light background. The outlines become visually blurred. The enemy sees – nothing.
By December 1936, the first prototype was ready: ‘Platanen’. Engineer Wim Brandt designed the equipment at the same time. From mid-1938, the first units of the Waffen-SS wore the new camouflage uniform. A world first. The pattern proved its worth in the mixed forests of Central Europe. And it caught on: today, armies worldwide use Flecktarn – in countless variations, adapted to the desert, the jungle and the mountains. A German invention with a dark history. And a global legacy.
Incidentally, the word ‘camouflage’ comes from French and means ‘concealment’ or ‘disguise’. Camouflage, or ‘camo’ for short, is now the common term for military camouflage and refers to the use of patterns and colours to deceive the eye and blend in with the surroundings.
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
