The "In" Spots for Men

Camo (aka camouflage) is for men what leopard is for women— always there and never out of style, can be worn by all ages and should probably be worn in moderation (camo especially). Camo might have a masculine gender and leopard a feminine— not that cavemen didn't wear leopard, and gals in the military sport camo head-to-toe.

A little too much of a good thing

When a man wears leopard he's deliberately flaunting convention, probably has a lot of confidence and a thick skin. When a woman wears camo she's adding a little bit of "tough" to her wardrobe. That same man may contemplate wearing a leopard tux; no woman desires a camo wedding gown.

Rod Stewart, King of the Jangle

As anyone who shops for the man/men in her life has learned, one never knows. My husband's summer shorts are still in good condition, but I was getting tired of looking at the same two pairs of madras plaid and many pairs of chinos (all different but the same to me). I spotted (pun intended) a few pairs in camo the other day, took a smart phone photo, asked if he were interested and heard back what I didn't expect— "yes".

My husband pragmatically joined the Army Reserves at the time of the Berlin Crisis. He was never called up for active duty but fulfilled six years of monthly reserve training and two-week stints every summer at camp. He stubbornly thinks that didn't count but has never worn anything army green since his discharge. I was actually surprised that camo shorts would be OK.

For men, it seems, camo is one pattern you don't have to think about. It's innocuous, like plaid or pinstripes.  Camo is macho. It's for survival, protection against man or beast, though we shall not discuss hunting here.

Shorts are primo camo and made in several styles:
>  Cargo shorts are roomy with lots of pockets and are usually worn with a web belt.
>  Board shorts are cut narrower with few or no pockets.
>  Chino shorts are not as roomy as cargo or as slim as board but shorter than both.

Ordinary guy rocking it

It doesn't take much to pull together a good-looking outfit with a pair of camo shorts. Add a t-shirt, a polo shirt, a chambray shirt or a white shirt. Sandals, boat shoes or sneakers. No socks. Ever.

Of course, it's possible to take camo up to an entirely different level as worn by Nick Wooster and one anonymous man on the street:

Hard to hide in this camo