The contentious camouflage clothing issue

Peter Matika

NOW that Christmas has come and gone, it’s time to take down those festive decorations and usher in the New Year — 2016.

Anyhow, I met a good “njiva” friend of mine at the beginning of the festive season; he was spotting a pair of camouflage shorts. He had just got out of a friend’s car, as he came to greet me. Immediately he said, “Look I’m going to keep this short, you know how there are issues of wearing camouflage pants in Zimbabwe.”

I didn’t really pay much attention to what he said about camouflage clothing, as I am aware of how much of a contentious issue it is. For those that are not aware it is a crime to wear camouflage clothing in Zimbabwe. I wouldn’t know about other countries.

Anyway just this past week I happened to watch one of Jah Prayzah’s videos. As an artiste he has his own signature mark, which is adorning military styled outfits.

So in the video, “performers” were clad in school uniforms and police uniforms. Now what really got me thinking was, how did he manage to have a video with some members of his posse dressed in full police uniforms (I’m talking accessories, button sticks and everything) doing a full length music video without question?

I mean no disrespect to Jah Prayzah and his video but what left me pondering was, doesn’t having “performers” (if at all they were) prancing around in cop uniforms undermine the uniform itself?

Isn’t that by any means some form of masquerading in cop uniforms? If not then, I do by all means question the issue of wearing camouflage regalia.

I asked around and it was brought to my attention that he had “special treatment” when it comes to his choice of style. Well, shouldn’t we all get some sort of special treatment then?

I understand why it is illegal for people to wear something that is camouflaged. People nowadays are daring, how many cases of people masquerading as cops or soldiers have you come across? Such felonies are committed by that adorn regalia resembling that of the security forces.

I would love to one day wear a pair of camouflage shorts or shirt and be able to walk about town with no one questioning me.

Anyhow, a few days ago I came across an article describing which sneakers were ideal for wearing at the office.

It’s safe to say that at most office jobs it’s not a great idea to wear sneakers every day. Your Jordan’s and Nikes might get nods of appreciation on the weekend or with your friends, but come review time, your casual look might rub your formal clad boss the wrong way. Blame tradition or stodgy dress codes but rules are rules.

The article gave tips on a few sneakers that passed the “dress for the job you want, not the job you have” test.

Generally people that work in offices wear sneakers on casual days such as Friday and Saturday.

But for those that wear them any other day the tips are worth considering.

“Classic, sleek and on-trend, these sneakers will peg you as a tastemaker, without any fuss from HR,” read a part of the article.

Brightly saturated red sneakers are a risk. But it’s also psychologically linked to dominance, empowerment, and achievement (think: Tiger Woods, Daredevil, Kanye in 2010), which could help your image around the office. Stick to the monochromatic Suede Classics for a clean look that sets trends.

The article went on:
Keep your office kicks minimal and lux, choosing rich looking leathers and treatments over anything that looks too flashy or performance-driven. While the white colour way is definitely an attention-seeker, the smooth leather and classic gum sole should balance out any unwanted “wow” factor around the cubicles.

Retro tennis classics silhouettes are practically the wingtips of the sneaker world, so the Stan Smiths are an easy pick for your work wardrobe. Keep it simple with the White/Navy colour way, and when your co-workers ask, “What are those?” you can school them with your impressive amount of historical tennis knowledge.

If you work in a creative environment of any kind, high-cuts are a go-ahead. Go with a colour way other than the predictable red/black/white to avoid twinning with an office mate.

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