Back-to-School Series | Semper Fi, Camo

What exactly does “semper fi” mean? I’ve heard it said a million times, but never knew what it actually meant. After practicing my NCIS skills, I uncovered the truth. Semper fi, short for semper fidelis, is a motto used in the military that means “always faithful.” In addition, camo jackets can serve as the military slang in the fashion world. No matter the circumstance, a camo jacket is always faithful. Most of all, it will always be there for you to come in clutch.

Camo is like a chameleon. You can blend in in the country or you can stand out in the fashion world. Whether you want to represent it as a neutral or as a focal point, it will perfectly be on point with this season’s trend reports. A focal point allows the rest of the outfit to stay very neutral and simple. As a result, a main subject is available to center the rest of the outfit around. Camo can also be an equivalent to a neutral, which expresses another degree of creativity. The best way to style it as a neutral is to correlate camo with hunter green. Furthermore, a cargo green jacket and pants are wardrobe essentials. Just replace your hunter green jacket with a camo jacket, and as a result, your outfit is instantly edgier and in sync with this fall’s trends.

Inspiration was driven by a more rebellious phase to represent the middle school years. Concepts are easier to understand and opinions are formed during these ages, from what I remember. To further amplify the outfit, pair it with some black jeans, a graphic muscle tee, and some creepers. Nothing adds some edge to an outfit quite like black. I wanted to stick to silver and gold metals for the accessories. Toughen up the look by mixing the two metals together. Throw on a black backpack with some gold details, so that the edgy theme can continue on. Finish off the outfit with a pair of aviators to pull in some Air force elements. As a result, you are now ready to kick some camo butt in school!

My best advice to really find a cool and authentic camo jacket is to go explore an Army/Navy surplus store near you! I picked up mine at the surplus store in Chicago a couple years ago, because I was obsessed even then. Surplus stores are meant to subside the amounts of outdated military inventory, so that updated gear can have room. Therefore, the excess is open for grabs to the public. Such a cool way to recycle military gear and an even neater way to represent such a popular fall trend this season! It’s a jacket full of pride, but with an edge. Oh you’re my favorite color camouflage.

Camo Jacket|Army/Navy Surplus Store (Chicago) Tank|Urban Outfitters (similar) Pants|American Eagle Outfitters Creepers|T.U.K. Shoes Backpack|Deux Lux/Saks Off 5th (similar) (similar- Steve Madden) (similar- Boohoo) (similar- Go Jane)  Shades|Ray Ban Dog Tags|Madewell (similar) (similar- Shopbop) Ohio Charms|A gift from @Goddess1207 on instagram (check out her profile) Bird ring|Etsy (similar) (similar) Silver and Gold Ring|Etsy (similar) (similar) (similar) Lipstick|Tom Ford’s Lips and Boys in Limited Edition Omar

Music Inspiration: Brad Paisley- Camouflage