When Fashion And Nature Collide: The Camouflage Edition

Published by 3C Style

Scientific journalist, author and fashion blogger from Montreal - Journaliste scientifique, auteure et blogueuse mode de Montréal View all posts by 3C Style

In nature’s animals, camouflage is the first line of defense against predators and the best tactic on offense to catch some breakfast.

For you fashion animals, camouflage is a great first impression on the unsuspecting crowd and one of the best strategies for getting what you want out of your target.

Camofashion means you’re seen when you want to be seen and others see only what you want seen. Still following me? Good! But if you’re thinking this is tough to pull off, you’re not wrong. Mixing a beautiful background blend with a proper pop is a feat sometimes best left to the professionals. With this in mind (I’m professional! My mom told me), I’d love to present you with this month’s fashion inspirations, all taken from the natural camouflage we (don’t) see all around us.

The Inspiration: Stink Bug, Spider, Birch Tree, Hawkmoth, and Peppered Moth

Let’s start with a little game of hide and seek…

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BTW no, I’m not doing camo this month because I woke up on photoshoot day with a huge pimple on my chin. Nor did I frantically freak out to my friends Khalida and Darren to depimple me with makeup and Photoshop, respectively. I honestly don’t know where you heard that, secondly how dare you, and remember, rumors give you tumors. 😂

Seriously, I’m doing camo because I find the phenomenon fascinating.

Note: In case you’ve not seen these capsules before, the When Fashion and Nature Collide project is a monthly collaboration with two of my WP friends: Lisa from Lismore Paper and Darren from The Arty Plantsman. Our team also create designs for our shops at Fashionedbynature.threadless.com and Cafepress.co.uk/fashionedbynature Artwork Copyright ©Fashioned by Nature.

The third Wednesday of each month you can see outfits styled by me, and art from Lisa and Darren, that were inspired by Darren’s flower and critter pictures, and sometimes Lisa, myself or other photographers who collaborate with the team. With the spirit of protecting nature I pull together my outfits with clothing already available in my wardrobe. When purchases are to be made, these come from vintage boutiques and thrift stores or from socio-eco-friendly brands.

On to the outfits!

The Peppered Moth & Birch Tree

Black and white is the best thing going since… well, since white and black. There’s honestly nothing like it if you’re trying to bring attention to the depth and texture of the material. I offset this classic camo blend with a baseline grey boot and gold purse clamp that take on new dimensions when accessorised on good old B&W. You can get similar results through a zebra pattern, stripes or checks. Personally, I just wanted to pay homage to the birch tree and moth patterns. The top from Era Vintage Wear helped me achieved that. Check out Lisa’s Peppered Birch art —stunning!

The Hawkmoth & Stink Bug

When combined, the humble proclivities of two of nature’s less outspoken citizens provide us with a powerful earthen look. Using the dark browns of the hawkmoth as a base for my slip dress and vintage jacket draws positive attention to the extremities of the body. Green boots (a DIY paint job of mine) set off with a bit of green eyeshadow raises the outfit from imp to nymph and keeps all classy eyes on us!

The Spider

A bit of orange under a leopard pattern will definitely help you stand out without you actually having to stand out. There are some color patterns that just command visual attention, and most of them come from our friends in nature.

Have you been overlooking your next great look that has been literally hiding under your nose? There’s more than meets the eye in everything nature has to offer us! I hope that my creations have given you something to think about this month. Feel free to take advantage of our ideas here and get in touch if you have some that you’d like me to help you out with!

Here are some of our new designs available on our online shops. I had fun creating these ads and a few others that I will soon show on my Instagram feed — @3cstyle_fashion Follow if you’d like. I would love to have you.

Shop at Fashionedbynature.threadless.com and Cafepress.co.uk/fashionedbynature 

We hope that we have brought you a deeper connection with nature this month. As always, thank you for letting us share our inspirations with you. Note: There won’t be a WFNC December Edition. We will be seeing you in the coming year. Wishing you warm celebrations during the holidays and good things to all!

Credit: Photography of 3C Style with Black & White Moth and Spider by Marie-Claude Viola; photos with Brown Hawkmoth and Stink Bug by Hamza Boudjelal –– Makeup by Khalida Senni –– Critter photography & Artwork (Walnut drawings for Going Nuts, Get Nauti and Anatomy of a Nut Brain designs, Alpaca and Ostrich in my pocket, Get the Dance Bug, and Hot Love) by Darren Sleep, The Arty Plantsman –– Birch tree photography & Artwork (Hawkmoth and Peppered Birch paper, Going Nuts, Get Nauti, Anatomy of a Nut Brain, lettering for Get the Dance Bug, and Hob Nob) by Lisa Lawrence, Lismore Paper –– Birch photography (the one with the moth) & Photo collages by Dominique Nancy, 3C Style. Also Model and Stylist.

Don’t forget to visit LismorePaper and The Arty Plantsman to get an overall view of our monthly collaboration.

Let’s stay connected: Bloglovin  — Instagram @3cstyle_fashion 

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