It's actually illegal to wear camouflage in Barbados

Ah, camo. A fashion favourite among everyone from Capitol insurrectionists to Rihanna. 

For some reason, people will spend a pretty penny on outfits that make them look like they’re permanently going paintballing in Guildford, and if that’s absolutely not your jam, we suggest booking a one-way flight to Barbados. 

In the Caribbean country, it’s illegal to wear camouflage clothing unless you're in the armed forces. 

Barbados Today, one of the country’s local news outlets, notes anyone caught wearing camo who isn’t in the Barbados Defence Force can be fined $2,000, sentenced to a year in prison, or, if you’re extra lucky - both!

Alan Sau/Alamy Stock Photo

The outlet notes: “In Barbados, camouflage/disruptive pattern material and articles remain reserved for members of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF).”

That includes everything from shoes, belts, shirts, trousers and even face masks - and applies to camo styles in any colour.

Under the Defence Act CAP. 159 Section 188, Subsection 1 Clause (b), a person wearing camo in a public place or without authority is guilty of an offence.  

Wearing camo clothing is also illegal in Dominica, Ghana, Grenada, Jamaica, Nigeria, Oman, Philippines, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

While we’re on the subject of peculiar things that are banned in other countries, did you know it’s illegal for men to wear a ponytail in Iran?

Dudley Little/Alamy Stock Photo

Insider points out that the ponytail is one of the ‘western men's hairstyles’ that’s banned in the country, and since 2010, Iran has also had a strict ‘no mullet’ policy.

Also, chewing gum is not allowed in Singapore (unless for medical reasons), and people can pay hefty fines for chomping down on a piece of Juicy Fruit, and even be sentenced to time behind bars.

Over in Rome, Italy, fish owners aren’t allowed to keep their pets in glass bowls because of the detrimental effects it has on the animal’s health, namely the limiting of oxygen flow which can make goldfish go blind. 

Oh, and if you’re living in The Eternal City and reading this, you’re probably aware that it’s illegal to own a dog and not walk it, and failing to exercise a pooch could see dog owners slapped with a $700 fine. 

In Athens, an equally culturally-rich city, high heels are banned at historic sites like the Acropolis, because they can ‘chisel away’ at the sites. 

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected] 

Topics: Travel, World News, Fashion

Aisha Nozari

@aishanozari