Reason why it's illegal to wear this color of clothing in 19 countries around the world
Britt Jones
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
There are certain colors that some countries have outright banned, and for a very interesting reason.
Color preferences are far and wide, with everyone having a much-loved pigment compared to another, unsavoury one.
For example, love green, hate red type of thing.
But for 18 countries, it goes a little deeper than that.
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Who’d have thought that colors could be so controversial?
According to the World Population Review website, there are quite a few countries who have outright banned and regulated this certain color pattern as it needed to differentiate citizens from other people in the area.
It sounds confusing, but soon it'll make much more sense.
Essentially, what these countries around the world wanted to do was make sure that there was a system in place which separated people who were working in typical jobs, versus those who were risking their lives, or were in ranks deserving of more respect.
So, they took to banning this very popular pattern, with recognisable colours to make sure that nobody could be mistaken for an official.
The uniquely printed clothing is universally known by its pattern and its earthy colours as that of the military.
So, as a result of wanting to keep the 'uniform' sacred, they regulated who could wear it.
Particularly if it was a country which was facing civil unrest, it is essential to know who friend or foe is, which is why camouflage was banned.
Allegedly, what tipped the scales when deciding whether or not to ban it, was because it was being worn by groups with ill intent.
As of right now, 18 countries regulate camouflage patterns and clothing, and it is punishable if you are caught donning the get up.
According to the population website, most of the Caribbean Island nations have restricted people from wearing it, including Antigua and Barbuda, as well as Barbados.
The Hispania islands of Dominica and Jamaica have also banned anyone who isn’t in the military from wearing the clothing.
Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad, and Tobago have made it illegal, so that there is no confusion between who is a civilian and who is in the armed forces.
There are also countries who have banned civilians from wearing or owning the clothing is Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia and Oman in the Middle East.
In 2019, the government in Oman outlawed civilians wearing the clothing and included jail time and a large fine as a deterrent.
This could be anything from wearing accessories, shirts, pants, scarves or hats with a camouflage or combat style.
Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Ghana cannot wear the print or clothing as they are banned by the nations for non-military people.
The Philippines is only allowed to wear camouflage if they are military or military personnel.
It’s a long list, but their reasonings made sense.
After all, you couldn’t want to mistake a random person for someone who could potentially help you during a conflict.
If you own camouflage, and you’re planning on traveling to any of these countries, it might be best to leave it at home.