Most people think of camo as tough and masculine, but the truth is that the print is quite versatile and looks quite stylish on women. Camo can carry off a variety of looks: edgy, sexy, chic, feminine, and even romantic with the right styling.
Camo pants bring out the best of the military-inspired print. Depending on how you style it, you can easily pull off a casual, relaxed, smart casual, or a dressy look with camo pants.
As for how to style camo pants in the winter without looking like you’re suffering from army fatigue, it all boils down to accessorizing. The right accessory – think tops, socks, shoes, scarves, and beanies – can elevate the fashion factor of your camo pants and help you get ready for whatever winter throws at you.
To help you dress up for the cold season, we have put together five best ways to style camo pants this winter.
It’s All About Layering
As the folks at Sanctuary Clothing advise, the trick to wearing camo pants for the cold weather is, unsurprisingly, all about layering. Yup, you can still wear your camo uber-comfy and stretchy leggings-style pants for winter or fall. Just layer up your fit by wearing something warm over or under it.
It pays to stick to layering basics— the first layer (aka the underwear) must be made from moisture-wicking fabric, while the middle layer is all about insulation. The outer layer varies depending on the temperature outside, as you can take it off if you get too hot and put it on when you feel the chill in the air.
For that, layer your camo pants with a turtleneck, button-down blouse, or an oversized sweater. As for the outer layer, adding a cute fur jacket to the mix can instantly spruce up the style factor of your ensemble.
A stylish leather jacket can also do the trick during the cold season — you never know when it will come in handy. If you go with the fur jacket, you can complete the get-up with another layer: lace-up boots — the pair will do wonders for your outfit’s glam factor.
Build Your Outfit around the Pants
Another approach to styling your outfit is to think of camo pants as a blank canvas. In this way, you can build off the camo pants using tops, bottoms, and accessories that will amp up your look and let your styling savvy shine. The secret to building an outfit around camo pants is to use less to do more.
For instance, for a smart casual look, you would want to team up an olive-green parka or fluffy faux fur coat and a pair of dark green camo pants, which will serve as the base of your outfit. Complement this look with black leather boots or gray suede ankle boots to up the smart creds of your outfit.
Not feeling dressy enough? Why not throw a black leather tote bag or an embellished clutch and complete the top with a gray knit turtleneck? As you can see, you can whip up a glamorous outfit in next to no time if you view the camo pants as a blank canvas.
Be Creative with the Footwear
The kind of shoes you wear can make or break your outfit, but if done right, footwear can help you style your camo pants up or down accordingly. If you have a pair of camo pants woven from a fabric that’s on the thin side, we suggest dressing them up with ankle boots with a stiletto heel.
For full-length camo pants, you can get away with flat boots, as long as they are appropriate for the weather you are having. The extra inches of the fabric will keep your legs and ankles warm and protected from the snow and blistering cold.
The great thing about camo pants is the range of footwear that can be paired with them. The go-to style is the ankle boot, which can come in many materials, including leather, suede, satin, and more.
For example, you can marry your combination of camo pants and an olive-green coat with tan suede uggs for a chic yet functional look. This is an outfit that’s easy to pull off and so comfy to wear the whole day as well.
You can also rock black leather boots, suede wedge sneakers, lace-up ankle boots, satin pumps, and suede ankle boots. Choose between the camo pants and the footwear to be the statement piece for maximum effect.
Add a Splash of Color
In the traditional sense, camo prints are often teamed with whites, blacks, and other neutral colors, particularly if you want to draw the most attention to your pants. Yet camo can also work brilliantly with bold or bright colors and even sweet pastels, which are having a major moment right now.
For that, don’t be afraid to add a splash of color to the mix, as it helps make the look more exciting and softens it too. The best way to do this is to focus on the footwear— for example, wearing hot pink ankle boots or red uggs .
Don’t Wear Camo Elsewhere in your Outfit
While camo looks great on just about anything, from handbags to dresses to denim jeans, if you wear the print from head to toe, it can make you look you just stepped out from boot camp.
The rule of thumb is to wear only one camo item in your outfit – after all, the last thing you want is to look as if you are heading to the woods to hunt. To make the camo pants reign supreme, avoid camo elsewhere. In other words, don’t wear camo t-shirts, camo jackets, or camo accessories.
Opt for Long Jackets and Coats with Your Camo
Let’s face it; dressing up for work, running errands, or just going out and about when the temperatures dip below zero is no small feat. That is why you should go for long coats and tailored puffer jackets.
Staying warm is no small feat once temperatures start dipping below freezing, so while puffers and short tailored coats are oh-so-cute, remember that long outerwear is the name of the game when it comes to donning a dress. Bonus tip: stick to coats made from cozy fabrics like cashmere, faux fur, shearling, and wool.
Skip Animal Prints
Animal prints and camo are styles cut from the same cloth, so you don’t want to mix them in an outfit. You don’t want an outfit with mismatched prints all over the place—it’s just too busy, not to mention it will make the hunting association so obvious.
If you must add an animal print to your outfit with camo pants, ensure to break up the patterns with solid colors in between. Note that you can use linear prints like plaid and argyle in small doses.
There you have it – a great way to style camo pants. Don’t limit yourself to run-of-the-mill styles. Try leather pieces, go for a punk look, and don’t forget to accessorize.
