apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I often fly through Shannon and there's almost always soldiers there, coming or going. They appreciate it if you offer use of your laptop to send a quick email home using the free airport wi-fi. No matter how much I watch the news, nothing ever prepares me when I see these guys in person. SO young.

Oh, please no. Let's not use these poor guys' uniforms as a "leaping off point for fabric or wallpaper patterns."

I feel guilty enough for even contemplating design when I know deep down I should be spending every day screaming in front of Dick Cheney's house.

I was contemplating the 'digital' appearance of camouflage the other day actually... wondering why.
It wasn't until I read your post that it occurred to me that perhaps it is for survelliance purposes.

anyone looking for soliders in there territory would be zooming in on whatever digital apperatus... perhaps it further serves to distort what they are seeing.

I'm thinking old time camouflage was to fool the naked eye. Modern camouflage has to fool technology.

oops - there should be their /\ I feel foolish now! ;-)

I am all for artistic license but I don't know that the camo which is designed to keep our men and women in uniform safe is the answer for the dining room wall that could use a pick me up.
This brings up a very interesting idea. Is it wrong for us to exercise this kind of artistic freedom without (perceived) regard for the true purpose of the symbol? We make pillows out of flags and small vases in the shape of grenades, even the pin-up girls that adorn old post cards are a throw back to the busty models that were originally painted on the sides of military aircrafts during the second world war.
It stands to reason that we are all influenced, in every aspect of our lives, by what is happening in our world. Would it not be more productive to, instead of using military issued fatigues as a jumping off point for our homes, use the determination, pride and selflessness exhibited by our military for a jumping off point in our attitudes.
I don't agree with war but I also do not live with it in my backyard everyday. Are we so detached that we are at a point where this is acceptable? I hope not.

im happy with my Stephen Sprouse bright orange camo ( which got made into an awesome bag)...not sure bout military style..makes me sad when i think about what's going on over there.....*deep sigh*

But at least they upgraded...kudos for that

me too, Julianna. This post is one of the coldest, most insensitive, callous things I have read in a long time - and I hang out on political blogs. What were you thinking, Maxwell???

Almost 4000 of our soldiers have died in combat, thousands more injured, not to mention the military contractors that nobody is keeping track of. Oh yeah, and the over 600,000 Iraqi civilians who have died as a result of this illegal war, and a country destroyed. And that's just Iraq. There's also Afghanistan.

But you're right, camo would make nice *#@*!& curtains.

seriously....seriously, this post is so...ridiculous.

Julianna- my thoughts exactly.

I couldn't agree more.

I like this post. A plus plus plus. I enjoy reading about the interdisciplinary research that protects my family members serving in the military. The controversy between Canada and the U.S. over who developed the pattern first is also an interesting issue.

I believe the digital camouflage visually blends into a background more than the old camo with the hard edges. Maybe the military-industrial complex infiltrated a foundation color theory class.

i certainly don't have a problem with discussing the origins and functions of patterns in interior, industrial or military design. I think its all interesting and relevant. but maybe the tone of this post with the flippant "a great leaping off point for fabric or wallpaper patterns" line is rubbing folks the wrong way. its like a blurb in Ladies' Home Journal or something.

Why can't we find inspiration from the sometimes terrible?

I think in a wierd way, it has the potential to honor those who face a more grim daily reality in the desert world's away than we do, sitting here pondering paint chips and the ideal width of floorboards.

Perhaps the "Let's make drapes!" comment came across as flip, but I seriously doubt there was really any disrespect meant.

But if you think the presence of these images in the media is *not* impacting the worlds of fashion and design, you are kidding yourself.

Of course, ironically, I say this sitting in my Mossimo camo shorts from Target.

And, I wouldn't be me if I didn't say "helll-loo, Mister Quiet Marine!" But of course, I mean no disrepect.

Btw, as mentioned above, the science behind military garb and uniforms is truly fascinating, and has always yielded some interesting stuides and by-products.

The picture in my bathroom-- a very contemporary-looking male portrait-- is actually a photojournalistic piece documenting the Army's attempts at building the perfect helmet during WWII. Does it demean the men and women who lost their lives because I use it as decor? I think not.

I also like to think it glorifies the men and women who, behind the scenes, used their talents for design and thought and intellect to contribute in the ways they knew how.

I really really disagree with this. I'm all for finding inspiration for design in unexpected places, but this just seems disrespectful. I mean, soldiers who have to wear this pattern think of it as a chance not to be a target, a chance to survive another day- how could we think of it as a good design choice? Attempting to steer clear of the obvious political argument, there are so many other places to find inspiration...why use something equated with suffering and sadness. For a site dedicated to improving the emotional and aesthetic quality of a home, I would think that this idea wouldn't even be on the table for debate.

Despite having a close family member heading off for his *fourth* infantry tour in Iraq, I thought this post was interesting and informative.

Not that I'm going to whip up camo throw pillows or anything, but this post did make me think. And yes, Julianna, we should all be in front of Cheney's house protesting.....

Have any of you seen a fashion show lately? Militariana is a huge design inspiration.

As for MARPAT, other sites are more explicit about the Canadian influence. But then America has a long history of stealing inventions: lightbulb, radio, telephone, etc.

The reason it's pixelated is because the jaggies make no difference at significant range- the Canadian military decided to keep it pixelated just because it looks cool.

I do agree with patrick (the other one) when he says "Perhaps the "Let's make drapes!" comment came across as flip, but I seriously doubt there was really any disrespect meant."

I just think "too soon" applies here. As a big sis to one of our tank techs over there I would urge everyone to follow julianna to Dick Cheney's house (although you can't see it on google world, that would be yet another thing that the government decided to pixilate), perhaps we could all wallpaer the inside of our trashcans with that printout?

Not as you remembered? Where have you been? They've been issuing these for over four years now.

@ akino luna

agreed, this is old news, way old

sweet so we are all heading over to cheney's , tie him up with some badc fringe ribbon...then hang up the drapes made from the camo fabric and tape his eyes open and make him watch endless hours of design shows.

sounds like a plan, i hope he has snacks.

ahhahahah, eh...is he still alive? cause i havent heard of him for a while * which fuels my he is a robot idea*.

OK, camo fabrics have been used for decades as a funky clothing statement by the young, and it's true that the patterns are interesting, but offense is taken by this statement:

". . .we ran into a large contingent of very quiet marine and army soldiers who were being shipped BACK to Iraq for another tour of duty. Amongst other things, what struck us was the camouflage patterns on their uniforms."

Can "we picked our way through the dead and wounded on the battlefield, and among other things, what struck us was how the red of the blood popped against the drab colors of the scene."

This entry is shameful, and I hope you really are ashamed.

P2, do you really have a picture of "the perfect helmet" in your bathroom? Too funny.

It's fascinating that what people are seeing here is camo as a symbol of "sadness and suffering" rather than a symbol of valor and resolution.

Agreed that this is an interesting topic of discussion but handled in a flip way that comes across as offensive.

What got to me was this line:

"They were not as we remembered, but pixilated digital patterns, which seemed to work well"

"seemed to work well"??? As a fashion statement?

Juxtaposed with the image of these teenage guys being sent off to war, this is hard to stomach.

Wende - I don't think it's the camo as much as the very quiet people wearing it being shipped BACK to Iraq. Sadness and suffering is pretty much what comes to my mind when I think tour of duty.

Exactly, Dilla, and it was my first thought too -- and I'm wondering if soldiers would get the same response from, say, a Texas crowd.

Several months ago I had a surprise moment where a person wearing U.S. woodland digital fatigues, literally disappeared out of the side of my eye, against some thick foliated brush. When I turned my head and looked directly at him, of course I spotted him again, but that moment convinced me that digital camouflage, unlike conventional camouflage, appears to produce the intended effects, especially at a distance and on the peripheral vision.

However, just like conventional camouflage fabric, I wouldn't be caught dead with that hanging on my walls or covering my furniture. Military gear and interior design, simply don't go together.

As a person who wears this uniform daily (well, not the USMC one pictured, but the US Army pixel pattern which is very similar), I can say that the pixel pattern is faaaaaar superior to the old camouflage that the USMC and the USA used to wear. I cannot speak for the Marines, but with the new Army uniform, it works well both in an urban setting as well as an outdoor setting. I've even walked outside and not noticed people who were 20 feet away from me!

On a different note, all of my friends in the military cannot for the life of us figure out why civilians want to wear camoflage pattered clothing! Is it really that cool? I've seen kids walking in the mall wearing this stuff and it used to bug me, but then I just got over it and realized that fashion gets its inspiration from all aspects of life. Now, I just don't get the fashion craze more than anything. The last thing I want to do after getting home at the end of the day is to put on ANYTHING with camouflage!

Not that I agree, I try to remain politically ambiguous, but only one commenter brought up camo as a possible symbol of valor. To some people it might symbolize freedom or liberation. Some soldiers may see some positive meanings to their mission. As kids, my friends and I would all go to the army surplus store to buy camo pants because we were fascinated with the military and wanted to be like Chuck Norris.

I have seen camouflage used in decor and fashion throughout the years in the techno world. Camo as home decor is probably not very popular. But when it is used it's probably in a pretty "techy" environment and I'm sure there is no disrespect to any soldiers from any army that the pattern could be attributed to. Sometimes camo is used as art to be interpreted by the viewer, http://secure.giantrobot.com/products.php?code=GLOOMSTANDCAMO

robyn--

You can see the photo to which I refer in the Smallest Coolest slideshow, image #15.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/small-cool-2005/finalist-4-patricks-cosmourban-studio-rental-002700

Wende--I agree with you about camo as a reminder (well, not really a symbol) of valor and resolution. It's the segue of the original post that offends me--from the sight of the quiet solders in their camo gear returning to battle, straight to the idea of pixelated digital camo for interior design. And I can even see thinking of it at a certain point if I were a designer, but to run with it and broadcast it this way is pretty third rate. Very unlike the otherwise delightful and lovable Patrick.

Freedom of expression... Isn't that what we have here in America? I don't see that anyone meant any disrespect, yet there is an attack here.
I personally feel that use of the fabric in design is a sign of respect for our military. I just made a custom wheel cover for my "Military Man" to put on his Jeep... It is ACU fabric. We all have a right to show patriotism, and support for our military, as individuals.
Let's not forget what our country is about here. :)