Dress blues certainly turn heads. They elicit a lot of respect from people. They’re great-looking uniforms, especially when they are worn by highly decorated officers. All those ribbons and medals are impressive. But for my money, the go-to option if you really want to dress for success in the military is camo. It’s the hardest working outfit in the armed services.
During the Vietnam War the pattern was windblown leaves. It was worn to blend into the native foliage. Infantrymen would often apply black, brown, and green cream on their faces and on the exposed skin of their necks and hands. They’d also tuck grass, leaves, twigs, and whatever other natural materials they could find in their helmets as further concealment. They would take special care to cover anything that could reflect sunlight too—even just small glints of it.
As a pilot, my father kept his attire to basic camo. None of these extras were necessary for him. Most times he had to worry more about hiding his plane when he had touched ground. A few of the aircraft he flew had countershading, but on the day he had a close call with the enemy on an open airfield, his plane wasn’t hidden, nor was it painted in anything other than dark green to make it less visible. He had landed on a small strip, dropped off special munitions, and delivered an intelligence person to a unit waiting beyond the airfield as his orders directed him to do. He was returning to the plane when he spotted a squad of seven to nine Vietcong soldiers on the terrain just below him. To this day he cannot imagine why they didn’t approach the plane to check it out. They had to have seen it. It’s pretty hard to miss something that size when it’s sitting just a couple hundred yards away. He was also baffled as to why they didn’t search for him. Someone had to have piloted that thing. It still mystifies him as to why they just kept going. Did they really have someplace more important to be? He was sure that he saw them scanning the edges of the field before they walked away. They had to have noticed him then. But as sure as he is about that, I’m sure that they didn’t. It’s by the grace of God that they chose to move past that plane that day, but I think it was also by the grace of camo that they never spotted him.
He quickly completed what he set out to do, hopped back on that plane, and hightailed it out of there.
We often think of “dressing for success” as wearing something that gets us noticed rather than something that helps us get the job done. There is definitely a time and a place for being recognized and the military has a whole protocol for that. (I set aside an entire chapter on that topic.) “Appearing in your best light and dressing to reflect the discipline and success of the military” is definitely something that is stressed at every level of command. No institution I know of teaches meticulous attention to detail in one’s attire and every other aspect of behavior than the armed services do. But there are other ways to design and use what you wear to achieve mission success before you celebrate and reflect that success in your clothing.
POWER DRESSING
More than concealing one’s position, camo enables troops to adapt to their environment. It often buys them time to scope out the advantages and disadvantages of their surroundings and to consider the use and avoidance of those advantages and disadvantages accordingly. This is just one of the many subtle and complex ways the military understands and treats attire as a tool. It has designed many different types of uniforms that serve different purposes in different situations for exactly this reason. It has also subjected these uniforms to rigorous testing. The military knows there is more to dressing for success and certainly more to wearing camo than meets the eye.
This rule is on my list of top nine because it reminds me to consider the different ways I can use attire to my advantage, increasing my chances to excel at what I do. There are times when you must use your wardrobe to do more than just appear to be successful; you must use it to actually achieve that success.
HATS OFF TO CAMO!
Wearing camouflage gave me power from a very early age. My mother would dress me in my dad’s officer’s cap when he was deployed and she was missing him. Seeing me in that hat gave her power as well. It lifted her spirits and helped her focus on the things she needed to do in his absence. The cap had what was called “scrambled eggs” on the front of it. The scrambled eggs referred to the gold braiding that boldly stands out. By the time my father was first deployed to Vietnam he was already a captain and his attire had changed, so he left this cap behind. Watching me wear that hat revived Mom’s heart and brought a bright smile to her face.
Military families may not be in a bunker alongside the soldier they love, but they are serving too. Our job is to keep positive and hopeful thoughts and pour them into letters and rare phone calls to those in the field (aka the battlefield). Sometimes when my mom needed to feel strong, she would sit with the few military items Dad left behind. She told me years later that as a toddler I loved donning that oversized camouflaged cap—that wonderful cap with the lingering scent of our household hero.
My mother felt the power of positive thinking looking at me in that hat. And wearing it as a baby apparently made me feel closer to the man I barely knew yet. Mom used to remind me that how we dress tells the world what is important to us. Wearing that hat told the world my dad was a valuable member of our family and that we missed him. Other simple yet salient examples of how people do this in special circumstances can be seen in a remnant from home tied to a refugee’s shirt; a pink ribbon or accessory worn by someone in solidarity with a mother, sister, daughter, or friend who is fighting breast cancer; or a black armband worn by a person of Jewish faith who is mourning a loved one.
To this day I own an inordinate amount of camouflaged clothing. It is a fashion statement for many people, but for me it is a welcome reminder to cultivate and protect my positivity and hope.
BEST SUITED FOR THE JOB
On Memorial Day of 2017 I was reminded of the importance of camo once again. As I mentioned in an earlier chapter, I was aboard the USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) commemorating the lives of the servicemen and -women who fought for us over the years and died in the line of duty. My young daughters, Bella and Danika, were with me and so were hundreds of military personnel from the different branches of the armed forces. These various soldiers and sailors were there to help man the ship in the waters of the Hudson River for the numerous guests who were visiting. Many of these servicemen and -women were in town for Fleet Week and had volunteered to be on duty knowing what an honor working aboard the Kearsarge would be. This particular vessel is the fifth amphibious assault ship to bear the same name as the iconic battleship of the Civil War. Over time, the name has become synonymous with the best of what the United States has in its armada. This particular Kearsarge boasts a highly sophisticated antiaircraft defense system among many other impressive features.
Considering how many branches of the military were represented that day, it was hard not to notice all the assorted uniforms, especially the array of camouflage. On deck were military personnel wearing several variations on a theme. Colors and patterns differed depending upon where that soldier was typically stationed.
When the service members stood in line, the girls and I looked up and down the row and counted six different versions. Among them were shades of blue from slate and pale blue to dark navy. There were also beige and brown combinations and more familiar mixes of woodland greens.
When we spoke to a few of the soldiers they explained the reason for the differences. If the fight is in the deep blue ocean off the coast of Yemen, then deep blue will be the overtone of your camouflage. You can’t risk being spied by an enemy sniper while you’re standing on deck, even if that sniper is at a distance. You’ve got to blend into the background, whatever that background may be. If you were in Desert Storm, Kuwait, or Afghanistan, your uniform was the color of earth or sand. In other locations where we are fighting ISIS, the terrain may call for wearing a mix of darker greens and browns. As one marine said, “You dress according to what the battle lines look like.”
I took that comment in for a second and began to see the even greater power of camo. It became clear that it’s not only about hiding in plain sight or about adapting. It is also about consciously bringing a different approach or strategy to the environment you are in.
If your first instinct is to interpret the phrase “dress for success” as looking your best or standing out in a crowd, you would quickly rethink that interpretation based upon what these troops said. Likewise, you wouldn’t only think of camo as a tool to help you blend in. These definitions are correct, but they aren’t the only ones that apply.
I started going through my wardrobe in my head and separating what I call impression-wear from mission-wear.
Impression-wear, to me, is what we wear when we really want to stand out or command attention, respect, or recognition. It is also what we wear when we want to send a message. How we dress is a personal language that we speak. It communicates so much about us, from our emotions to our aspirations. It not only reflects our current success, it hints at where we see ourselves in the future.
Mission-wear, on the other hand, is what we wear to enable us to do our job or complete a mission well. It doesn’t always have to be understated, but it is something that adapts to our situation. It is also something that is chosen with a lot of forethought about how it is needed or will be useful in our specific environment.
There are some obvious examples of mission-wear in professions that require uniforms for very particular reasons. Athletes’ uniforms, for instance, are designed for comfort, protection, and performance. Their uniforms also brand them as part of the same team. Surgeons wear freshly laundered scrubs for sanitary reasons. Nurses in pediatric units often wear more brightly colored or playfully patterned uniforms to help lift their patients’ spirits. Clothes that are designed specifically for our work let others know we’re serious about the roles we are fulfilling. It’s clear to see in these instances how our attire enables us to do our jobs well.
Of course, there will be times when impression-wear and mission-wear can be mixed and matched to help you do your job better. For instance, a lot of us in the media dress to impress for work. Television is, after all, a visual medium. How we look plays a big role in our appeal to the public. But I also give a lot of thought to how my choice of clothes will actually enhance the way I communicate and connect with my audience and interview subjects. The seriousness of the news I deliver dictates style and color. This was especially true for the more than six years when I was in primetime on Fox Report Weekend. Some color theorists believe that certain hues signal trust, fairness, balance, and even hope. Since I strive to possess and project those qualities through my actions and words, it’s natural that I aim to send the same message through my clothes as well.
Each week, I also manage the wardrobe color wheel for Fox News Channel’s daytime program Outnumbered. It’s one of the many things I do behind the scenes as cohost. On Sunday evenings, I coordinate the outfit colors for the upcoming week’s shows. The point is to avoid duplication and to be sure that my colleagues, who are all beautiful, poised, intelligent women, appear as individual as their editorial viewpoints. As we challenge the “guy in the middle” who joins us to analyze and explore some of the most complex and relevant political, social, and cultural issues of that day, we don’t want there to be any distractions. As I joke: Twinning is not winning. We want to all be on an equal playing field, appearing as confident as we truly are, dressed in the power colors of our choice, and exuding complete comfort and respect for each other and ourselves. Wearing the right mix can subtly reinforce the ways we all complement each other as well as the ways we are all unique. Bottom line: We do not want anyone looking at the screen and thinking, Bridesmaids!
Despite making a distinction between what I refer to as mission-wear and impression-wear, I do find that dress uniforms—those worn for special occasions in the military—fall into both categories because they definitely inspire respect and call attention to the wearer, but that is also what they are designed to do. It is, in part, their function, or job. The uniform’s formality reflects the integrity and values of the military and the insignias, medals, and decorations reflect the excellence of each individual wearer. I cannot tell you how formidable my father looked on occasions when he wore his dress uniform. Nothing projects an air of success, discipline, and achievement quite like a man or woman wearing theirs proudly.
Today when I see a service member in uniform—whether it is a combat, dress or everyday uniform—it stirs emotions of pride and gratitude and I do think that is an important part of its purpose. I imagine that the wearer feels that way and that most civilians who understand the sacrifice and commitment it represents feel that way too.
My father recently saw a woman in uniform and stopped to salute her. She was uncertain at first as to why he did that. He smiled and said, “Oh but for the moment you outrank me.” With the quiet understanding that he had also served at one time, she returned the smile. It’s not something he typically does, but seeing people in uniform brings up those same emotions I just mentioned, though perhaps more deeply for him, and he felt like expressing them in the moment.
“Today’s troops volunteer because they have pride,” he said to me. “When you join the military now, you are essentially saying, ‘I raise my right hand to do whatever it is that my country asks me to do—not because my country asked me to raise my right hand.’” These were the same intentions he had when he volunteered as a young man.
Of course, uniforms in his day conjured up different feelings for some. There were soldiers in that war who did not go entirely of their own volition. The draft was in effect, as mentioned earlier, so they were conscripted and had little choice in the matter. When they wore their uniform here in the United States, some were made to feel shame for being a part of such an unpopular and misunderstood war. Once when my father was coming home from Vietnam dressed in his, he passed through the Chicago airport and deeply felt the strain of people’s disapproval. But he told me he still wore his uniform with pride. He was a representative of the United States in it. He had hoped, though, that it was not seen as a display of opposition to the protest groups, as he didn’t wear it with that intent. He has said, “Believe me, there are things I disagreed with our country about.” He has also said, “Rightly or wrongly, there were tasks I did not question at the time. But later, when I gathered enough information and saw that things could have been done differently, I knew the structure ought to change and that we had to coordinate that change—but not in a disrespectful way. That is what the uniform is all about.”
It is easy to see from this example and others that sometimes what we wear elicits different feelings, in different situations, at different times, and in different people.
THE GO-ANYWHERE OPTION
Although the concept of wearing camo in everyday life—the idea that you consider and choose the best clothes to help you get the job done—can be applied in so many different kinds of situations, this is a rule that works particularly well for those times when you find yourself in new surroundings. It is a good practice to remember when you are starting a new job, enrolling in a new school, or when you are moving to a new neighborhood. You want to make a good visual impression in all of these scenarios, but you also want to bring your best strategy for succeeding in these places too.
Metaphorically wearing camo in a crisis situation—meaning coming armed with your best ideas and attitude—is especially important. I’m referring to those times when you or someone you love is facing a medical challenge and you are uncertain how to proceed. On occasions such as this, when we’re not as prepared for life-changing moments as we’d hope to be, anticipating our needs or packing the right positive and determined mind-set can help the transition. Those are the times when we need to embrace the underlying principles of using camo most. The times when we have to scope out our new situation by doing some serious reconnaissance to find out how to best combat the threat. It’s when we may need to bring a new kind of thinking to the challenge. When we need to rely on more layers of protection than usual—including family, friends, and neighbors. It’s when we need to seek out experts and/or specialists to help us acclimate and reach our goals in this new and foreign milieu. I know that when my father was being treated for his esophageal condition and when my mother was undergoing care for cancer, we went deep into reconnaissance, looking into the best options, the best facilities, the best doctors, and the best practices to support their recovery. We were not only wearing camo, but we were calling for backup. We contacted everyone we could think of who knew about or survived the same illnesses to find out more about what we could do to help. Figuring out the lay of the land was crucial in those early days. We scrambled to understand where we were, what the battle ahead might look like, and what we needed to bring to the fight to cope, endure, and prevail. The combined power of wearing camo and calling upon our special forces really helped.
In retrospect there were probably many times in my life when I was wearing camo and didn’t even realize it. The more challenges you face and the more experience you develop overcoming them, the more extensive your camo wardrobe is likely to be. That was clearly reflected on the deck of the Kearsarge that Memorial Day as our exceptional servicemen and-women in the US military wore so many different variations of it. They were not just dressed for any occasion; they were clearly dressed for success.
YOUR OWN RECON READY-TO-WEAR
While camo is vogue in the fashion world right now, there are more ways to rock it in your life than by just wearing it. You can use its underlying principles to assess and plan for creating positive changes in your life. The first step is to do some surveillance. Serious surveillance.
Have you taken a close look at your circumstances, your priorities, your goals, your challenges, your relationships, your job, your influences, your home, your finances, or your overall environment lately?
Have you asked yourself if you have the resources necessary to navigate the terrain in these important areas? Are you packing too light? Or do you have all the necessary equipment you need?
What more could you use? Is there anything you are employing that is outdated or in need of repair? Are there new tools that can help you succeed in these areas better, faster, or more efficiently?
Or conversely, are you a gearhead who carries way more flashy equipment or accessories than what the job requires? Showy stuff that only impresses other gearheads while it weighs you down?
Really step outside of yourself and do some serious investigating. Who are the people succeeding in these areas and what are they doing that you may not be doing? Who are the people floundering in this area and what are they doing that you definitely want to avoid doing?
If things are working well for you, ask if they could possibly work better. How and with what tools?
Have you met your goals yet? Or even exceeded them? If so, when was the last time you set new ones?
If you’ve got your camo on, you can poke around and really look at parts of your life that usually resist introspection.
Even if you have been in one place for a while and are quite comfortable, it’s still time to scout around. The world is changing all the time. Is there something you never noticed before? Or just as important, has something you took for granted disappeared while you weren’t looking? What do these changes mean for you? Will their presence or absence help or hinder you?
For those of you who think you know your environment already like the back of your hand, periodic recon is still worth doing as it will alert you to any unanticipated challenges. It’s possible to miss both large and small changes when we are racing past them every day, distracted by our daily obligations.
Now that you see your surroundings with fresh eyes, do you notice any new opportunities or resources that can help you advance your goals?
If you are new to a situation, I especially encourage you to take a closer look around. Observe and contemplate the challenges your new situation poses. Note the unique advantages it presents too. Are there friendlies or special forces you can recruit to help you navigate or accelerate your adjustment to this new terrain? Are your orders clear? Did you set your objectives before or after taking a measure of the site? Again, what’s in your go-kit to help you cope?
Remember camo is not just clothes and equipment. It’s anything that can be used effectively. Paola Harrell, for instance, told me that as a black woman and the wife of an officer who had to frequently interact with high-level military personnel, she carried with her the facts that she was a third-generation college graduate, the daughter of university professors, and an engineer to use to her advantage when necessary. This was during the early 1960s so that kind of camo was very effective indeed.
What exactly do you see when you enter your walk-in closet?
Do you have what others have used to successfully thrive in your situation or environment?
Separate the mission wear from the impression wear. The fancy stuff from the really useful stuff. The functional items and the durables from everything else.
Can anything do double duty? You know, are there tools, accessories, attributes, or qualities that can get the job done and also make you look good? If so, shift those to the middle of the rack.
Now looking carefully at what you’ve lined up neatly in front of you, ask yourself if you have the right camo for the job ahead of you, whatever that may be. Are your options flexible and adaptable enough to suit the situation or task you are facing? Are you making only the obvious choices? Or are there other choices that with more forethought would serve you better? What else do you need to add?
Dressing for success does indeed mean dressing for the occasion or dressing to captivate the attention of higher-ups. It does indeed mean looking the part of a leader before others recognize you as one. It’s okay to scrutinize the impression-wear side of the clothes rack to see if you have the accoutrements to do that or if you even own a power suit. (By the way, what does a power suit actually look like in your social circle or field of work? Aspiring rock stars and trial attorneys definitely have different ideas about that.)
But, as we’ve discussed, it also means considering the usefulness and effectiveness of what you have at your disposal. It means accounting for whether you are in midair, on land, or at sea, so to speak. Wearing camo essentially means asking yourself: “Do I have a strong strategy in place to be where I am—in the battle I am presently in? Did I bring the right stuff to support that strategy?”
If your answer is yes to both questions, congratulations—you are officially rocking camo.