A Camo Cargo Shorts Style Guide

Your camo cargo shorts will do more than match your other camo gear and keep all your loose EDC gear organized. They will serve as a blank canvas for creating an original and unique ensemble in the summer months.

Forget what you’ve heard about camo not pairing well with other patterns and colors. You just need to be smart about it. Here are some great ways to accessorize using a pair of camo cargo shorts as the baseline.

A Plain White Tee

Arguably the simplest way to make a match with a pair of camo cargo shorts is just to rock a plain white tee. A plain white t-shirt is not going to have a pattern or graphic that could even conceivably clash with the camo, whether it would in practice or not.

Plus, a plain white t-shirt is like a bright accent mark that calls attention to the outfit without running the risk of being too gaudy. Try it and see how it works for your body shape; you might like what you come up with.

A Graphic Tee

Some style guides will caution you against wearing a graphic tee with camouflage, whether in the form of a jacket or shorts, because graphics and logos do run the risk of clashing with the pattern. But they don’t have to.

As a general rule, the plainer the logo is, the better it should look with camo, but even so, you can get away with accessorizing with a more ornate design, too. This avenue lets you represent your favorite brands while also rocking camo, and in some situations, it can look great. Try it out and see how it looks for you.

Bright Colors

Bright colors can look really cool with camouflage, even neon colors like orange and yellow and even blue. This is because they add pleasant contrast to the camouflage pattern and are designed to attract rather than mute attention. The juxtaposition looks good in a way that can be hard to describe.

If you’re a hunter, consider a blaze orange t-shirt with your camo cargo shorts. It will capture attention in just the right ways and there’s something about blaze orange that just works with camouflage, even if it’s just the fact that we’re just so used to seeing them together.

The other thing that’s cool about this look is that the bright colors stand out whereas camouflage rarely does, which creates surprisingly pleasing harmony between them.

Match the Macros

The macros of a camouflage pattern are the large “pieces” of the pattern. Key in not just on what the elements are, but what the predominant colors of the macros are. For instance, if you’re wearing a pattern with large, beige macros, match your shirt to that color. If the macros are a deep green, match your shirt to that.

This will create harmony with the camouflage pattern itself but it will also help balance the color pattern, delivering striking unity that will make the whole ensemble look great together.

Accessories That Match the Camo

Another technique you can pull that can work really well is just to lean into the camo. Some style guides suggest muting the camo by not calling too much attention to it, and while that can be a viable approach, you can also underscore the camo.

And the best way to do this is with accessories in the same, or at least in similar or compatible camo patterns.

The easy way to do this is just to accessorize with the extras that are embellished with the exact same camo pattern, be that a Kryptek or US Woodland or Realtree Edge. A hat, a pair of boots, a belt, or for the ladies, a bag that sports a matching pattern is a way to create cohesion and unity in the ensemble.

Of course, you could also match the pattern with one that is compatible and similar but not the same. Match the predominant color scheme or the look and feel of the macros and it should be easier to create aesthetic harmony than you might think.

A Hoodie or Blazer

Naturally, camo cargo shorts are typically reserved for the warmer months of the year, which more or less precludes the use of cold weather gear. But for you combo breakers out there, a hoodie or a blazer over your shorts creates a unique look.

A hoodie will yield a toned-down approach for more casual gatherings, and a blazer over camo cargo shorts will create a jarring juxtaposition that will capture attention. Go on the less formal side with the blazer, though. You don’t want to overdo the look.

Throw a Flannel Over It

Conventional wisdom suggests that flannel patterns are going to clash with camouflage, and in some instances, that is definitely the case. But it is not always so.

Some flannel patterns, especially those that are aligned with the overall color palette of the camo pattern, can look pretty cool with it. Plus, flannel, like camo, is a look that is inherently rustic. That aspect of the alignment between the two just works.

One way to mute the contrast is to leave the flannel open and to wear a plain white or black t-shirt under it. That way you can introduce a little static color into an otherwise harried look, balancing it and keeping it from getting too aggressive with the color and pattern.

Coordinate with Your Camo Cargo Shorts Here

As you can see from some of the suggestions approached in this guide, there are lots of ways to style with a pair of camo cargo shorts, some of which are less than obvious. There’s a lot more than you could do with them than you might think, and at the end of the day, it all boils down to what you’re comfortable and confident with. Some of these suggestions you might try and not like, but you should at least try them first. You might find something you really like!