Hi-Vis, conspicuous clothing or perception overload?

Hi-Vis is the buzz term for high visibility safety clothing for people with no physical protection in dangerous environments. Why are we seeing people wearing Hi-Vis everywhere?

Hi-Vis clothing for people carrying out potentially risky activities and occupations makes sense, traffic police, emergency workers, bicyclists, motorcyclists, hunters and highway workers. The prevalence of people wearing Hi-Vis is nearing saturation point. Is the High Visibility Invincibility phenomena based on a fashion (me too mentality) or genuine safety concern?

Has an awareness for safety turned into total paranoia? One may assume it is unsafe to walk outside given the number of people donning Hi-Viz gear. Karl Lagerfeld, influential head fashion designer for Chanel has succumbed to the Hi-Vis hysteria, he is the poster boy for a new safety awareness campaign by the French Government. Hi-Viz yellow reflective vests are compulsory for all drivers and cyclists as of July 1st 2008, “It’s yellow it’s ugly, it doesn’t match anything, but it can save your life.”

The Telegraph reports that Victims Groups are concerned that people who commit crimes in the UK and Wales should not “disappear into the system”, recommending that offenders who are “ordered to carry out community punishment should be forced to wear high-visibility bibs to identify them as criminals“.

The Telegraph also featured Top Gear’s James May opinion on the Hi-Vis trend “I think it is a bit self-important, and even pretty bad form, to adopt the garb of those who do genuinely dangerous work while we are engaged in something utterly everyday. There are people out there who genuinely need these things, and to wear one just because you’re loading a van is an insult to them.”

For those who have a thing for Hi-Viz but do not perform high risk occupations or activities, there are fluorescent style options available guaranteed not to confuse your fashion message with safety.

The New Rave music and fashion aesthetic scene has a wonderfully creative way of wearing trash fashion fluorescent outfits that do not include safety vests, reflective overcoats or polarfleece windcheaters.

Selective accessorizing in fluo, as it is called in Paris, is a more stylish fashion treatment for those with a penchant for fluorescent dressing. We are not talking head to toe dayglo, but a fluorescent statement none the less . Fluo accessories include wearing and drinking fluorescent protein or nail polish .

Stylopath conclusion: Stop abusing Hi-Vis. As a fashion statement it is boring and as a safety statement it may be diluted to the point of potentially increasing a dangerous scenario for those with a genuine need to look conspicuous. Something about not being able to see the fluorescent tree for the fluorescent forest.

Tagged as: fluo, fluoresent clothing, hi-vis, high visibility, safety