Color to conceal

I went to my exercise class today wearing baggy fuchsia pants and a turquoise top. Huffing and puffing in a sea of black-clad women, I got to thinking about camouflage. I needed to get myself some sexy black work-out clothes so I don't stand out so much!

Animals use coloration to improve their survival chances through concealment. Here's a fantastic little video with some amazing examples of nature at work.

It's used by prey, and the predators. Some blend into the background, while others use bold blocks of color to break up the visual "bulk" of their form. Other times, conspicuous colors actually aid concealment, termed, "dazzle coloration". A zebra's stripes can confuse a predator who becomes unsure of it's speed and direction as it runs away.

images source

Some animals simply look like an object to blend into it's surroundings. I guess I need to work on my shape if I want to truly blend in with the toned women in my exercise class... :-)

What about you: do you prefer to blend in, or stand out in your environment?