When the accuracy and rate of fire in weapons began to rise at the end of the 19th century, a new military tactic became essential. That tactic is camouflage. Until the 20th century, many armies used bold designs and bright colors on their military uniforms. These were intended to alarm the enemy, foster unit unity, attract recruits, and allow the units to be easily identifiable during battle. However, there was a flaw with these uniforms. And that flaw was that troops could easily be seen advancing towards the enemy and the bright colors made soldiers easy targets.

One of the first countries to use camouflage colors was Britain. Due to many casualties in India, the British Army began dyeing their white suits a tan color called khaki, from the Hindi-Urdu word meaning dusty. It became standard for the Army serving in India during the 1880's, but in 1902 it became standard for the entire British Army. Soon after that other countries began using khaki colors. Other countries adopted gray-green or just plain gray for their uniforms.

In 1966 Britain became the first country adopt a camouflage pattern when they issued a DPM smock and trousers. DPM stands for Disruptive Pattern Material. It consists of only a few colors, a different palettes for the different environments:

These colors are placed in random patterns throughout the uniform. This causes the outline of a human body to disappear against the backdrop of the environment. However, none of these patterns can even compare the stealthness that a ghillie suit can provide. Actually incorporating the look of a bush or shrub, the ghillie suit provides the ultimate in deception and concealment.