"In The Navy, They Call That Dazzle Camouflage..."

For a school-aged child, there are no greater risks than the ones taken with one's own appearance -- which makes Arlo Weiner's outfits almost Evel Knievel-esque. The eight-year-old puts together snappy original outfits every day that I never would have had the guts to wear into grade-school; looking back, I wish I had been braver and tried harder, but different people have different instincts, and at the time mine was merely "survival."

Arlo is the son of Mad Men creator Matt Weiner, and admits that his father's show has been a huge inspiration to him when it comes to fashion. He's already working like a designer, pulling certain garments apart and putting them together in new ways, chasing the visions that burn in his little eight-year-old brain. "The tie on my neck—that used to be the belt for my bathrobe, but I shortened it and turned it into that," he says in one of the captions. "I put the tie with the jacket because I liked the patterns together."

As a Prince of Wands, Arlo points out that we oughtn't let our fears guide our progress or determine which risks are worth taking. Confidence in one's own perspective, an adventurous spirit and a little bit of optimism can put you so far beyond the range of everyday expectation, the bullies will never even see you coming. In the Navy, they call that Dazzle Camouflage. [Via]

Previously On Arcanalogue...