Bulletproof clothing more common, stylish

Americas Now

Bulletproof Clothing

A bulletproof clothing company outside Bogata is seeing booming business. CCTV Correspondent Toby Muse reports.

A gun battle at a popular nightclub in Cali, Colombia turns deadly and the attack lasts 20 minutes. More than 100 rounds are shot. It’s for situations such as this that Miguel Caballero began a self-named business for new apparel – his own line of bulletproof clothing.

The clothing is made in Caballero’s factory, just outside of Bogota. The company started two decades ago at the height of Colombia’s drug wars, when massacres were daily, kidnappings frequent and all feared for their safety. He noticed people had protective clothing but didn’t want to wear it. “I had seen that bodyguards had protection but they weren’t using them. And we decided to make fashionable clothes that would protect and look good,” Caballero says.

With the clothing retailing up to $4,000, it’s no surprise that Caballero caters to those with deep pockets. The Miguel Caballero Company has dressed presidents around the world, including the Presidents of Ecuador and Colombia. And for Caballero, the fashion has become almost as important as safety. He has a team of designers creating styles for every season. Giovanni Cordero, a fashion designer for Caballero Clothing, agrees. “We realized that tastes and fashions had changed. Now we have more modern styles, while still keeping some classic styles for some of our clients,” Cordero says.

The company is constantly inventing new products to offer those who fear for their lives. And in a somewhat disturbing development, the company is now receiving requests for a line of children’s clothing, in response to a series of school shootings in the U.S.

Follow Toby Muse on Twitter @tobymuse

Bulletproof clothing more common, stylish

A gun battle at a popular nightclub in California turns deadly and the attack lasts 20 minutes. More than 100 rounds are shot. It’s for situations such as this that Miguel Caballero began a self-named business for new apparel - his own line of bulletproof clothing.

Link:
Miguel Caballero: www.miguelcaballero.com/en/