Until the First World War, soldiers had generally dressed to impress. The British Redcoats, as the name suggests, wore bright red. The aim was to be as visible and intimidating as possible. Today this would be like walking around wearing a target.
Accurate firearms introduced the need for the opposite strategy – to become invisible. Today, the simplest form of camouflage, the colors green or beige, are synonymous with the army, but this has only been the case for less than a century.
In some situations, 21st century western technology renders traditional camouflage obsolete, being out in the open at all for an under equipped enemy is a risk – wearing a military uniform is like walking around wearing a target.
This is why Iraqi soldiers will cynically dress as civilians, by stepping out of their camouflaged clothing they become camouflaged – invisible.