New Louisiana Trend Involves Fashionable Bulletproof Vests

Well, it feels like a punchline, but this is real. People across Louisiana are now working bulletproof vests into their wardrobe. In fact, a Fox 8 reporter happened to get this picture of a pair of fans at a New Orleans Pelicans game at the Smoothie King Center earlier this week. Check out these NOLA oriented bulletproof vests, with Saints and Pelicans logos...

These vests can be customized, either from the original seller, or by the owner. The fact they feature large areas of velcro on them allows you to add whatever you'd like, as long as you get it to adhere. So they likely weren't sold as "New Orleans" vests, but the fans were able to add their own logos to them.

Shreveport and Bossier residents could do the same, or mix in LSU or Dallas Cowboys logos.

Now these fashion vests have been around for a few years, but the surge in violent crime across Louisiana has apparently pushed more and more people to consider this fashion accessory. The fact the Fox 8 reporter published a photo from inside an NBA game with people wearing them shows there's a growing desire.

In a city like New Orleans, 2022 was a terrifying year. With public leaders calling it 'a horrific year'. While 2023 hasn't started in a better trend, with the city starting the year by averaging roughly one one shooting death per day in January.

Shreveport and Bossier City have also had violent starts to the new year. Including a mass shooting in Shreveport, and multiple shootings in Bossier City. One of them happening right outside a popular restaurant during rush hour.

So if you start seeing people wearing bulletproof vests casually in Shreveport or Bossier, just know its a bigger trend than we'd like to believe.