By RUTH LA FERLA

The bulletproof vest is the hidden armor of counterterrorist operatives, heads of state and paranoid plutocrats. It has also been appropriated by Hollywood dignitaries and hip-hop moguls, enhancing the rogue personas of artists like the rapper 50 Cent.

So it may have been only a matter of time before aspiring hipsters embraced the style as a badge of cool.

An increased demand for vests, blazers and hooded sweatshirts tough enough to deflect a .22-caliber blast but sleek enough for a night of clubbing suggests that body armor is not just for the security-conscious. It exerts a pull on those inclined to flaunt it as a flinty fashion statement.

“The trend to protective gear is pretty strong right now,” said Richard Geist, the founder of Uncle Sam’s Army Navy Outfitters in downtown Manhattan. “It’s big with rappers, alternative types and even some women.”

Uncle Sam’s sells protective gear to the military. But most of its clients are civilians who buy bulletproof vests for as much as $1,000 or trade down to look-alike versions stripped of their armored lining ($24). Real or fake, “the look is tough,” Mr. Geist said, “and customers love it.”

Tough enough to push a fascination with military styles to new levels of ferocity. “Anything macho has extra appeal right now,” said Jeremy Gutsche, the editor of Trend Hunter magazine, an online publication. “Adding a little shock or aggression to fashion makes things that much more interesting.”

That extra fierceness appears to be the inevitable, if unsettling, expression of a defensive mind-set intensified by concerns about terrorism and increased anxiety over economic instability.

“When people are feeling less secure, there is more demand for armor,” said Nick Taylor, who is the manager of BulletProofME.com, a Web site selling tactical gear to police officers, security guards and journalists in war zones. Sales of antiballistic jackets, vests and even backpacks have risen by some 20 percent in the past year, Mr. Taylor said. Recently he has found himself fielding requests from real estate agents involved in foreclosure eviction proceedings and convenience store clerks.

Miguel Caballero, a Colombian entrepreneur, has sold trench coats, business suits, riding jackets and blazers to an A-list clientele including President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia and President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. His wealthy clients order custom-tailored Italian leather jackets that can deflect bullets from a handgun (about $6,000) or polo shirts that can cost as much as $4,000. A year ago, Mr. Caballero opened a boutique in Mexico City .

Since 9/11, “aggressive imagery has become a part of our urban environment,” said Terrence Kelleman, the owner of Dynomighty Design, which sells close-fitting T-shirts printed with the image of a bulletproof vest. The shirt is a novelty, Mr. Kelleman acknowledged, but he designed it “as an expression of that tough new reality.”

Fashion is embracing the bulletproof aesthetic, both real and, like the T-shirt at left, fake. / WWW.AFGHANCULTUREMUSEUM.ORG