Few people on earth understand the importance of bulletproof materials better than the citizens of Colombia. This South American country has been rocked by decades of violence due to drug cartels (like the infamous Medellin cartel led by Pablo Escobar) and paramilitary groups. In 1992, this situation led Colombian college student Miguel Caballero to launch a line of fashion apparel with bulletproof properties.

The Miguel Caballero Baeza Blazer may not look it, but it's rated as NIJ Level II bulletproof.

The Miguel Caballero company grew rapidly, and is now a leading manufacturer of discreet protective clothing. Many world leaders and celebrities are known to wear Miguel Caballero apparel, including Steven Seagal, twelve unnamed country-leaders in Latin America, and even Barack Obama.

The Miguel Caballero Armor T-shirt recently received a Red Dot award for innovative Product Design.

Caballero himself isn't shy about testing the bulletproof clothing on live subjects — according to a 2013 Bloomberg article, he has personally shot more than 650 people without inflicting serious injury. He even shot magician David Blaine at point-blank range with a .38 revolver:

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In the video above, Blaine is wearing a product that has garnered Miguel Caballero significant attention recently: the Armor T-Shirt. This shirt won a 2016 Red Dot Product Design award in Germany, due to its high-tech and low-profile construction.

Despite weighing about two pounds (depending on size), the Armor T-Shirt is Level II certified by NIJ 0101.06, and can stop a .357 magnum round. It's also moisture- and fire-resistant, and the Thermo-Regulating system is designed to keep the wearer cool and dry. Models are available for both men and women, in black or white fabric, and range in size from XS to XXXL.

Miguel Caballero's latest Armor T-Shirt is certainly impressive, but that protection comes at a cost. It's currently available at an MSRP of $1,540 USD. For more information, check out MiguelCaballero.com/en/.

Written by Patrick McCarthy