World War Three but make it chic! Gen Z show off their military-inspired outfits 'in case they get drafted' in hilarious videos showing what 'life would be like in the trenches'

Daily Mail​

6 hours ago

Tensions are rising on the world stage, and Generation Z is preparing for the worst to happen by devising outfit choices.
As the world watches on at countries feuding in fear, the younger generations have chosen what their fashion choices would be should they get drafted into World War Three.
One US-based woman, Avery, shared a selection of three outfits on her TikTok channel that she would wear in case of a global conflict, which included items such as mini skirts, low-waisted trousers, and fishnet tights.
She captioned the video, which had Kesha 's Blow - with the lyrics, 'This place about blow' - playing in the background, 'First war, [I'm] kind of nervous.'
Her peers took to the comment section to show support for her ensembles. 'Our generation has to be studied,' one said. Another wrote: 'Get ready with me to flirt with the enemy.'
'We're such an unserious generation. I love it,' said a third, adding, 'Ps you look so good.'
Avery is by no means the only one preparing for an all-out war, and content creator Paulina, from New York, who goes by @paulinalambaskis, also shared a selection of outfits with her thousands of followers.
One of Paulina's outfits, which she called 'Distracting the enemy', comprised a camo bikini paired with sunglasses, a shawl, and a pair of headphones.
Another, dubbed 'Combat baddie', included a camo army jacket, a pair of micro shorts, and an off-the-shoulder brown top.
Her third and final outfit was for 'Hanging in the Barracks' and included a pair of low-slung camo trousers, a crop top, and a slouchy shoulder bag.
Elsewhere, Alanna, from New Jersey, spent time planning her outfits on fashion software. She sorted almost ten ensembles in total, which included high-heeled shoes, lingerie, and Nike trainers.
American influencer Apson leaned into army uniform more than others and added a helmet and torn clothes to his suggestions.
'First world war for many of us - here are some outfit tips,' Apson, who has nearly two million TikTok followers, said in the caption.
A BookTok influencer under the name of @readlikeagoddess shared four outfit suggestions for various occasions, ranging from 'For sneaking through abandoned cities', 'For getting secret intel from officers', and 'Camo for hiding in battle'.
Meanwhile, influencer Tay McComish ditched planning her outfits and instead joked that if WWIII broke out while she had her AirPods, she would spend time dancing rather than focusing on her war efforts.
It's not just Gen Z'ers but also high fashion brand Prada has also leaned into 'military chic', the Guardian wrote, with their khaki menswear collection offering 'simplicity in turbulent times.'
Meanwhile, a group of individuals known as 'preppers' have revealed how they believe if the apocalypse comes, they'll be more than ready for it.
As death tolls from war in various parts of the globe rise, the threat of nuclear weapons being unleashed continues to hover and fears of another pandemic are never far away, preppers have taken matters into their own hands.
The survival enthusiasts, seemingly increasing in number as political unrest and tensions between nations continues across the globe, say they're preparing now for the worst case scenario - by stockpiling food, tools and weapons, burrowing bunkers and training themselves to survive in the harshest conditions.
In Britain, social media pages for UK-based preppers suggest the community is quickly expanding, with some groups having more than 23,600 members.
When Russia invaded the Ukraine, UK shop owner Justin Jones told The Guardian he did more than a month's worth of trade in a day-and-a-half as fearful Brits stockpiled survival gear including 'gas masks, nuclear protection stuff and potassium tablets'.
The latter, potassium iodide pills, are billed as a survival aid that could counter the thyroid gland from absorbing radioactive material in a nuclear attack.
Across the Pond? The same is happening. In the US, more than 20 million Americans engage in prepping, with a 2023 survey revealing that 51 per cent of the country were 'prepared for disaster'.
Indeed, one constructor of survivalist retreats, Drew Miller, told The New Yorker, he was completely inundated with membership requests following the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump, as Americans increasingly feared civil unrest.
Bunkers, just one of many ways some engage in 'prepping', have even more recently become a status symbol for celebrities, with Mark Zuckerberg, Kim Kardashian and Post Malone among those said to have splashed the cash on post-apocalyptic accommodation.
The extent to which preppers engage in the habit appears to vary. At one extreme, there's the doomsday preppers 'readying for war, martial law and a complete deconstruction of society' while others take a more moderate approach.
Melanie Williams, a wellness advocate and mother-of-six from the UK, is less worried about total societal collapse, but say she preps to always ensure she's 'one step ahead'...
Her well-stocked larder means she is prepared to combat most 'everyday disruptions' such as 'rising food costs, supply issues, and power cuts.'
'We have all seen how quickly things can change, whether it is global events or local emergencies. It is not about panic, it is about peace of mind and staying one step ahead,' she said.
With six mouths to feed, she says she takes a 'slow and steady approach' to stockpiling, simply by 'adding one or two extra items during my regular grocery shop, things like beans, oats, or a bottle of oil.'
She says she 'decants many everyday items into glass jars and containers' so that she can see what she's got, and what might be going off, all of which she documents in written records.
'Bulkier items like large bags of rice, oats, or flour go into food-grade storage buckets to keep them safe and organised long-term.
Viewers took to the comment section on TikTok to share their thoughts on people's WW11 ensembles
'I regularly update a detailed inventory to cross off what has been used or add anything new.
'I keep a main pantry for everyday use, a separate one with surplus items, and a bulk pantry for long-term storage.'
Melanie also 'preps' by growing her own food and by investing time in reading up on and learning life skills.
'We are also learning how to raise goats, chickens, and other animals to support our self-sufficiency,' she said.
'My boys tend to be more into survival skills, so I balance practical life skills with their interests.'
It's something she's been doing for a long time, having grown up with a mother who always had at least three to six months worth of food and supplies.
Though she has always taken an interest in being 'prepared', times of turbulence has also kept her motivated.
She described the Covid-19 pandemic as a 'wake-up call' that amplified her approach.
'When people were queuing outside shops, I rarely had to because we already had what we needed at home. I have always kept a backup of essentials, something I learned from my mum growing up, she would always say to me have at least 3 to 6 months' worth of food and water.'
While it's a lifestyle she invests a lot of time in, she acknowledged that there is a broad spectrum of people who prep and their ideologies.
'Some people are private about prepping because they worry others might judge them or see it as extreme,' she said.
'Some may also keep quiet because they do not want to draw attention to themselves, and that includes being private about what they have.
'You never really know how someone might act if they are hungry or desperate,' she said, highlighting a common fear among preppers who worry about others stealing their stock.'
But for Melanie, her children are at the heart of her motivations for prepping. She said her main aim is to ensure they will be 'secure' and can have their 'needs met'.