How the beauty of Eupho... - Financial Unions

Few television series in recent history have been as impactful on contemporary culture as Euphoria.

Not since the Rachel haircut from Friends or Cher Horowitz's all-plaid ensemble from Clueless have we seen looks from a particular show replicated to such an extent on social media and the streets, from Los Angeles to Loughrea.

The HBO show follows a group of extremely attractive adults portraying teenagers (Alexa Demie, for example, who plays 17-year-old Maddy, is 31 years old) as they struggle with sexuality, toxic relationships - romantic and platonic - and drug abuse, all through a neon-hued, glitter-specked lens.

Even if you have never sat down to watch an episode of the show, which has amassed a cult following since it first landed in 2019, its influence on the fashion industry is inescapable.

From metallic eyeshadow and rhinestone embellishments, to fur-trimmed cardigans and co-ordinated cut-out sets, the gaudy-in-a-good-way aesthetic set by the main characters in the series has guided what we deem as trendy for the best part of three years.

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Like modern day Bratz dolls, the main characters all embody a certain personality type and have a corresponding wardrobe to match their persona, circumstances and character arc.

While the lead character Rue, played by Zendaya, is the official narrator of the series, the clothing choices in the series narrate their journeys and give viewers just as many cues about their storylines as the screenplay itself.

You are what you wear
Clothing psychologically plays host to a communicative component - your outfit speaks before you do - and while the storyline of the show is dark and gritty, the wardrobe of each of the cast members is a fantasy version of teen style, ultimately showcasing how beautiful life within the make-believe world of Euphoria can be through aspirational dressing.

Narrator and main protagonist Rue dons a medley of oversized, Californian skater looks as she battles her drug addiction, often donning her late father's hoodie in moments of vulnerability.

She is our guide in the twisted world of Euphoria, but her clothing shows us that she could not be more lost, and invites us to submerge ourselves with her in the treacherous behaviour the series portrays with comfort and ease.

Popular and easily provoked, Maddy's over-the-top attitude and complex emotions are showcased through her intricate sequin eye makeup and sexy sets, while her toxic behaviour is matched by her penchant for sharp accessories and acid bright nail art.

Jules, meanwhile, opts for a hyper-sexualised but hyper feminine cyber-inspired wardrobe, which represents how she wishes to be seen by the world after struggling with gender dysphoria.

Sisters Cassie and Lexi could not be more opposite in their appearance, with Lexi adopting a twee, academia aesthetic that aptly represents her studious goals, while Cassie’s outfits always reflect how her love life is going - flirty and fitted when she is loved up, with a dour rotation of tracksuits ready on the back burner for when her ill-fated dalliances ultimately come to an end.

When it comes to Kat, her wardrobe has the most literal interpretations, as it transforms as the character embarks on a journey of discovering her sexuality and confidence through a stint as an online sex worker.

From girlish patterned shirts that hide her figure, she moves on to latex corsets and fishnets, that - many viewers of the show have pointed out - would have a student at any other high school immediately sent home for violating dress code.

At Euphoria High though, anything from leather mini-skirts to bra tops is accepted by what must be the USA’s most lenient dress code in history.

Colour
Each of the main protagonists are assigned a colour. Maddy is best known for her Y2K cut-out two-piece in the small town carnival scenes in season one, during which she delivered some of her most iconic lines, all while wearing an unforgettable outfit in her designated colour - purple.

Rue's colour is maroon, the same as her father's hand-me-down hoodie. Kat is red, and wears the colour in moments of blazing confidence.

Lexi is green, signifying the growth of her character, particularly moving from season one to two. Cassie’s wardrobe ripples between blue and baby pink, an obvious use of colour symbolism for when the emotional character is sad or in love. She also dabbles in the shades of the other characters, to signify that she doesn’t really know who she is.

Jules' colour theory is arguably the most interesting. Her dominant colour is pink, but she wavers from pastel "cyber princess" styles to acid bright 80s outfits with avant garde silhouettes, each look punctuated with elaborate hairstyles and experimental eye makeup.

Clothes have huge significance in this character’s life, as she has struggled with her gender identity as a trans woman. Layering is a heavy and eclectic part of her looks throughout the season, symbolising her character’s complexity.

Her transition to becoming herself has been far from simple and linear, and her labyrinthine approach to getting dressed each day shows how much she cares about being perceived to be herself.

The primary group that stan all things Euphoria is Gen Z, who already have a penchant for pushing the envelope and breaking out of the confines of the boundaries and binaries set by the previous generations.

One scroll through TikTok – Gen Z’s social media platform of choice – shows that the topic of the show has not just millions but billions of views - 27.2 billion to be exact.

A new makeup landscape
And it isn't the award-winning cinematography, acting, scoring or writing that is the focus of the views. It’s the style and beauty.

The makeup landscape that Euphoria was born into was one of contrast - the two leading trends were 'clean girl' makeup and e-girl makeup. Clean girl, or 'that girl’ makeup is hallmarked by dewy, light coverage skin, brushed brows, a balmy highlight and a tiny stroke of mascara, with hair curled up into a 90s claw-clip.

E-girl on the other hand is heavily inspired by emo and scene makeup of the early 2000s - harsh eyeliner with blusher, over-lined lips and fake freckles. The avant garde, runway-worthy looks that were portrayed on season one of the show caught the masses off guard, as a complete revolution on what was trendy at the time.

Escapism
It’s the fluidity and innovation of the viewers of Euphoria that make the show so special.

They take the maximalist, unrealistic and inaccessible aspects of the show’s styling and distil them down to their essence, creating a trend that will have started with the show but flourished through the creativity of the viewers – and our era of social media’s ability to make anything go viral.

The show is the ultimate escapism, from its purple neon lighting to its ability to make even the seediest of situations seem a little glamorous, but the deep meaning in the characters' dressing is the ultimate diversion for the viewer.

The show is shot like a memory. When we cast our minds back to our teens and early 20s, many of us see flashes of strobe lights, the glitter of festival confetti cannons and the intimacy of first kisses and crushes, all marred by the crippling awkwardness of poor sartorial choices and a lack of self-awareness.

Euphoria emulates the pain and the plight that is 'coming-of-age,’ but skips the cringiness of acne, braces and ill-fitting polyester outfits.

It is this lack of realism, this juxtaposition between the brutal plotlines and the ethereal aesthetics that make the show so popular with viewers, and by extension, makes its fashion and beauty looks such a phenomenon.

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How the beauty of Euphoria changed fashion as we know it