Cassie took getting the look to a whole new level, and while it appears that this is an attempt to catch Nate’s eye, it’s so much more than just clothes or a makeup look. Clothes in “Euphoria” serve as psychological profiles, with style linked to identity and plot device rather than simply being aesthetically appealing. In this story arc, the costume designer delves into Cassie’s motivations and the complexities of not only her relationships with other characters but also herself and Maddy’s healing journey, as costume designers create visual narratives that allow us to see into their psyche.
People mimic others’ fashion choices for a variety of reasons, including social belonging, comparison, conformity to norms, self-expression, and cultural influences. Furthermore, everyone’s motivation is unique, influenced by their personal history, social environment, and psychological makeup. Through this breakdown, you will gain a better understanding of how exactly styling has the power to be an empowering force of self-expression with Maddy as well as how fashion can be a form of false psychological projections between the real and ideal self. We watch Cassie’s downward spiral with aestheticized self-care
In the first season, we see the girls all have their sense of style, yet visually they are unified. One typical way that individuals try to fit in with a given social group or individual is by adopting their fashion sense and personal style. To feel accepted and validated, they strive to blend in with a certain group or person by wearing or behaving accordingly.
According to one’s chosen identity and social context, one’s fashion choices may serve as a means of self-expression, exploration, and formation but without a sense of self, a sense of style cannot emerge. One result of social influence is the propensity for individuals to change their behavior or beliefs to match those of the group; this phenomenon is called conformity. Some individuals attempt to dress like other people around them, either for social or defensive reasons. Social influences such as celebrity endorsements, peer pressure, and other similar phenomena may also play a significant role in shaping people’s fashion preferences and behaviors. It’s very healthy and usually for friends to share parts of their styles whether that’s the pieces themselves or the aesthetic values they share, but typically they put their spin on the group’s codes of dress, for example, the way Maddy customized her cheerleading uniform. In my Clueless analysis I delve deeper into fashion concerning in and out-groups, and how makeovers are powerful on an internal level but for now let’s focus on personal expression and self-identity. These concepts Maddy has down, her style evolves with her, maturing and becoming more high fashion mirroring her daring nature, collected demeanor, and artistic edge. It’s avant-garde, yet feminine and very embracive of her features.
She lives and breathes the Bill Cunningham quote “Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life.” Maddy takes no issue with sharing she passes this along to others so that they may feel empowered the same way she does through her sartorial risks and signature sense of style. She provides Lexi with tips on dressing up and confidence, but when Cassie dresses up this way, it has the exact opposite effect and this is even more detrimental as Cassie is a young girl who believes her inherent worth is tied to her looks. Cassie’s early exposure to sexualization complicated her understanding of relationships with others and her own body. In contrast, Episode 5, “A Trip Down,” of Euphoria reveals that Maddy Perez wants to be adored and cared for, but what she desires is the freedom to do as she pleases and be loved for who she is. Pageants were a big part of Maddy’s childhood, and this helped her form self-confidence while developing a knack for performance, beauty, and fashion that only develops to make her stronger.
As Cassie’s mental health spirals, she uses her body as a canvas to project outward manifestations of her self-concept that has been warped by abandonment as a child and low self-esteem. We see her build this strict routine for herself, one in the name of self-care. Self-care helps you build a positive bond with yourself and feel good about yourself. Combining this with aesthetics is so powerful it’s very similar to practicing art therapy because fashion is a form of art. I have analyzed the psychology of aestheticized self-care when it crosses the line into dangerous territory but in a nutshell. Consumer culture builds on what it sees as our “flaws” by propagating the notion that individuals may attain a greater sense of self-sufficiency, but this turns into an endless cycle in pursuit of perfection. Like the rush a high-stakes gambler gets from a bold bet, the purchase makes you feel euphoric but then has a comedown, crash, and the need to place a bet again. We watch Cassie try so many different looks, each one a bet to see if she will get what she wants. This may come across as being with Nate, but actually, it’s far deeper than this and goes back to her emotional wounds of childhood.
The costume designer in an interview with Vogue stated, “I think what you see her trying to emulate is what she wishes she was, and so more than a lot of the other characters, I feel like Cassie’s clothes are a costume. She’s still trying to figure out how to present herself to the world, and I think so much of what she does and how she dresses is about wanting to be loved.”
Previously in my video about Y2K beauty standards, we explored how many women of this era were impacted by the media deeming very specific looks as the look of success. Cassie is a girl lost, molding herself into who she feels she must become to be loved due to a lack of confidence and creativity. A person’s self-concept encompasses both their “real self” and their “ideal self,” or the version of themselves that they want to become. When people try to emulate another person’s style, it might be because they want to bring their real self closer to their ideal self and see not who, but traits, qualities, and skills they wish to hold. Very dress for the job you want. They may identify characteristics in that person’s style that they wish they had. In the finale, she sports identical Maddy-esque outfits and Jules-inspired brightly colored hair and makeup. Unknowingly, Cassie is channeling Jules while striving to capture Maddy’s allure because, in Cassie’s case, her ideal self is to be the perfect girl who is loved and cherished, while Maddy’s is confident and less concerned with fitting into that box and wants to stand on it.
People often evaluate their value by comparing themselves to others around them, whether that’s in terms of their views, abilities, or physical appearance. People can replicate the clothing choices of someone they see as more attractive, successful, or trendy to improve their sense of self-worth or social position or attractiveness. Cassie is gorgeous and in love with the idea of love, but isn’t recognizing the love looking back at her in her best friend’s eyes. Cassie’s affections for Nate disconnect her from herself. Cassie has been conditioned to believe that her value is solely based on her physical appearance. By focusing on her appearance, she has an illusion of power, but when looks aren’t enough, Cassie begins to go to extremes.
This segment of Euphoria references Single White Female. Single white female disorder or syndrome isn’t a real diagnosis but a term used in popular psychology to characterize certain antisocial tendencies so that we have the words to describe how this experience may emerge. Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh’s roles in the 1992 film “Single White Female” portrayed complex psychological dynamics, based on the novel that inspired the film. Leigh plays Fonda’s new roommate, who exhibits unsettling behavior throughout the film, going from imitating Fonda’s persona to following her and eventually resorting to violence. This distressing representation shows that Leigh wants to be Fonda, which might be a sign of mental health concerns. It’s important to recognize that while some level of influence and imitation is a normal part of human behavior, SWFS involves a more extreme and potentially harmful form of imitation that can have negative consequences for both the individual exhibiting the behavior and the person they are imitating. It’s essential to address underlying psychological issues and seek professional help if necessary to support individuals experiencing SWFS and help them develop a healthier sense of self-identity and autonomy.
People often use the clothes they wear to show the values and beliefs they have. When individuals perceive positive traits in someone and want to incorporate them into their personality, they may emulate that person’s style. Cassie takes into consideration Nate’s preferences as he is the object of her affection and her fashion choices are strongly influenced by traditional gender stereotypes pushed to extremes, as she seldom deviates from wearing baby blue and pink – colors psychologically symbolic of femininity and innocence while showcasing her figure. Very soft, dewy, natural makeup looks as well with playful pops of colors or gems. This was Cassie’s signature, but rather than evolving this in the second-to-last episode of season two, Cassie shares with Nate he may dress her. There is this scene, that looks almost as if it is a dream sequence that mirrors how out of touch the moment is. CBR writes, “[the dress] was a piece from the Moschino 2022 Spring collection designed by Jeremy Scott…[which] received some online backlash when it was released because it appeared to be infantilizing women. The collection was also a take on the 1950s housewife and suburban life, reflecting Nate’s fantasy of getting Cassie pregnant – which many fans think she is.” The portrayal of Cassie and Nate’s relationship in Season 2 of Euphoria was well highlighted with the help of the discussion around this collection. Once they became an official pair, Cassie conveyed her need for Nate to take charge of her. She modeled the relationship between a father and daughter by making him the dominant figure. Nate’s urge to dominate Cassie and treat her as his own possession was intensified by the way he used the apparel.
A phenomenon known as “psychological projection” occurs when an individual attributes their own desires, anxieties, and concerns to another person. Immaculate fashion sense may be a reflection of other good qualities or the ideals that one aspires to uphold. Some people may not be great thinkers or have much faith in their own judgment when it concerns their own style. Mimicking someone else’s style is a way to seem fashionable without taking any risks or expressing any own opinions since fashion is a universal nonverbal language. By adopting similar clothing or appearance, individuals may seek validation and acceptance from others, which can positively influence their self-esteem in the moment, but is a double-edged sword as there is a lack of independent thinking and allows for their confidence to rest in the hands of others.
The perception that Maddy’s outfits are empowering and boost her confidence, while the same attire on Cassie is deemed vulgar due to her curvier physique, perpetuates the unfair notion that larger bodies are less refined. Although it’s disheartening that this is the case on-screen and in real life, it is a fundamental aspect of Cassie’s character development and her experiences with fashion. In times of crisis, many alter their looks to exert power and control, to form a new state of being but in this case, Cassie loses what she has been taught she has to offer and it only drives her all more frustrated. She cannot carry herself well anymore. As soon as she begins to get ready she has a surge of anxiety, she loses control of her emotions, and she enters a frenetic state of wanting to make other people happy. Through the wardrobe choices she makes, Maddy can convey an air of self-assurance and dominance over her appearance. On the other hand, when Cassie imitates the manner of others, she gives off the impression of being under direction and lacking conviction. Even with the makeup looks, with Maddy it looks cohesive while on Cassie it is applied, it’s the difference between you look beautiful versus I love your makeup. While Cassie does look beautiful with the makeup, Maddy looks like Maddy in all her hairstyles, looks, and outfits.
Curvaceous women and girls are seen differently in society because of the stereotypes projected upon them, regardless of their true character or intentions. This bias reinforces the belief that smaller figures wearing similar clothing exhibit maturity, but the opposite of a curvier figure. The double standard on body types only makes Cassie’s downward spiral all the more isolated and misunderstood. I’ve delved into this with my Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn male versus female gaze.
While Euphoria High School doesn’t seem to have a strict dress code, Cassie isn’t just dealing with clothes, the same way style reflects a person’s fashion is group thinking and the messaging can be misconstrued. If you aren’t in control of the visual communication, that’s when the clothes wear you and not the other way around. Cassie is dealing also with the mental toll of existing and being sexualized, how it feels that no matter what you do, how hard you work, or how you look at the end of the day you are belittled for something you can’t control. I feel this is so uncomfortable to watch because it is so raw and real. I feel this is another element as to why Cassie is trying to control this narrative. While I think we can all see she isn’t taking the best course of action, mimicking Maddy’s look gives Cassie even less control over the image she projects while Maddy finds security in this the way Cassie did before. They were once two sides of the same coin. Before even if someone didn’t like her looks, like the scenario with McKay she took this as, “Why is he ashamed of me?” Versus with the Oklahoma outfit, she becomes defensive and concerned not about herself but the way she is being perceived.
In Cassie’s mind, her power and influence are her physical state, she views herself through the male gaze specifically Nate’s as she presents herself differently she loses sight of herself entirely. In season one, she even cheered Maddy up sharing how they should choose to be the most confident versions of themselves. In her head, the one thing she has to offer isn’t working, she becomes desperate and hypercritical of herself and others. Maddy throughout the series has spoken about confidence, and how you can fake it until you make it. This is because Maddy has a clear vision of who she is and who she is becoming so when she dresses to her idealized self, she uses her looks as a form of self-empowerment to step out into the world.
Maddy has always been one to dress up and we see her indulge in dressing up. When Maddy goes to babysit, we see her fall in love with the closet full of high fashion going as far to play dress up in another woman’s clothes, but she is like a fish in water. The same way that the Jeremy Scott dress is symbolic is the same way that this gown is a visual signifier of a turning point in Maddy’s life. Purple represents confidence, royalty, luxury, and mystery. Along with Maddy’s connection with Samantha and her personal development, the garment depicts her internal shift from seeing the world of luxury as an unreal dream to something she is willing to strive for. The sought-after vintage Norman Norell represents Maddy’s growing sense of autonomy and self-sufficiency as she learns to rely on herself for protection, stability, and security. This dress marks the return of Maddy to herself, letting go of what does not serve her and standing tall within herself. She looks even more like herself because she is drawn to these pieces.
Experiencing fashion may be done on several levels: the physical, the emotional, and the psychological. Art and fashion also have a way of making people feel at ease since they include artistic components that provide a place to belong in the world by sharing and receiving information that shapes the story of the world due to neuroaesthetics. If you are interested in learning more about why you are drawn to certain aesthetics, I have a video lesson available on the semiotics of fashion. The fashion of Euphoria made waves because it has been such a long time since a show had such distinctive costume design that not only infused but created trends. Some examples of cultural factors that might impact fashion trends are media, entertainment, and advertising. Many imitate the looks of well-known celebrities or runway shows, it’s common practice and makes style accessible, but the reasoning as to why a look is being imitated is crucial. The difference between loving the look and feeling most yourself to fulfill validation versus needing the look to alter yourself for external validation is night and day. Have you ever thought to yourself, if you had access to high fashion or lived somewhere with different weather you could dress in your true style? Your style now physically is just as real as the looks you can envision. With Maddy we see that this vision is always is apart of always part of you- your traits, personality, taste, and style. That the past doesn’t define you, this vision does and your actions to bring forth the beauty that you see as the beauty you see is a reflection of the beauty you hold.
Motivation on an individual level behind fashion can be semiotically broken down into four categories. Fashion as function for example protection, fashion as status that relates to symbols, fashion as personal values which is where personal style is developed through self-expression, and fashion as socialization which is acceptance or not. With Maddy, we learn how styling can be such an empowering force of self-expression through self-acceptance so that you can put your best face forward. With Cassie, we learn that even through trials and tribulations, your worth is so much more than how you look and that you don’t need to change or be like anyone to be loved. Everyone is deserving of love, not just romantic love, and to be treated well by oneself and others. To have the freedom and self-respect to fully be themselves.
