Hit series “Euphoria” has enticed young people the world over to experiment with expressive fashion choices, but are they missing out on finding their personal style by following the trends?
Online demand surges after each episode airs
Since the airing of season two, searches for “Euphoria” inspired fashion like “green slip dresses” and “black cut-out dresses” have skyrocketed. In fact, it’s become the most inspirational series for fashion searches across the internet and e-commerce sites.
The first season of the HBO series aired in 2019, but it’s the second season that’s really caused a stir among the style conscious. In the 48 hours following each episode airing, UK-based Love the Sales, a fashion sale aggregator, found demand surged for items featured.
Here are a few examples of the rise in demand after the following characters wore these show-stopping looks:
- After Maddy wore the trend-sparking black cut out dress, there was an +890% increase in demand for “black cut-out dresses”.
- Lexi, a character who is driving a little trend in twee, inspired a +395% in fashion demand for “plaid dresses”.
- Cassie’s stunning pink outfit drove a +247% increase in fashion demand for “pink one pieces”. The actual swimsuit from the retailer Frankies Bikinis sold out “almost instantly” and quickly amassed a wait list into the hundreds, according to Cosmopolitan.
This hype has prompted many viewers to seek out the ultra fast fashion versions of these styles. And retailers have taken note, quickly turning around looks to meet demand. But, dropping cash on cheap fakes won’t satisfy what you’re looking for.
A less obvious lesson in “Euphoria”: defy the trends
If you’ve been paying attention to the fashion choices of this season, you’ll find that Heidi Bivens, the costume designer for the breakout series, has a keen eye for using styles to bring out certain emotions that don’t necessarily need to be said. An example of this is the hilarious and horrifying scene where Cassie literally embodies Oklahoma with her baby-blue chequered knot blouse, floral mini, and pouffed-up hair. Another is Maddy rummaging through a stranger’s closet while she’s babysitting.
In scenes like these, the series gets at something really important. In addition to touching upon hard-hitting issues like drug addiction and sexual abuse, “Euphoria” also subversively shows us how fashion plays into what we’re feeling and want to tell the world about ourselves.
Just like a certain look works for Jules and not for Rue, that can also be true for us.
In the same way that each character has their own sense of individual style that communicates something about their persona, our fashion choices do the same for us. We can use this philosophy to inform how we think about the way we dress.
As cliché as it sounds, that means finding your own style that isn’t ruled by trends. Just like a certain look works for Maddy and not for Rue, that can also be true for us. When we know our personal style, we can start to deeply reject trends because at the heart of it, trends are about what other people or the zeitgeist finds cool or interesting—and not you. Ultimately, we can begin to feel as badass as our “Euphoria” friends when we take the time to define our style for ourselves.
