Sydney Sweeney’s numerous “wardrobe malfunctions” during her character’s season-defining wedding were part of the show’s plan.
The third episode of Euphoria‘s much-anticipated third season finally gives Cassie, played by Sweeney, the wedding of her dreams. For her fantasy wedding, Cassie assembles a $50,000 floral arrangement and a salacious bridal gown, featuring a low-cut neckline and a thigh-high slit up one side.
The dress, however, was too revealing, resulting in numerous slips during rehearsals for the happy couple’s first dance. Instead of fixing the problem for the official shoot, Sweeney, 28, and her costume designer leaned into the accidents.
“Sydney kept having nip slips,” Euphoria costume lead Natasha Newman-Thomas admitted to InStyle after the episode aired.
“OK, we’re not going to tape her in. We’re going to embrace it,” Newman-Thomas recalled thinking. “We’re going to make custom pasties out of the same hand-beaded fabric and embrace the nip slip because that’s so Cassie.”
The costume designer said the decision perfectly matched “Cassie’s psychology” of wanting to be a “princess” on her wedding.
“We really wanted her to feel special. And I wanted to make the most beautiful, sexy wedding dress with just the slightest touch of tackiness because it’s Cassie,” she continued.
Jackson Wiederhoeft, whose namesake brand designed the dress, said that it was “the type of dress where the bride wants all the s--t.”
“Best case scenario, I think you’re dressing as a form of self-expression, but there is a scenario in which you’re dressing as revenge and as a form of trying to outdo everyone,” Wiederhoeft added. “It was more about doing the most.”
Not to be outdone, numerous of Cassie’s guests arrived at the wedding in increasingly attention-grabbing outfits.
Maddy, played by Alexa Demie, attended her ex-boyfriend’s ceremony in a scantily-clad green revenge dress, featuring a matching fur scarf and a crucifix chain down her back.
Jules, played by Hunter Schafer, who shares a complex romantic past with Nate, Cassie’s husband, arrived in an equally eye-catching blue ensemble.
The bold move tracks for Sweeney, who, alongside Euphoria showrunner Sam Levinson, has divided fans for her character’s brazen turn towards OnlyFans to finance the outlandish wedding.
“Cassie is a crazy character. She will do anything and at all costs to be famous this season,” Sweeney said at the season’s L.A. premiere. “She makes a lot of wild, interesting choices.”
Sweeney has previously spoken out about Cassie’s nudity, expressing discomfort at the show’s sometimes unnecessary sexuality.
“There are moments where Cassie was supposed to be shirtless, and I would tell Sam, ‘I don’t really think that’s necessary here.’ He was like, ‘OK, we don’t need it,’” she told The Independent in 2022.
Despite vocalizing her complaints, Sweeney says Levinson, 41, has never pressured her on set.
“I’ve never felt like Sam has pushed it on me or was trying to get a nude scene into an HBO show. When I didn’t want to do it, he didn’t make me,” she said.
Season three of Euphoria airs each Sunday on HBO. Its season finale—which could be its last—will premiere on May 31.
