On Euphoria, a dress code is merely a suggestion. Regardless of the setting or event, it is often a matter of choosing a provocative, eye-catching ensemble to turn heads. Characters regularly attended school in micro-minis, midriff-baring tops, and skintight sets without blinking an eye.
Sure, they are no longer teenagers in the third season of Sam Levinson’s HBO drama, but why would it be any different for toxic couple Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Nate’s (Jacob Elordi) wedding day? We wouldn’t want it any other way.
Last week, Maddy (Alexa Demie) spilled some hard truths, telling Cassie she has zero taste, is desperate, and tries too much. Maddy is critiquing Cassie’s content on Instagram and OnlyFans, but this read also reflects Maddy’s long-standing opinion about her former BFF.
Cassie longs for the spotlight, and becoming a bride ensures all eyes are on her; she isn’t going to waste this opportunity. But will Maddy let this event go by without settling old scores, seeing as she dated Nate first?
Euphoria has always pushed the sartorial envelope, with costume designer Heidi Bivens earning three Emmy nominations for her genre-defining work across the first two seasons (and two specials). Now, Natasha Newman-Thomas takes the costume reins in spectacular style. After establishing how these characters have (or haven’t) evolved, the wedding is the first time they have been in the same room since Lexi’s (Maude Apatow) controversial play at the end of Season 2.
It is a visual blast: the overall gaudy vibe has retro design maximalism displayed at every angle, from the $50,000 floral budget to the James Brown impersonator. While Cassie’s fantasy quickly spirals into a nightmare thanks to Nate owing a lot of money to some dangerous people, there is no forgetting how the bride or guests looked during this train wreck of a union that ends in bloodshed when the couple arrives home. It isn’t Red Wedding levels, but those stains are going to be hard to get out, and Nate might never want to wear flip-flops again.
We are entering wedding season, and Euphoria is providing more don’ts than dos style tips. Read on to find out who makes it out of the Gen Z nuptials unscathed, why it is always best to shop within your means, and who might want to rethink their outfit.
Cassie
Subtle is not in Cassie’s diary (or Levinson’s), and the bride is going all in on a showstopping corseted bodice and voluminous skirt that pretty much hits anyone in the front row. Newman-Thomas told Vanity Fair she collaborated with New York-based designer Jackson Wiederhoeft (who Sweeney has worn on the red carpet), and the corset alone cost Cassie (well, Nate) a pretty penny or two. The thigh-high slit gives it that Euphoria touch amid the traditional leaning design. I only wish there had been a montage of her trying on frocks because I know there are tackier, gem-encrusted ones in the mix before she said yes to this dress.
At the reception, Cassie ditches the skirt’s volume, leaving behind a shimmering mini to get into the party spirit. Seeing Cassie’s nipple pasties creep into shot as her corset goes lower than it should is not Cassie having a DGAF moment, but a sign that the cracks are already forming amid the campy choreography.
That cringe-worthy dance is when Cassie pulls the thread to discover that everything Nate has told her about his fiances is a lie, and a hot mess becomes their new reality. The nipple covers reappear later on when they arrive home as husband and wife. Instead of consummating the marriage, Nate gets the s--t kicked out of him, and Cassie’s beautiful bridal bodice is flecked with her own blood. Gonna need to get that dry-cleaned ASAP.
Maddy
While Maddy doesn’t stoop so low as to wear white, her interpretation of a revenge dress isn’t sending a message that she is unbothered. There is no denying that Maddy’s custom gown is the definition of gorgeous. The red carpet-ready ensemble is Maddy pulling out all the stops for her grand entrance. The crucifix chain down her back adds to the theatricality and ensures all eyes are on her behind. Maddy famously called Nate’s mother the c-word in the first season, and Marsha Jacobs (Paula Marshall) can’t believe Maddy showed her face, teeing up her ex-husband Cal (Eric Dane) to make a crack about seeing more than that.
Sure, this dress won’t get a green light on a guest attire approval subreddit, but Maddy has never cared about that. What Maddy didn’t count on was that wearing the color of envy would match her mood by the time she made an early exit. If only she had stayed long enough to see Cassie’s meltdown.
Jules
Unlike Maddy, Jules (Hunter Schafer) isn’t trying to settle an old score. It isn’t that she doesn’t have history with anyone in the wedding party (quite the opposite), but Jules arrives with her head high in the same space as the two Jacobs men who wronged her.
Instead, Jules is gift-wrapped in a pale blue bow Acne Studios gown that underscores her access to the finer things. As with Maddy, it is more red-carpet-ready than wedding-appropriate, and the transparent tulle makes Jules look more naked than she actually is. Jules looks incredible, but this is one dress I would stick on the returns pile.
BB
Not only is BB (Sophia Rose Wilson) pregnant, but the bump-framing, tomato-red short shorts body stocking is definitely better suited for the club than a wedding reception. Welcome back, BB! She definitely got the “showing skin” memo, along with other East Highland alumni—even if she is no longer in the group chat.
Lexi
In some ways, Lexi’s saccharine pink bridesmaids dress could be considered revenge for how she (accurately) depicted her sister and now-brother-in-law in the humiliating school play. It is also a tradition to ensure the bridesmaids aren’t going to outdo the bride, and Cassie is more likely thinking of that than reliving that incident. Still, Lexi comes off OK, and I only wish the multi-bow mermaid design were more hideous.
Rue
It isn’t quite the sartorial high of Rue’s (Zendaya) Season 1 Halloween tux when she took a page from the Marlene Dietrich in Morocco book, but this is a series best for Rue outside of that costume party. It is a shame she has to leave early for work and then get pulled over by the DEA, but at least she is dressed to impress in a suit that sticks to her menswear preference.
OK, some people might bristle at Rue wearing sneakers to a wedding, but Chuck Taylors are her signature and a classic, so she gets a pass from me (and not just because I wore Comme des Garçons Converse for the dance floor portion of my wedding).
Suze
One person who doesn’t care about outshining her daughter is Suze (Alanna Ubach), who gives Cassie the absolute mother of a terrible pep talk when walking down the aisle. However, Suze looks fantastic in a scarlet sequin frock with a slit that lets her get up on stage and tear the house down with the wedding band. And with her shoes in hand at the end of the night—proof she killed it on the dance floor—Suze is more than satisfied with how the day turned out. If only she knew that the red of her frock was a harbinger of what was to come.
Nate
Maybe if Nate spent less money on his tux, then he might still have his pinky toe. The Bottega Veneta formal wear looks great, but this high-end extravagance is exactly how Nate got into this financial mess in the first place. The boutonnière is another nod to spending money they don’t have, using a couple of blooms from Cassie’s dream florals.
In real life, Elordi is a Bottega Veneta brand ambassador, and we have seen him rocking tailored looks throughout award season, so the episode briefly feels like flipping the page back to that. Well, until a rogue champagne cork smacks him in the face before the night ends with an even bigger thump. Nate owes $600,000 to a loan shark who has come to collect, and it is never a great sign when your attacker removes a shoe and sock on only one foot: Bye-bye, pinky toe and any deposit on the tux (if it was a rental).
