At some point, unfortunately, many of us can admit to trying to ‘change ourselves’ to impress a boy. HBO’s Euphoria has solidified the newest rising stars in Hollywood and is making serious waves in the fashion world: dresses sell out online moments after they appear onscreen, and Season 1’s perfectly-smudged glittery eyes are now an instantly recognisable makeup statement. Sydney Sweeney, whose character Cassie we see vying for the attention of her best friend Maddy’s abusive ex-boyfriend, Nate, is the embodiment of the desire to change ourselves. Perhaps one of the reasons we relate to her so much.

It’s no secret that American high schoolers wearing Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu and Prada is a stretch from the norm. The relatability of the show can only go so far, but these wardrobe choices are done for a reason. Waking up at 4:00am to undergo an eye-wateringly rigorous morning skincare routine makes no difference to Nate blanking Cassie in the school corridors. After a painful montage of endless hairstyle, makeup and outfit changes, we get a moment to breathe as Nate finally glances down at Cassie one morning. For a moment, we’re relieved alongside her — until we see what’s really happened: Cassie is wearing the same outfit as Maddy. What does Maddy have that Cassie doesn’t? Why does a beautiful girl such as Cassie continue determinedly to humiliate herself for a slight glance in a hallway from a boy who would be best suited in a prison cell? And most importantly, why does she justify this to herself in the mirror as if putting time into herself?

“Frantically trying to get Nate’s attention is, in Cassie’s mind, a demonstration of love and sacrifice: look what I’m doing for you! I can be anyone you want!”

Pastels and typically feminine silhouettes are crucial to Cassie’s trademark girl-next-door look, but these wardrobe choices lack the individuality of other characters’ more eye-catching and memorable looks. Cassie hardly ever makes statements with her clothes. This is done for a purpose. What she wants most is to be loved, even in the most superficial of ways. By opting for toned-down and traditionally feminine looks, she’s digestible and watered-down enough to be able to be seen on any man’s arm and not outshine him. Expressing very little of her own personality in her clothing means that she can transform into whatever version of herself the guy wants. As Sydney Sweeney puts it, in the series of transformations Cassie undergoes for Nate, she becomes, “all these other characters that [she] thought Nate wanted.” Frantically trying to get Nate’s attention is, in Cassie’s mind, a demonstration of love and sacrifice: look what I’m doing for you! I can be anyone you want! Just tell me which version of me you want, and I’ll be it! (One of these characters is even a ‘country music star’. In the words of Maddy: “bitch, you’d better be joking.”)

These wardrobe choices hint towards her character development — or rather, lack thereof. Cassie is still wearing the same baby pinks and blues as last season, and still falling in love with every guy she dates — even when they mistreat and degrade her. As she has sacrificed her personality in her clothes for the men she loves, there is no character to watch develop, just inner turmoil and vulnerability. Maddy, however, descends into darker colours this season as she navigates being newly single and figuring out what she truly wants for herself. She’s got a sharper, harder edge. A scene showing Nate being rushed to hospital, with both Maddy and Cassie on either side, interestingly focuses on their shoes. Cassie trips over her playful kitten heels, Maddy strides confidently in gladiators. It’s pretty clear that what Cassie is lacking, both in her wardrobe choices and within herself, is this confidence. Knowing who you are and what you want, and how you want to present yourself to the world.

Parallels between the women aside, perhaps the worst thing about Cassie’s alarm blaring at 4:00 am is the fact that, and I quote, “she loved how much time she was putting into herself.” Responses from audiences, alongside TikTok hysteria, have been cringing at Cassie’s morning routine, partly because of how painfully relatable it must be — the hold the male gaze has over our lives is much easier to succumb to than fight against, especially when it’s marketed as self-care. Funnily enough, Sweeney has revealed: “Most of those tools during Cassie’s 4:00 am manic routine I brought from my own house because that is my manic routine.” Face masks, jade rollers and shaving can be packaged to us as self-care, making us feel good, but it’s actually where capitalism and patriarchy collaborate to make money out of a constant desire for self-improvement.

“the hold the male gaze has over our lives is much easier to succumb to than fight against, especially when it’s marketed as self-care”

The male gaze is profitable. As PopSugar found out, Cassie’s entire morning routine consists of around £445 worth of products (the magazine then proceeded to give readers a slideshow of each product, and where to purchase it). Patriarchy will not collapse if we all stop shaving our legs. But when it tells us that to win the ultimate reward of a man, we must do all these things, then that’s a problem, and one that is presented well in Euphoria: “She loved the ritual, the attention to detail, the anxiety and excitement she felt in her stomach. Even if Nate pretended not to notice her, it was her way of telling him that she was his”. Euphoria is full of a range of addictions, and Cassie getting high on male validation is just one of them. So what do we take away from this? Don’t do drugs, kids.