University of Fitsburgh | Staying in and tuning in

HBO’s “Euphoria” has seemed to have a grip on Generation Z since it first premiered in 2019. Everyone I meet on campus is talking about the premiere of the second season, a television event like no other in recent years.

Much of the hype can be attributed to the fact that episodes are broadcast weekly at a set time, rather than all at once, leading to a kind of ongoing discourse throughout the season. Aside from bucking the streaming-era trend of releasing episodes all at once for binge-watching, Euphoria has become notable for both documenting and influencing youth fashion.

I wanted to take a look at some of the notable looks from the show and the trends that inspire them.

Photo courtesy: HBO 

Lexi Howard (Maude Apatow) is seen wearing a tartan dress with a pilgrim-style collar.

Others have written about the return of Prep and how Ivy Style seemed to be influencing current fashion, and this seems to be another example of that. Though Lexi is no Upper East Sider, this seems like a slightly more provocative version of something one could expect Blair Waldorf to sport on the CW’s “Gossip Girl.”

Photo courtesy: HBO 

Kat Hernandez (Barbie Ferreira) is seen wearing a green cardigan sweater, layered over a graphic tee with a lengthy tie-dye patterned skirt.

We have a few different Gen-Z fashion trends at work here. First, the green cardigan sweater is styled casually over a graphic tee. While in the past, cardigans may have been viewed as stuffy office wear to be worn with button-ups, Hernandez proves this not to be true. As more of us turn to thrift stores and consignment shops for eco-conscious fashion shopping, it’s only natural to see past staples reworked into hot commodities. See also — Grandpa Sweaters.

Photo courtesy: HBO 

Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney) is seen in a pale blue ruffle skirt and matching checkered crop top. In the episode, she is accused of trying to dress “like a country music star.” The outfit does seem to trek into costume territory. I might have some insight.

Vogue declared last fall that monochrome isn’t going anywhere. I briefly mentioned it in a piece from the fall semester when we caught it in a weekly roundup. It’s clear to see that this still rings to be true in winter 2022. While I can’t tell where the cowgirl getup seems to come from, it stands as a shining example for monochrome as an opportunity for expression rather than a limitation. Who knows what else can be done with outfits consisting of a single color.

Or maybe this outfit will start a new trend in and of itself — a blurring of the lines of costume and couture. Will we start to see students come to class in outfits resembling astronauts? Dead celebrities?

Colin writes about student life and youth culture at Pitt. Reach out to him at CMK172@pitt.edu.