In Stranger Things, the clothes that our favorite characters wear say a lot about who they are, where they’ve been and even what trouble they might be about to find themselves in. Against dark backdrops like the Upside Down and in action-packed scenes that involve fighting off demonic creatures, however, you may not always notice every incredible detail the show’s costume department puts into each piece and accessory. In this video, Stranger Things costume designer Amy Parris highlights some of the most iconic looks from Season 4 so fans can fully pick up on and appreciate the story the characters’ wardrobes are telling.
During the costume tour, Parris points out Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown)’s statement haptic suit, which she wears for the Nina project. The suit is not unlike her tanned suit from Seasons 1 and 2, however, for Season 4, the team designed it in white, a decision Parris made because it was “a little bit more stark and exciting to see.” The new suit also has thinner blocks than in previous seasons so that they can function more like floating pads. “When she was in the suit before, it was used as weights to bring her down into the water,” explains the customer. “Now we’re having her float.” There’s also the added bonus that, when Brown wears it, “[she] kind of looks like a superhero.”
When creating fan favorite Eddie Munson’s (Joe Quinn) signature Hellfire look, Parris and her team ensured every piece was specific to him, from his handcuff belt to the various pins and patches on his vest, which is an original Levi’s. Parris even wanted the font for his Hellfire Club shirt to look like “it was done by hand by a high school kid.”
Parris also reveals some Easter eggs that she and her team added that even the most careful viewers may not immediately see. On Robin’s Family Video employee vest, Parris points out a hawk pin that is a sly nod to Maya Hawke, the actress who portrays her. Another subtle acknowledgement was chosen by Caleb McLaughlin for his character Lucas high school basketball uniform. “The number 8 is significant for Caleb because that’s actually Kobe Bryant’s first number [in the NBA], so we thought that was a great little Easter egg to pay tribute to such an icon, in such a specific way,” Parris explains. Parris also put Nancy (Natalia Dyer) back in gloves as a fun nod to Season 1, and she and her team hand-drew Zelda-like video game images for Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo)’s “Scantron-style” shirt that he rocks early in the season — complete with a flaming sword and gigantic dragon across the back. “A lot of these details aren’t super easy to see on-camera, but I do think this is something Dustin would sit and do in class,” says the designer.
In the video, the costume designer also emphasizes pieces that exhibit just how much trial and error goes into getting a wardrobe exactly right. For example, Argyle’s Surfer Boy Pizza shirt wasn’t always the shade shown in the series. “It started off as a white shirt, and we realized we needed a punchier color,” Parris says. “So, we made it yellow, and we made a matching visor to go with it.” Even when the pieces are perfectly made, the process isn’t always over. Shoes and jackets are distressed by the costume department in order to give them a realistic, lived-in quality. And, sometimes, multiples are created to ensure that the actors are properly outfitted for many messy takes.
Character wardrobes are made up of pieces from all sorts of different sources, as seen in this clip. For a show like Stranger Things, which is set in the ’80s, many items are, unsurprisingly, vintage. But a lot of the clothing and accessories are custom-made for the characters by popular brands. Parris worked with Quiksilver, Converse, Vans and Reebok to produce pieces for the kids of Hawkins, Indiana, and Lenora Hills, California — the Quiksilver collaboration, in particular, spawned an IRL clothing collection that fans can shop. The Stranger Things x Quiksilver collection includes T-shirts, shorts and accessories inspired by the Hellfire Club and Surfer Boy Pizza, as well as pieces identical to some worn by the characters in the show — Nancy’s denim jacket, anyone? Watch the full video to learn even more details about the show’s key looks.
Quiksilver is a promotional partner of Netflix’s Stranger Things.
