The 1980s characters that inspired Eleven’s ‘Stranger Things’ outfit in season five
The Stranger Things mythology is not born out of a vacuum, and neither is the catalogue of inspiration that goes behind the making of the characters in the hit Netflix series. While we witnessed the fashion evolution of the central character so far with our own eyes, what we probably missed in season five was the ‘80s character that inspired Eleven’s fit.
From wearing oversized t-shirts in the debut season to swapping them for something more girly in the follow-ups, Millie Bobby Brown’s character has sartorially come a long way.
In the fifth and final season, however, Eleven wears the same outfit throughout the episodes of the first volume, a cropped sweatshirt with shorts worn over sweatpants, accessorised with a bandana tied around her neck.
As the outfit grabbed eyes and caused a buzz, the Emmy-nominated actor reportedly had some reservations about the closet piece, according to Stranger Things costume designer Amy Parris.
Parris recently shared Brown’s initial reaction to the 1980s-inspired look she chose for Eleven in the final season in a conversation with the New York Post, acknowledging that she knew the look would ultimately get a “reaction.” “It’s funny, because I’ve been starting to get comments from people that are like, ‘Shorts over sweats?’ And I’m like, it was absolutely a thing in the ‘80s! I knew this would be a reaction,” she said.
It turns out that Parris also didn’t come up with the costume without an inspirational backup. In fact, she drew inspiration from iconic ‘80s characters to curate the look viewers ultimately saw in the first four episodes of the season. “A mix of Josh Brolin from The Goonies and then Punky Brewster, with her mish-mash of cut-up clothes that just kind of grabbed as she went,” Parris continued, referencing the 1984 sitcom protagonist.
Brolin, who played Brand in The Goonies, famously sported workout clothes featuring a red bandana and a grey t-shirt layered over black shorts worn over sweatpants.
Parris also thought the choice was plot-appropriate for Stranger Things when reasoning with why Eleven’s sartorial selections are the way they are, considering the only other girl in the group, Max, is comatose. Eleven is “not thinking about fashion. Yet, she’s made it as fashionable as she can,” she explained to the outlet.
As for Brown? Well, she may have had her initial doubts. However, Parris believes, the actor eventually “got into it, once she realised how comfortable it was and how easy it was to put on.”