The Stranger Things creators did a fantastic job with the recent season. Even after the finale wrapped up weeks ago, it is all anyone can talk about. From the fantastic storylines to the performances and, of course, the ultimate battle scene, Stranger Things 4 was nothing short of perfection. With CGI and other special effects being so in-our faces, the costume design often gets overshadowed.

We often forget how important wardrobe design is in the process of world-building and even emphasizing the uniqueness of a character; Eleven for instance. Costumes encapsulate the personality and the culture around the story and elevate the overall scene. Let’s see how Costume Designer Amy Parris styled Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven and the reasons behind it.

Inspiration behind Eleven’s look

Stranger Things is set in the 1980s. So it’s only fitting that the themes, music, and even the costumes are a major throwback to the 80s. GQ recently uploaded a video on YouTube with Stranger Things costume designer Amy Parris. In the 29-minute-long clip, she talks about each character and the inspiration behind their looks in Season 4.

She beautifully breaks down the memorable pieces Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven wears on the show. It was a calculated move to make her character “feel mismatched because she’s trying to figure out who she is.” In this season, Eleven is in California in a new Highschool. They wanted to capture the emotion of “trying to fit in.”

Parris explains Eleven would “have pieces that might have been hand-me-downs from Joyce, might’ve been borrowed from Will, maybe even hand-me-downs from Jonathan…” This is probably where all the flannel button-downs come into play that we see Eleven sport on the show.

Signature pieces of Eleven in Stranger Things 4

Amy Parris further decodes Eleven’s specific outfits, like the Milkshake dress. Who doesn’t remember the dress Millie wore in the Roller Rink scene where a Milkshake gets thrown at her? Describing this “leftover piece from the mall“, Parris illustrates that Eleven doesn’t know “that it’s weird to pair it with Will’s old shirt.” While creating the milkshake look, they actually threw a milkshake at the dress and waited for it to dry. The on-set artist and ager/dryer then replicated the spill on copies of the dress that the stunt double wore.

Eleven’s hospital nightgown, with the horrifying scene alongside Vecna, was another memorable look. According to Amy, they “needed a blood splatter“. As Parris is Millie’s size, she wore the hospital attire and was dragged through the blood puddles on the floor to get the desired effect. After the Duffer Brothers approved it, Eleven actually wore in on screen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN4C-WBiEqE

Who knew that so much thought goes into designing even the simplest of costumes? However, being dragged through fake blood to create the right look sounds like a lot of fun! Tell us what your favorite costumes were on Stranger Things 4.