Millie Bobby Brown Had To Be Convinced To Wear Her Goonies-Inspired Outfit In Stranger Things

To the layman, it may seem like a movie or television show set in a specific past time period would only be tricky when it comes to matters of authenticity. While this is, of course, always a factor, what the average person may not be thinking of is the other considerations that costume designers have to take into account. Namely, whether the clothes they choose for a character work not just for the period, but also for the modern-day audience watching and for the actor playing the part. Even though a costume may be historically accurate, it may look too distracting to present-day viewers. Also, the actors might be spending hours upon hours wearing a particular outfit, and as such their comfort (both physical and mental) should be taken into account.

This was the dilemma that Amy Parris found herself up against when designing costumes for the latter three seasons of Netflix's "Stranger Things," a show starring a gaggle of buzzy superstar actors that has a wide-ranging (and incredibly passionate) fanbase. Part of the conundrum that Parris faced with the fifth and final season of the series is how the season's eight episodes, with the exception of the 18 month time jump during the finale, all take place during just a handful of days. This meant that several characters would be wearing the same costume for almost every episode, including Eleven aka Jane, played by Millie Bobby Brown. As it happens, Brown was none too pleased at first with Parris' choice of costume for Eleven. Yet Parris eventually convinced her (as well as showrunners The Duffer Brothers) by explaining how the fit wasn't just for the actress' comfort, but was also a cool reference to 1985's "The Goonies," one of the main inspirations for "Stranger Things" in the first place.

As many folks pointed out upon seeing Eleven's outfit for season 5 of "Stranger Things," the fit was a deliberate nod to Josh Brolin's Brand in "The Goonies." Despite the clear nod, Amy Parris was still surprised to get some pushback on the outfit, both from Millie Bobby Brown as well as from other folks. As Parris told the New York Post:

"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 the reaction."

According to the Post article, Brown had her own side discussion with the Duffer Brothers regarding the fit, as the actress was unsure about it. Yet Parris was given a mandate by Matt and Ross Duffer to keep Eleven down to Earth and distinct from the media personality that Brown has become in real life:

"[They told me] to keep the audience from thinking about her as a celebrity. We want to remember that she is this character. So, we always pull back from keeping her a little bit too cool."

All that being said, Parris did want to make sure Eleven's status as one of the series' MVP's was still involved in the costume. So, she deliberately drew attention to the "Goonies" reference within it, as she told SFX magazine:

"Then I did that pop of the red shorts, a nod to Josh Brolin in The Goonies. I loved that."

As we all saw in the fifth season, the final fit for Eleven ended up great, giving the character one final, memorable outfit to wear that worked on multiple levels.

Although Millie Bobby Brown wasn't initially thrilled with Amy Parris' concept for Eleven's costume, Parris wasn't just thinking of aesthetics when designing it. The costume designer was also keeping in mind the realities of filming such a complex, taxing show like "Stranger Things" and the conditions it requires. As Parris explained to SFX magazine, these questions of comfort and durability were foremost on her mind when creating the costume:

"I have to consider the shoot going the entire year in Atlanta, Georgia, where the hots and colds are extreme. I know these actors are going to be wearing these outfits all season, and Millie in particular has a lot of physical activity indoors and outdoors. I had to think of an outfit that would keep her warm but not be too hot, and that is a very hard balance. It has to be comfortable. So the sweats were really important. The shoes were custom-made by Nike and they are a recreation of an '87. They are high and help protect her ankle when she's running. Then the T-shirt with the sweatshirt on top, it's layers that are comfortable, but not too hot, and they'll keep her warm."

In addition to thinking about the actress' physical well-being and protection during shooting, Parris still kept an eye on the realities of Eleven's character. Being socially stunted due to her traumatic upbringing, Parris understood that Eleven is a function over form girl, as she explained:

"She doesn't have anyone to guide her for fashion; it's purely functional, yet very '80s."

With all of this in mind, one can better appreciate how Parris managed to juggle so many aspects of one deceptively simple costume.