Sure, the monsters and mysteries on Stranger Things season four left us spooked, but let's talk about what really matters: the totally tubular '80s style, baby!
The fourth season of the Netflix sci-fi smash hit found our favorite characters canvassing all corners of the globe, which presented a uniquely challenging endeavor for the show's costume designer, Amy Parris.
In other words, we're not (just) in Hawkins anymore.
With parts of the story moving to California—and even Russia!—it was imperative for Amy to not only capture the '80s aesthetic, but to also capture what made that aesthetic different in every setting.
"I went regional knowing we'd be in different locations," Amy exclusively told E! News' While You Were Streaming. "I knew that California would be the desert-y vibe. I found yearbooks from the region and I leaned into the idea of it being sun-soaked, pastel colors. Stuff that we don't often find in Hawkins. They're a bit brighter in color, a bit more faded from the sun."
She and her team made sure to make California look "a little more fashion forward" than their Midwestern counterparts, she said, sticking with "rich, saturated colors" in Hawkins.
The most rewarding part of the job? Seeing fans take inspiration from her original creations.
"The proudest moment is any time I see anybody re-create the outfit, whether it's a Halloween costume or it's a cosplay on Instagram," Amy, whose resume also includes Westworld and Masters of Sex, said. "To get to see other people re-create what I make is the best feeling."
For more on how Amy put together the distinct style of Stranger Things season four, keep reading.
The rag-tag look worn by Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) at the roller rink was intentionally haphazard, according to Stranger Things costume designer Amy Parris.
"She's been transplanted into this California high school," Amy explained. "You can remember back in high school. Everybody is trying to fit in. I tried to make the outfit a mixed bag of clothes she brought with her from Hawkins Mall, yet she pairs it with a plaid shirt that maybe was a hand-me-down from Will (Noah Schnapp)."
The Hellfire Club, a Dungeons & Dragons group joined by Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), has their own t-shirt, which came with very specific directions from the show's creators, the Duffer Brothers.
"The Duffer Brothers were very specific about wanting it to look handmade," Amy said, "like it was made by the kids."
Mission accomplished!
Season four presented an enticing new character for Amy to help develop: the eccentric leader of The Hellfire Club, Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn).
"I was really excited about getting to design for him," Amy said. "He's such an important character. He's so cool. We knew he'd be stuck in that one outfit the whole time, so it was great to make that very authentic."
After surviving the explosion at Starcourt Mall in season three, it was revealed that Hopper was captured by Russian soldiers and sent to a prison camp in Kamchatka, which presented another new costume challenge.
As she aptly put it, "Russia is very drab and dark and scary."
Amy knew it was important for the different settings to feel distinct.
She said she made sure the scenes in California were full of "sun-soaked, pastel colors, stuff that we don't often find in Hawkins."
Amy also described the style in California as "a little more fashion forward," so she utilized bright colors to set the mood.