'Stranger Things': Millie Bobby Brown had major hesitation over season 5 costume?

Did you know Millie Bobby Brown was quite unsure about Eleven's new costume in Stranger Things Season 5?

As the series returns with its final chapter, fans have been talking about El's "not so fashionable" outfit in the series.


Amid all the fan reactions, costume designer Amy Parris, who has shaped the series' style over the last three seasons, said she fully expected the bold look to spark a "reaction." In an interview with The New York Post, Parris said she's already been hearing questions like, "Shorts over sweats?", which she finds funny.

She also spoke about the unusual pairing for El's outfit, explaining that it "was absolutely a thing in the '80s," adding that she "knew this would be the reaction."

The athletic outfit, a cropped sweatshirt layered with shorts worn over joggers, pulls directly from real 1980s fashion references. Parris said the inspiration was "a mix of Josh Brolin from The Goonies and Punky Brewster," referencing the retro, thrown-together style that helped shape teenage looks at the time. She also added that she studied yearbooks from the era and wanted examples from "actual people, not just Josh Brolin.


The designer also shared that Eleven's emotional arc influenced the styling. With her close friend Max still in a coma, the character no longer has someone "to guide her" on outfits. Because of that, Eleven is "not thinking about fashion," but still making an effort to "make it as fashionable as she can."

Parris added that the layered look was "a very specific '80s moment," one she expected would stir strong opinions.

Even Millie Bobby Brown initially pushed back. Parris revealed that after seeing the concept art, the 21-year-old actor privately emailed the Duffer Brothers asking, "Are you sure about this?" Later, during a fitting, Brown joked about the outfit's silhouette, saying, "I'm so glad I'm married!"

Parris described the exchange as "funny," and believes Brown came around to the look once she saw how it appeared on camera. She said the actress embraced it after realizing how "comfortable" and easy to wear it was, calling it a "fashion risk for the time."

"You know, once she saw how cute it looked on her. And it's definitely a fashion risk for the time. She got into it, I think, once she realized how comfortable it was, and how easy it was to put on."

The Duffer Brothers regularly remind Parris to avoid making Eleven too stylish, despite Brown's own rising popularity.

"Millie Bobby Brown is kind of an entity in herself," Parris said, explaining that the creators ask her to make Eleven's clothes "less cool" so audiences stay connected to the character rather than the celebrity.

"[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 making her a little bit too cool," Parris said.

The first four episodes of the final season dropped on Wednesday, November 26. Season 5 consists of eight episodes, according to Netflix's fan platform Tudum, as reported by PEOPLE. Episodes 5, 6, and 7 will drop on December 25, followed by the series finale on December 31.