The world of Stranger Things is a tapestry woven from perfect ’80s nostalgia and meticulous detail. Since Season 3, lead costume designer Amy Parris (who also honed her craft on films like Her and A Wrinkle in Time) has been the master storyteller behind many of the show’s most iconic looks: the legendary Scoops Ahoy uniforms, the Hellfire T-shirts, and Max’s defining skate-punk style.
Parris approaches costume design as a form of storytelling, using clothes to sell the authenticity of the 80s setting and deepen character arcs. But sometimes, a tiny detail can take on a life of its own once it reaches the fandom.
The Mystery of the Clock-Key Pendant
While promoting the final volume of the series, Amy Parris sat down with Den of Geek and reflected on one small accessory from Season 4 that sparked massive fan speculation: Ms. Kelley’s necklace.
Ms. Kelley (Regina Ting Chen), the high school guidance counselor, wore a delicate pendant featuring a clock and a key. Parris confessed that the intent behind the necklace was purely symbolic and visual.
“The high school guidance counselor’s necklace! It had a little clock on it, like a clock-key pendant,” Parris recalled. “Some fans saw it and immediately started speculating that she might be connected to Vecna, which definitely wasn’t my intention. I just liked the idea of using the clock symbol throughout the series.”
Parris admitted she was so obsessed with integrating the signature Vecna/Henry Creel motif that she tried putting clocks everywhere—even printing a clock-patterned fabric for Virginia Creel’s dress, though it was ultimately vetoed. Even after the Duffer Brothers told her she didn’t need to put the clock on everything, she added the necklace anyway. She certainly didn’t expect it to launch a massive fan theory about Ms. Kelley being an accomplice!
Storytelling and the Unintentional Clue
For Parris, moments like this highlight how costume design can take on an unexpected life of its own. “It’s funny. Something so tiny, just an accessory, can completely change the way people interpret a character,” she says. “I love that fans notice these little details, even if they’re not meant to be clues. It reminds me that costume design isn’t just about making something look good on camera. It’s about storytelling, symbolism, and sometimes, the unexpected ways the audience connects with the world we’ve built.”
This fan scrutiny is typical, especially when it comes to the character with the most unconventional wardrobe: Eleven. Parris acknowledges the fan confusion over El’s Season 5 look—the shorts-over-joggers and cropped sweatshirt—which was partially inspired by Josh Brolin’s costume in The Goonies. Parris defends the choice as pure character storytelling. “I saw a comment from somebody who was like, ‘Why did she look like she got dressed in the dark?’ And I’m like, ‘That’s the point! You’re doing it. You’re paying attention to the story.’ She should not look straight-up fashionable, because how would she know how to do that? She’s from another dimension!”
The Power of Character Collaboration
Parris is also quick to credit the Stranger Things cast for collaborating on their looks, ensuring the clothes reflect their characters’ reality and emotional state.
She cites Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers) as particularly influential, noting that Ryder wanted to keep Joyce wearing the same few pieces throughout the show. “The mall’s gone, so Joyce is recycling a lot of pieces,” Parris explains, stressing that Joyce is a broke, single mom who isn’t focused on fashion, especially when the town is under quarantine. This is why fans have already spotted outfits from Seasons 1, 2, and 4 making a return in the final volume.
Another collaboration between Parris and Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley) resulted in a stunning meta-callback to Ryder’s own history. Hawke wanted to pay homage to a famous Winona Ryder look from the early ’90s: a Tom Waits shirt with a black belt and denim jeans. Because Robin and Joyce finally share significant scenes in the final season, Hawke wanted to recreate that image, which Parris was happy to facilitate.
You may be obsessed with the little details in Stranger Things, but Amy Parris is “digging back into photos of Winona Ryder from decades ago and recreating them” obsessed. Luckily for us, her commitment ensures that the costuming of the final season will be as symbolic and memorable as the story itself.
