The Netflix series *Stranger Things* is cult, geeky and brimming with 80s retro vibes. Despite its very young cast, the series is aimed at adults who remember the early 80s, when the series is set. If you’re into films like *E.T.*, The Goonies, Alien or series such as Twin Peaks, then Stranger Things is absolutely ideal for you, as it manages to evoke a very special sense of 80s nostalgia in those of you who can still remember what it was like to be a child or teenager in the 1980s. The TV series’ overall vibe and nostalgic undertones manage, at the same time, to turn retro items like a BMX bike or a purple printed hoodie into must-have high-fashion pieces!
It’s now been just under three weeks since the second series of *Stranger Things* premiered on Netflix – and here at TEESHOPPEN we’ve hardly been able to talk about anything other than Dustin’s new white teeth, Steve’s indispensable hair tips, Eleven’s curly locks, and… well, how on earth does Mad Max manage to beat even Dustin’s high score in the arcade game Dig Dug??
We’re absolutely mad about the series, which follows Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Will, Mad Max and Eleven on their quest to battle the dark monsters that have taken over the town, and in doing so, to seal off the entrance to ‘the Upside Down’. We love the story itself, but it’s definitely also the whole atmosphere, with those nostalgic 80s vibes, that really draws us in.
Perhaps it’s because the series is so beautifully made… but we can’t help feeling that we’d love to have the boys’ retro bikes in our own garage, play on those cool retro arcade machines ourselves, or chat to our friends on walkie-talkies. We’re completely smitten with all the retro stuff featured in the series, and perhaps that’s because the story, set in 1983, isn’t actually that far removed from our own lives.
From old-fashioned to cool retro
When the major fashion houses launch the latest fashion items for both their S/S and F/W collections, in recent years we’ve seen not only brand-new trends but also many trends originating from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Against this backdrop, the *Stranger Things* series probably premiered at exactly the right time; after all, why else would you make a series in 2016 (when the first series premiered) set in the 80s, unless you knew in some way that people would love the the ‘old-school’ clothes worn by the characters, as well as the items that have taken on prominent roles in the series, such as the cool BMX bikes or the retro walkie-talkies the boys use to communicate with one another?
Not only do we love the story and, of course, the charming characters, but we also love the world that the series’ directors, the Duffer Brothers, draw us into. It’s a world filled with the sounds of the 80s, which you’re greeted with right from the opening sequence – where you’re also met by floating neon-red letters – and a world that manages to make the 80s cool and trendy. You simply can’t help but be fascinated and thrilled by the whole 80s vibe that greets you throughout.
In the same way, you’ll fall completely in love with the cool style of the series’ characters, from Dustin’s colourful hoodies and printed T-shirts to Lucas’s letterman jackets and Mike’s striped sweatshirts and polo shirts. Items that were, of course, absolutely brilliant back in the 1980s and which today are regarded as being a bit old-fashioned actually also have a reputation for being cool and retro, which is why they’re absolutely ideal to bring back into the spotlight in 2017, when we’re seeing both outfits and individual pieces that are a mix of the very latest trends and something retro or vintage.
Get the same cool style you see in *Stranger Things*, 2017-style
Although it’s quite clear that the clothes worn by Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Will, Mad Max and Eleven in the series are from the early 80s, we can still see what’s so incredibly cool about their style, which isn’t all that surprising, because you can easily find the same items – especially those worn by the boys in the series – in today’s fashion scene.
Buy Dustin’s popular dinosaur hoodie
After ‘Stranger Things’ Series 2 premiered on Halloween this year, there was suddenly a huge demand for a vintage purple hoodie featuring the skeleton of a Brontosaurus, which the character Dustin wears in the first episode of Series 2. Demand for the hoodie was so high that The Science Museum of Minnesota had to restock it in their merchandise shop, after which their website crashed due to the overwhelming demand. However, they managed to sell 80,000 hoodies in just a single day!
It’s incredible to think that a series set in the 80s, featuring child characters, could generate such huge demand for a single purple hoodie featuring a print of the skeleton of an ancient, extinct dinosaur. But it’s also clear proof of just how popular the series is, as well as how much we actually love retro items and how keen we are to incorporate them into our style.
You can buy a remake of Dustin’s popular hoodie here in the shop, as well as other versions such as a T-shirt or crew neck.
Buy them here. (Unfortunately, this jumper is no longer available)
Bring out the retro style with simple pieces
In the series, we see lots of hoodies, zip-up hoodies, printed T-shirts, lumberjack shirts, bomber jackets and cool caps – all of which we actually see in the Danish fashion scene today too. So why not bring these items to the fore, so you can feel just as cool as ‘the Stranger Things kids’, as well as experience that nostalgia and retro ’80s vibe that we’re all completely in love with from the series.
It’s actually quite simple… a printed T-shirt is always a winner, and you can easily throw on a zip-up hoodie – either in a colour or a simple black or grey – or style it with a lumberjack shirt and leave it unbuttoned. If you want to go fully retro, just add a cap in a range of colours or one with a print. Then finish off your outfit with a classic bomber jacket or denim jacket, and you’ll definitely have a 2017-style look with hints of *Stranger Things* and the early ’80s.
Take a look here: Lumberjack shirts: A thing about checks...
TEESHOPPEN Love Stranger Things
At TEESHOPPEN, we don’t just love the cult series Stranger Things – we’re also absolutely mad about the cool retro style we see in the series, which you can easily recreate in a very simple way today. We actually reckon that the series’ popularity stems far more from the underlying 80s vibe that runs through it, as well as its charming cast, than from the slightly odd sci-fi narrative that nobody really understands how it came about anyway.
And of course, we love the series’ humour, which shines through in every single scene – even the grittier and scarier ones – because who doesn’t think Dustin is utterly charming when he goes on and on about his new ‘pearls’ in season 2?
“That’s right, she won’t be able to resist these pearls.” Dustin, Stranger Things Season 2
The series’ six main characters are simply the coolest nerds, who time and again deliver the best punchlines. You can hardly help but love Mike, Lucas, Dustin and Will when they turn up at school for Halloween dressed from head to toe in their Ghostbusters costumes and realise they’re the only ones who’ve fancied up that day… Laughing Out Loud moment right there!
You almost wish you could slip on a Ghostbusters costume yourself, turn up in the school playground and realise you’re the only one who’s had that idea – because it’s just so sweet and nerdy! And yes, of course there are the sweet moments too, because who doesn’t think it’s absolutely adorable when Mike and Eleven finally give each other a… well… Oops, spoiler alert!
Until the next series hits Netflix for Halloween in 2018, here at TEESHOPPEN we’ll certainly be riding the wave a bit longer, talking about just how brilliant we actually think the series is, and perhaps popping on Dustin’s cool purple dinosaur hoodie and dreaming that we could forget the whole series, so we could watch it all again for the very first time!
/TEESHOPPEN
