How to Make the Stranger Things Halloween Costume for Adults

Irene Lee · Oct 12, 2016

If you haven’t yet seen the Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things, first of all, whaaat? And second of all, head to Netflix right now (after reading this post I mean) for a serious binge. Stranger Things is amazing for so many reasons. It’s not only suspenseful and exciting, but it’s also perfectly cast with the sweetest child actors and is wonderfully nostalgic.

Given Stranger Things’ spookiness and ’80s-ness, come Halloween, it’s only natural that you and your gang dress up as the kids of Hawkins, Indiana. For the most part, this costume didn’t involve much DIY, but rather time spent in thrift stores. Though you may not find the exact artichoke graphic tee that Dustin wears, I feel that you can pull off these costumes just as well by simply getting the most ’80s-looking apparel you can find. It also helps that ’80s fashion is back and many retail stores have retro styles readily available. So basically, this group costume is the best and the easiest to pull off :)

Eleven Costume

Of all the outfits, I was most nervous about Eleven’s pink dress. I really lucked out finding this one at my local thrift store. I tucked a white collared shirt I found from the Brit + Co closet underneath.

The striped crew socks were from Uniqlo and visual designer Rosee brought her own sneakers and jean jacket. I tried putting a bald cap on Rosee, but instead of looking mysterious like Eleven, it just looked awkward. We decided to put a blonde wig on her and kept it looking messy and fake to perfectly encapsulate Eleven’s faux hair.

Stranger Things Halloween Eleven Costume Gif

Leggo my Eggo.

Stranger Things Eleven Halloween Costume

“No.”

Mike Costume

I got Mike’s vintage polo shirt and jacket at a thrift store. UI Designer/Engineer Scott brought his own jeans and sneakers. To convince people of Scott’s Mike-ness, I bought a Karnival Costumes Dark Bowl-Cut Wig ($18) from Amazon.

Meet Mike Wheeler. He’s the type of person who would go to the Upside Down for his friend. Plus, he toasts the best Eggos ever.

Lucas Costume

I dressed VP of Strategy, Baldwin, in a vintage striped polo and a maroon jacket, both of which I found at a thrift store, and in a black backpack. Baldwin brought his own jeans, boots and modeling chops. I didn’t add Lucas’s camo headband this time, but you can easily find a scrap of camo fabric at any fabric store to tie around your forehead.

Meet Lucas Sinclair. He’s a skeptical but fiercely loyal friend. He also has great tree-climbing and binocular skills.

Dustin Costume

Stranger Things Dustin Halloween Costume

Dustin’s vintage t-shirt and jacket were awesome thrift store finds. I bought Editor Trevor a B-G Fashion Men’s Curly Wig and Mesh Trucker Hat ($7) on Amazon. Trevor brought his own sneakers and shoes. We struggled a little with creating Dustin’s missing teeth, but in the end, we stuck some black construction paper over Trevor’s front teeth. The construction paper lasted for the photoshoot, but for a long Halloween night, you may want to try something else. If you find a great way to black-out front teeth, let me know!

Meet Dustin. He’s known for his expert compass reading and sweet toothless grin.

Stranger Things Group Halloween Costume Gif

Stop fighting guys!!!

Friends don’t lie.

Barb and Nancy Costume

Oh, Barb… she may be the most tragic character in Stranger Things. For the most part, it seemed like she only had Nancy looking out for her. Though flawed, Barb and Nancy’s friendship was super strong, and you can tell that they really cared for each other.

Stranger Things Barb and Nancy Halloween Costume

Barb Costume

Amazingly, Barb’s costume was the trickiest to put together. I went to three different stores before finding these high-waisted jeans at Ross. I bought Barb’s ruffled pink button-down from a thrift store and a red Dreamworld Pixie Cut Wig ($15) and SSS Classic Retro Glasses ($13) from Amazon. Planner Micaela brought her own white sneakers and Barb-ness.

“Nance, seriously, you’re going to be so cool it’s ridiculous.”

Nancy Costume

Nancy has a lot of variation in her wardrobe, but for this costume, I decided to go with the outfit we see her wear to school in the first episode. I found Nancy’s striped sweater, skirt and white tights at Forever 21. I got the black flats from a thrift store. Beauty Editor Misty pinned back Associate Creative Director Roxy’s bangs and gave her rosy cheeks and berry lips to complete Nancy’s sweetheart look.

“Barb? Barb?”

“Ooh, all my boys are here.”

Steve Harrington Costume

Stranger Things Steve Harrington Halloween Costume

At first, I was put off by Steve Harrington. I was like, “Nancy, he’s a tool!” But as the show progressed, Steve grew on me more and more. For his costume, I just bought this blue crew-neck sweater from a thrift store. Our model Johnny brought his own jeans, sneakers and coiffed hair.

Stranger Things Steve Harrington and Nancy Halloween Costume

“You’re an idiot, Steve Harrington.” “You’re beautiful, Nancy Wheeler.”

Hey, who’s the guy taking pictures of us?

Jonathan Costume

Stranger Things Jonathan Halloween Costume

For Jonathan’s broody look, I bought the same Forum Novelties Shag Wig ($17) from Amazon that I bought for Mike. Misty added oil to the wig and trimmed parts of it to make it look greasy and emo. I also bought a t-shirt and dark sherpa jacket from a thrift store. Channel Marketing Associate Sean brought his own sneakers and jeans.