Harrington is not only Steve's surname, it is a fashion statement (and I can prove it!)
This is a deep costume design and overall analysis on Steve Harrington focused on one stylistic choice that’s been with him from the pilot to the Season 5 trailer: Harrington jackets.
(But shelley what the flying fuck is this thing??? Don't worry, I'll show you!!! You'll get out of this post with a lot of knowledge on men's jacket's collars.)
As a writer and avid reader for this fandom, I know there are some things most of us agree regarding Steve's wardrobe: polo shirts, tight jeans, sweaters, colors, general 80s preppy/jock fashion. Which is cool, but I never gave too much thought to his outfits. They are hardly ever commented on in comparison to some of the teenage characters. So maybe there isn't much to look at, right? Wrong. The Strangers Things costume department is too keen on details to just throw whatever 80s piece of clothing and that's it. Especially if it's consistently appearing. And boy, this choice IS consistent! I looked through all his outfits and pretty much EVERY jacket he wears is clearly a Harrington, even the one he's sporting on the Season 5 trailer.
So as the costume nerd that I am, I started to think: can it mean something for his character? What interesting information can I get from this? What are the variations of the models he wears? Who was wearing similar jackets during the show's time period? Was it trendy? Why would I teen boy choose to wear it? This is what I got from this rabbit hole of questions. Character analysis, some interesting facts on men's fashion, comparisons to his counterparts costume choices.
(Please do not take this too seriously. I have no idea what the designers were thinking when they chose his outfits. I looked for any input on this particular matter but I couldn't find any so this is just me and my guesses.)
It will be long. I told you, I'm a costume design nerd. But if you're a fan of this character, it will be an interesting read. Since canon gives us such little insight on his psyche, we gotta gather the crumbs.
First of all, what is a Harrington jacket?
The Baracuta G9 was designed in 1937, in Manchester, with golf players in mind. It's a hip length lightweight blouson with a standing collar and elastic cuffs and waist, usually used as a transitional jacket, for spring or fall. It started being referred to as the Harrington Jacket in the 60s, due to it being a trademark for the character Rodney Harrington from American soap opera Peyton Place, which was very popular in the US. Here's a reference image of its classic design:
Now let's take a look at our friend Steve:
Stand collar with square shaped ends with two buttons ✅ ribbed elastic cuffs and waist ✅ vertical side pockets ✅ closes with zipper ✅. Honestly I can't be sure about the double zipper because I couldn't find the very model he is wearing and I desperately need new glasses, but the most important parts are there. (you might need to zoom in to see the pocket but it's there. I wanted to start with this one instead of the lighter ones that he wears because I have thoughts on why this very jacket might have been a key point to the costume designers. Also look at his James Spader on Pretty In Pink hair in the first picture. 9 years and I still find it funny.)
This is definitely the Classic Harrington™️, no discussion. It might not be a Baracuta (I couldn't find info on that), but by the 80s other brands were producing it.
Was the Harrington/G9 trendy for teens in the early 80s?
Not exactly, and that's where it gets interesting character wise. In the 50s it was an absolute fever among US teens. Baracuta gained space in America during the 40s, and in 1945 American brand McGREGOR introduced the “Scottish Drizzler” to the market to compete directly with the G9. The most notable difference is that the Drizzler has a slightly bigger collar, so sometimes men would wear it folded instead of popped up. But aside from that, it's pretty much the same jacket; so much that James Dean's famous red jacket in Rebel Without A Cause (1955) is a Drizzler, but in pop culture it's known as a G9. And if you couldn't get more rebellious heartthrob than that, Elvis Presley rocked a legit Baracuta in King Creole (1958). Those two movies, followed by Peyton Place (1964 - 1969) that gave it the Harrington title, turned this piece into a craze. Other brands began to produce them and it's safe to say that it never went totally out of fashion, but as the 70s came, it wasn't a big trend anymore, much less in the 80s.
So for a popular teenage boy to be wearing it on a regular basis, it has a lot more to do with his personal choices than with wearing what was considered cool. There is a reason why this silly dork of a boy is called King Steve by his peers. Boy's got sauce and effortlessly leading opinions.
But let's talk about HOW DID I GOT TO THOSE CONCLUSIONS
(moodboard made by costume designer Kimberly Adams for Season 1)
It's common knowledge that Steve was supposed to be an antagonist, a bully, rough and tough and a prick from head to toe, but then they decided to approach him differently due to Joe Keery’s presentation of the character. In season one, they were still deciding where to go with him, both storyline wise and style wise. It was stated by Stranger Things hairstylist Sarah Hindsgaul that it took her a while to figure his hairstyle out, so I'm guessing this also happened with the costume department. Like I said, it's hard to find specific commentary on his fits, so this is my analysis only.
During the pilot, he looks a lot like what is depicted in the moodboard, but from the second onward, it takes a dramatic turn. It feels like they saw the scenes and went "nah nah that's not it", then switched James Spader hair to James Dean (seriously, in episode 2 he looks SO James Dean!!! Whose style and looks were a big inspiration for–guess who? Steve Randle, Tom Cruise's role in The Outsiders, that came out July 1983) and caqui pants to jeans. Pretty much the whole tone was changed, except the jacket and the polo shirts.
Using this logic, and considering that not even the Duffers knew where he was gonna go as a character, this jacket is versatile in communicating which type of person he is. The structure can be preppy and sophisticated but it also can be rebellious and douche-y if necessary. It's heavily used in Ivy League fashion culture, but it's also a symbol of American rebellious heartthrobs (... And in the UK it became a big punk rock movement thing from the 70s to nowadays, funny random info). What it first states is: he is wealthy, he is a rebel without a cause who climbs girl's windows and drinks beers with his friends when his parents are not home, but gets scared of them finding out. He's vain and put together, but with a calculated pint of rebellion. Combined with his polo shirts and sweaters, a blazer would look too preppy. The classic 80s well fit leather jackets, too rebellious. The Harrington meets the two concepts in the middle.
The interesting for me is that Varsity or Letterman jackets would also fit this, all while emphasizing his jock archetype and "looking more 80s", because it's a piece that had a comeback during the decade and that was really trendy among teens. (Tommy wears a Varsity model various times through season one. He also wears a gray Harrington that looks very similar to Steve's, which I think highlights his position of "King Steve's best friend" on their school hierarchy)
What else does this fashion choice can emphasize?
Steve is a character whose peculiarities are not very specified in the show, but looking through his outfits made me think more about him. The Harrington isn't exactly what you'd associate with an 80s jock or popular guy. I think he looks for what suits him best and makes him look somewhat sophisticated but not too snobbish or too adult (probably because his dad is “a grade A asshole” and he doesn't want to resemble him, but doesn't want to get too distant from him either). He's very aware of his physical appeal and maximizes it, but it comes out really natural. The costume designer's choices show that he is not going out of his way to fit in or to be handsome, he just maximizes the features he likes in himself. It's different from Billy and Jason, for example, who want to communicate power through their clothes in a much more up-front manner. They show people that they're handsome, that they know it and put work in it. Handsomeness for them equals power over their peers. For Steve, being seen as handsome is just another Thursday, probably because coming from a traditional fancy family, he was always seen like that. As worried about his appearance as he is, he seems to want to focus on his face/hair rather than his body, but also to want to showcase a good figure. The length of the Harrington makes legs look longer and the person look taller, while the structure makes the shoulders broader and the waist slimmer, especially when used closed (which he does a lot more in seasons 1/2 than 4, indicating a sense of confidence probably gotten by having a close friendship with Robin, someone he doesn't feel the need to impress, and by the arrival of his own adulthood, with having a job and an established routine).
But let's talk about THIS babe
Well, if you were anywhere near any Stranger Things related thing in 2017 or so, you saw this look. It was on memes, Halloween costumes, official merch, Funko pops, countless gifsets. That's the moment that turned Steve from a random character to a fan-favorite and this is one of the iconic fits of the series, like El's pink dress in season one or Max's baby blue zip-up hoodie in season four.
Important note: it was pointed out to me that this one is actually a Member's Only jacket, which is an American brand that was a huge thing in the early 80s. I did a little research on it and found out that its sales and popularity peaked in 84. Interesting info! What I know now it that its design was inspired by the classic Baracuta G9 with some new details added to it, including the shoulder straps that are common in military jackets. I'll read more about the brand and its specifics to see if it changes my views on this analysis.
It's important to say that as more and more different brands started to design their own models, slight differences would appear, with more pockets or details being added to the classic model. One characteristic that still comes from the Harrington (and not a bomber or a puffer) is that specific type of collar with the buttons, the length and the zipper. Since it was designed for golfing, the collar is meant to stay up for windy days and the buttons can open or close it separately from the zipper (sometimes players would close only the collar to protect the neck and face without the risk of the zipper getting stuck)
So now, besides the season one blue navy jacket, we have a lighter blue, the vest and the grey on season two. All derivated from the same style. Four is definitely a pattern.
The reason why he'd have so many models of the same jacket opens doors for possibilities and headcanons. It says something about his personality, environment and life choices, just like Jonathan's oversized denim jackets and plaid shirts. Maybe his mom got him one for golfing and he liked how it makes him look? Maybe she used to buy them for him and then he decided to keep wearing them? *Insert here your own headcanon*? It can be a "safe" fashion choice, something he knows that works for his body, something he likes and feels secluded in. It makes him look long, tall, lean, with a slim waist, and broad shoulders. Those feel like things someone like Steve would like to highlight.
Season 3 and Season 4 – the Return of the Jedi Jacket
I went ballistic when I noticed that the Season 4 jacket is the same as Season 3. It may be silly of me, but I think it is a lovely detail.
Another thing is that the S4 outfit looks a lot like the one in Season 2, grey jacket + navy blue shirt combo, but this looks a lot more functional and adult-ish. The jacket doesn't have an elastic on the waist (another variation that is still a Harrington, better known as the Baracuta G4), it has more pockets (and that thingy above the chest pocket. I have no idea what's that called but I guess you can put a name tag in it??? It looks like it's there for the aesthetic tho, but it gives Grown Up™️ vibes) and he is wearing a polo with an undershirt instead of just a shirt. Also a smaller watch BUT I'M DRIFTING AWAY FROM THE POINT!!! The important thing is: this is a very Steve fit, but it showcases that he is growing into adulthood, becoming more responsible and having more agency over himself. By season 4, his life after graduation might not be what he wants, but it has reached a stable point. Like I said before, he's not seen with this jacket closed, which can obviously be just an aesthetic choice, but I feel that it shows that he is overall more comfortable on his skin in season 4 than he was before. As a person, he's way more open to being vulnerable and the way his fits are put together communicates us that, facilitates the body language.
Season 5 guesses
The season isn't out yet, but from promos and stills, we get a clear picture: look at Steve Harrington rocking another Harrington jacket! ✨ This traces back to the more classic model from season one. Once again, zipper, squared collar up with buttons, slander vertical pockets. This color feels even more adult-ish to me, just like the fabric. I can't state exactly what is it, but it looks more suede, probably because it is a warmer model due to the time of the year the season is set. I love this choice, Joe Keery thrives in brown and so does Steve. Maybe it wouldn't fit younger Steve, but now it does.
Last considerations
One piece of clothing can't say much without the rest of the fit, but it's noticeable through those images that there is a consistency on Steve's wardrobe. And yeah, a jacket can be just a jacket, but it's also one of the first things that will be noticed in an outfit. It's basically an "armor". Looking at the other teen male characters about his age, each one has their own signature.
There's Jonathan with his larger, probably thrifted jackets, discreet and chosen so he will go unnoticed, which is a choice that fits his personality and character arc. (I really want to analyze his fits later on, there's a lot to unpack there) Tommy, who uses a brown Varsity jacket that you can see on the collage of Steve's season 1 jacket and that is seen on the picture above with a grey Drizzler (that remember, is the USAmerican cousin of the Harrington) similar to Steve's (it looks blue on this screenshot but it's more grey-ish). Then Billy, with denim and leather, fit on his body frame, with folded sleeves when possible; it's a full 80s bad boy look. Eddie and his jacket and vest that don't need introductions (but look at how they're much more loose and frame his body in a very different way than Billy's, making him look longer instead of stronger). And finally, Jason with the Hawkins High Letterman, affirming his leadership and how the team and the school are a BIG thing for him.
Now I'm gonna get controversial 👀 as much as I love headcanons and fics where Steve wears his letterman, I don't feel like that's something that suits him canonically, if we analyze his overall wardrobe. He strikes me as the type of teen who wants to stand out for having his own beauty and charm, rather than for being part of a group. Honestly I feel he'd kinda find it tacky, walking around wearing the team's jacket. His popularity seems to be more important to others than to himself and he willingly leaves it behind to go after the people and things that matter to him. He probably owns a letterman jacket, I just don't see him wearing it much. But, with that being said, keep your fics and hcs!!! I eat that shit up.
For now, I think this is the analysis. I noticed other consistent things in his outfits, but I wanted to focus on the Harrington, since it is a type of jacket that I adore and that suits him very well. (Which came first? The surname or the jacket?) I might make other posts in the future. Both about Steve or other characters. (Send me a message or an ask if you have a suggestion)
I love researching fashion, so it can be fun!!!
I used a lot of articles and sites as a sources for this: the official Baracuta website, The Rake, analogshift (both an article on the history of the G9/Harrington and another on the history of Varsity/Letterman), atomretro, bonnegueule, a little bit of Wikipedia, Steve's page on the Stranger Things Wikia. Plus I've rewatched scenes where the outfits were key.
