We will never look at a hockey mask the same way again because of Jason Voorhees. Seeing it instantly reminds us of the first time we ever watched a Friday the 13th movie, and we will always think of Jason when we see that same mask outside the films.

Yet, there’s more to the wardrobe of Friday the 13th than that infamous mask. In fact, there’s a treasure trove of trivia regarding the attire of Jason Voorhees and other Crystal Lake residents. So, take a seat by the campfire as we explore the costumes in the Friday the 13th franchise.

A Moral Dilemma

Assigning fates to characters based on their life choices is an enduring trope in slashers. It’s right up there with saying, “I’ll be right back.” The writers stuck to a dichotomy of morality and immorality when writing female characters. Jason killed women who had sex, used drugs, and dressed alluringly, whereas the virgins and prudishly-dressed were spared.

Final girl Rennie was overdressed in a shirt, a vest, and baggy pants in Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan. Meanwhile, resident bad girl Tamara offers her half-naked body to their English teacher. Can you guess what happens to her?

The Case of the Reappearing Sweater

In Friday the 13th V: A New Beginning, survivor Tommy Jarvis from The Final Chapter checks into Pinehurst Halfway House. The facility’s director is Pam Roberts, who was played by Melanie Kinnaman. Although she isn’t the main character, Pam is the movie’s “final girl.”

By the end, she and another of Jason’s potential victims fend for themselves in the woods near Pinehurst. As they run, the pink sweater wrapped around Pam’s shoulders disappears and then returns throughout the sequence. According to the Crystal Lake Memories documentary, this goof is the “bane of [Kinnaman’s] existence.” She didn’t even like the sweater.

Going 3-D

The eighties had a notable resurgence in 3-D-shot films. Jaws 3-D and Amityville 3-D were popular examples, but Friday the 13th Part III was at the forefront of this short-lived revival. It was a daring choice at the time, seeing as shooting in 3-D wouldn’t be easy for director Steve Miner—especially with his film being the first to use the Marks 3-D system.

It wound up being a learning experience for everyone involved. Something Miner and costume supervisor Sandi Love had to keep in mind was the color of the characters’ clothes; certain colors interfered with the 3-D process.

Über Jason

Jason received his most radical costume change in Jason X. Set in the far future, a space station discovers the corpse of famed killer Jason Voorhees. He’s then revived as a cyborg after coming in contact with nano-bots aboard the ship. Thus, Über Jason was born.

Kane Hodder’s costume for the role was a cumbersome one-suit with limited motion in the limbs and knees. He wore red contacts, too, that unnerved the crew. In addition, an android named Em-14 starred opposite Über Jason. Her actress (Lisa Ryder) was restricted in a corseted, full PVC outfit during the film’s action-packed conclusion.

Daddy Dearest

If there’s one moment in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood that confuses fans, it’s how Tina Shepard’s father looks at the end. Originally, actor John Otrin was going to be portrayed as equally decayed as Jason. He was in full costume and makeup, ready to shoot. However, associate producer Barbara Sachs, who did not care for horror movies, was not happy with Mr. Shepard’s rotten appearance.

Director John Carl Buechler had no time to go over Sachs’ head and get permission from producer Frank Mancuso, Jr. Hence why Tina’s father looks so bland in the finished cut.

Remake

Ten years after its debut, fans have come around to the remake, and Jason’s stunt actor Derek Mears is one reason why. The film’s effects artist, Scott Stoddard, wanted to use physical maladies—such as hair loss and skin rashes—to convey Jason’s humanity in a way other films didn’t.

On top of body makeup and fake skin, Mears wore a chest plate beneath his costume that adjusted to his muscles’ movements. To give the appearance of scoliosis, Mears put on a prosthetic hump. Something else unique to this movie was how Jason used both the burlap sack and hockey mask.

A Tale of Two Jasons

The fandom is divisive over the fifth entry A New Beginning. After sending Jason off in The Final Chapter, the producers had to come up with a new way to bring him back—and that they did.

At the end of the fourth sequel, “Jason” is actually a deranged paramedic incognito. To this day, this decision doesn’t sit well with fans. Tommy Jarvis imagines seeing Jason from time to time. So, director Danny Steinmann used different masks to distinguish between the real and fake Jasons. To tell them apart, the impostor’s mask had blue marks as opposed to red ones.

A Seminal Setup

The low return for Jason Takes Manhattan urged Paramount Pictures to sell the character rights of Jason to New Line Cinema. Director/writer Adam Marcus’ first film Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday generated polarized opinions.

For most of the movie, Jason does not even appear in person. Instead, his spirit possesses people. Viewers agree the story would have been okay for a non-Friday horror flick. In the last scene, Jason’s mask is snatched by a familiar arm—wearing Freddy Krueger’s glove was no other than Jason’s stuntman Kane Hodder. And, ten years later, we got Freddy vs. Jason.

The Sack

There was contention behind the scenes about the movie using Jason Voorhees as the killer in Friday the 13th Part 2. The timeline just didn’t make any sense.

Now, it isn’t a slasher movie unless the villain has a gimmick or wears a disguise. So, costume designer Ellen Lutter covered Jason’s face with a burlap sack. It’s rather plain-looking, but what the audience imagined was underneath the sack was scarier than what was possibly there. Lutter was also the first person to play adult Jason in the series. She appeared as him—legs only— at the beginning of Part 2.

The Mask’s Origin

Jason Voorhees did not appear in the present-day storyline until the second film. And, in that sequel, he’s not even wearing his signature mask.

The iconic Jason mask we all know and fear nowadays was first owned by the character Shelly Finkelstein in Friday the 13th III. Later in the same film, Jason dons the mask before continuing his hunt for more teenage victims.

The mask—the originator remains a source of dispute after all these years—was based on a vintage Jacques Plante Fibrosport Elite model. The one Shelly owned was modeled after a Detroit Red Wings goalie mask.