Why Are People So Obsessed With This 1980s Cult’s Style?

by Isabel Slone April 2, 2018

Wild Wild Country, a new Netflix series, details the unbelievably bonkers story of how an entire ashram from India transplanted itself into the tiny town of Antelope, Oregon (pop. 40) and how the supposed utopian community quickly devolved into into a legal nightmare involving wire-tapping, immigration fraud and the single largest bioterrorism act ever to occur on US soil, in which Rajneeshees attempted to swing a local election by sprinkling salmonella on salad bars in the town of The Dalles, Oregon.

The show is already receiving plenty of praise for its masterful depiction of how the guilt-free sex loving cult members clashed with the gun-toting rural Oregonian townsfolk, but many viewers have become preoccupied with more unexpected element of the Rajneeshee story: the outfits.

Just started watching Wild Wild Country on Netflix. 6-part documentary about Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. I keep vacillating between "what the hell is wrong with these people?" and "I would totally wear that outfit."

— alyssaroyse (@alyssaroyse) March 31, 2018

i honestly rlly like the rajneesh monchrome outfit situations they had going on #WildWildCountry

— daniela c. (@danieluh) March 28, 2018

I’m watching wild wild country like uhhhh thought this was suppose to be about a cult not a dope new way of living with sick outfits. Where do I sign up??

— Jessus Christ (@jessus666christ) March 25, 2018

Wild Wild Country is great and is also a love note to how timeless tonal blocking outfits looks

— sara (@triptych_angel) March 25, 2018

gonna eat some fried chicken and watch this Wild Wild Country show. already here for their monochromatic red outfits

— Deus Ex Coping Machina (@caseyagogo) March 18, 2018

Dressed head-toe-to in “the colors of the rising or setting sun” – rich shades of vermilion, oxblood, tangerine and eggplant – the Rajneeshees maintained a distinctive monochrome style that instantly separated them from their rural Oregonian surroundings. The cult even ran their own boutique that carried only reddish hues.

There’s something about the Rajneeshee’s tequila sunrise-inspired style that suddenly feels inimitably fresh. Perhaps Rajneeshee style simply speaks to the eternal timelessness of monochromic looks. Or perhaps fashion has been stuck in a goth phase for too long and the veil is lifting, making all-colourful clothes seem appealing again? Or heck, maybe it’s just Spring? Either way, if you’re one of the many people who would consider retroactively joining the cult just to get in on the sweet outfits, here’s string of red items to make your wardrobe Rajneeshee-ready.