A Wardrobe to Die For: Mabel’s 9 Best Outfits on ‘Only Murders in the Building’
[Warning: The following contains mild spoilers for Only Murders in the Building Season 4.]
Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez) is famous for solving murders… but despite being on the good-guys side, she’s always dressed to kill.
Whether she’s stepping out in a statement coat or holed up in front of a murder board in the Arconia with a fuzzy sweater, there’s no denying the absolute glory of Mabel’s wardrobe. In some ways, her eye-catching closet has become a character all its own. Who would Mabel be without her trademark marigold tones? A completely different person.
In celebration of Murders’ ongoing fourth season and its Emmy-nominated costumes, we hunted down some of Mabel’s best looks throughout the show’s run.
Only Murders in the Building, Season 4, Tuesdays, Hulu
The First Episode “Beats” Ensemble (Season 1 Episode 1, "True Crime")
When you think of Mabel Mora, you think of this outfit. If you’re putting together a Mabel Mora Halloween costume, you’re looking to track down this specific fuzzy jacket. The first outfit Mabel ever wore on the show, it set the mysterious Millennial apart from her older soon-to-be buddies Charles (Steve Martin) and Oliver (Martin Short) as they all stood in the elevator. It proved also right away that she has a killer sense of style. (And the coat, by the way, is by Michael Kors.)
The Party Dress (Season 1 Episode 2, "Who Is Tim Kono?")
Mabel knows how to wear the heck out of a dress, but this number carried with it an air of intrigue. What happened on the night that she wore it? The whole first season revolved around the events of that fateful party… and in this gold minidress with a black pattern, Mabel was dressed to kill.
Vinyl Trench Coat (Season 1 Episode 4, “The Sting”)
A constant throughout Mabel’s wardrobe regardless of the season, statement coats draw the viewer’s eye and emphasize the “cozy” feel of the show. This trench coat, which she again wore in the elevator with Charles and Oliver, looked both comfy and sleek.
Knit Sweater Gallery Outfit (Season 2 Episode 2, “Framed”)
Again highlighting the “cozy mystery” ambiance of the show, Mabel wears a decent number of sweaters — in Only Murders in the Building, it seems as if it’s always fall or winter. One favorite sweater-centric outfit comes from Season 2, which saw Mabel visiting then-suspect Alice (Cara Delevingne) at an art gallery. The black-and-white patterned sweater paired nicely with a pop of color in Mabel’s yellow coat.
Belted Trench Coat and Turtleneck (Season 2 Episode 6, “Performance Review”)
Costume designer Dana Covarrubias once said in an interview with W Magazine that she and the costume team joke about Murders being “a show about coats,” and Mabel’s endless array of stylish, comfy outerwear seems to prove that true. Some of that boils down to practicality, as Murders has filmed on location in New York City — but it also maintains the comforting, warm nature of the program, even though it’s technically about murder.
Rose Dress for Date Night (Season 3 Episode 2, “Ah, Love!”)
Again underlining Season 3’s Broadway influences, Mabel’s velvet dress, which she wears on a date with Tobert (Jesse Williams), took inspiration from The Phantom of the Opera. Covarrubias, in talking with The Art of Costume, mentioned that dress as incorporating the Phantom’s rose.
Houndstooth Coat (Season 3 Episode 4, “The White Room”)
In an interview with US Weekly, Covarrubias noted that Mabel’s Season 3 outfits were unique because many were inspired by specific musicals and theatre shows. This oversized, houndstooth-pattern coat by Stand Studio certainly seems destined for a run beneath dazzling lights.
Trench Coat and Plaid Shirt (Season 3 Episode 8, “Sitzprobe”)
It was also a goal of Covarrubias’ to give Mabel a more businesslike, detective-style wardrobe for the show’s third season, as she mentioned in an interview with Stylist. Those “lead detective on the case” influences show through in outfits like these, which mix Mabel’s traditional choices with classic cuts — and the character’s hallmark plaid.
Green Sequined Minidress (Season 4 Episode 1, “Once Upon a Time in the West”)
For a trip to Hollywood and an evening party with some very gung-ho executives, Mabel wore this dazzling green dress. There’s a hint of Tinseltown in the sequins, but the coloring isn’t as bright as we’d typically see from Mabel… perhaps to represent her hesitation about signing over her life rights for the movie based on the podcast.
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