In a mystery show like Only Murders In The Building, the small details matter, and that extends to the care taken in regards to the outfits chosen for its three protagonists; Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez).
Mabel's style acts as a visual cue for the audience in setting her apart from Charles and Oliver, whilst also giving the audience more information about her personality and interests. Given that she's often a secretive character, particularly in the season's earliest episodes, having a distinctive wardrobe makes Mabel more accessible to viewers.
Yellow Ensemble And Beats Headphones
From her first moment on-screen, this outfit set Mabel up to be one of the show's most likable characters, instantly making her stand out in a crowd of New Yorkers and emphasizing her boldness.
As an introduction to the character, this ensemble with its orange coat, yellow sweater and hat, plaid pants, and red Beats headphones makes Mabel immediately intriguing and contrasts her to the two men whose introductions preceded her. When paired with her blunt and realist-worldview voiceover, it's a combination that quickly establishes the foundations of Mabel's character.
Painting Overalls
Mabel wears this set of paint-splattered overalls when she's working on the mural of the building that she's painting onto one of her apartment walls. The scene shows her in her natural element, making art and contemplating the situation she's in.
In contrast to some of her brighter outfits, this piece is a reminder of Mabel's current purpose for being in the Arconia - as a decorator for her aunt's apartment - emphasizing an aspect of her backstory that makes her one of OMITB's most relatable characters. Showing Mabel's interests outside of the investigation also helps to keep her a more well-rounded character.
New Year's Eve Dress
The major flashbacks in Only Murders In The Building's second episode, 'Who Is Tim Kono?' serve to show that the series has lots of tricks up its sleeve, building upon the intrigue from the first episode.
In a moment that reveals one of the show's biggest plot twists, that Mabel was childhood friends with Tim Kono (Julian Cihi), she wears a sparkly dress ready for a New Year's Eve party. The pink streaks in her hair hint at her artistic side, and whilst the outfit shows Mabel's flair, its style is a contrast to her present-day looks, showing how much has changed for her since that night.
Buckled Skirt
Mabel wears a lot of skirts over the course of the show, including this buckled taupe-colored piece which is paired with a black turtleneck, tights, and chunky-heeled black lace-up boots.
It's a very put-together outfit at a time when what Mabel is going through during the investigation has her feeling the exact opposite, and the dark colors are particularly important for when the trio sneaks into Tim's apartment to start gathering clues.
Cozy Red Sweater
A show set in New York during the colder months means that Mabel's wardrobe is necessarily packed with lots of knitwear, including a bright and cozy red sweater, which she wears with jeans and a wide black belt.
The brightness of her outfits often set her apart from most of the other characters' fashion choices, and the carefully considered colors make reference to her artistic side whilst also drawing the audience's focus, keeping her at the forefront of the story as the investigation is revealed to have such personal stakes for her.
Vinyl Trenchcoat
Mabel pairs this long vinyl-look burgundy trench coat with a cream turtleneck and her trademark hoop earrings, in an outfit that balances practicality with style.
It's a particularly interesting choice when considering that trench coats are often associated with detectives, echoing Mabel's former ambitions in her Hardy Boys friendship group and her current investigation.
Long Brown Fur Coat
Setting out on her own for answers in episode 5 of Only Murders In The Building, titled 'Twist,' Mabel wears a long brown coat that Oscar (Aaron Dominguez) references in the episode's voiceover as being "priceless."
Given that the episode has Charles and Oliver following Mabel as they've grown suspicious of her after learning about her former friendship with Tim Kono, it makes sense for Mabel to be wearing such a statement piece, which not only makes her stand out on her journey but shows how she dresses when she's going out to face the wider world.
Multicolored Sweater
When she's home alone in the still-sparse expanse of her aunt's Arconia apartment, Mabel is often seen wearing more laid-back and cozy outfits like this multicolored rainbow-knit sweater.
It's an outfit that looks as if it would provide comfort, something that Mabel is constantly seeking throughout the season, whether it be via getting justice for Tim, for Oscar, or finding closure over the death of her friend Zoe (Olivia Reis) from years prior.