Why Selena Gomez's Mabel Is Finally "Dressing the Part" in 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 5

Selena Gomez's Mabel Mora says it herself in Season 5 Episode 3 of Only Murders In the Building: "I'm in a really good spot right now." The same could be said of the podcaster-turned-detective's closet, which delivered a plot twist of its own following last season's finale.

If you've watched the Emmy-winning series since 2021, you likely associate Mabel's outfits with brightly-colored coats, chunky boots, and prints aplenty. Season 5 opens up on a hardly-recognizable Mabel in all-black attire, instantly evoking brow-furrowing expressions from O.G. fans. Yes, she's mourning the mysterious loss of the Arconia's doorman, Lester. Even so, it marks a minimalist shift for the character. Costume designer Dana Covarrubias says it was a "conscious" one.

Before filming begins for another season, Covarrubias revisits the fashion from previous episodes. This time around, she followed the same ritual, except she was even more open-minded toward a fresh direction. "Watching back Season 3 and Season 4, I felt like the palette got away from me a little bit, and I wanted to hone it all in," Covarrubias tells me over Zoom from Hungary, on her next project's secret set.

At the end of Season 4, Mabel (plus, Steve Martin's Charles-Haden Savage and Martin Short's Oliver Putnam), sell the movie rights to their lives. This leaves Mabel with "a good chunk of change," to upgrade clothes borrowed from her aunt. "I was excited to see who she was with money for the first time," Covarrubias says. "She's starting to define her own style in her own voice, versus before, she was [more unsure]."

The key to make Mabel look more "classic and elegant?" Sleek suiting, inspired by the season's major mob boss plot. To recap: The deceased Lester—and his decades-long career at the Arconia—lead our protagonist trio straight to the doorman's top-secret past. They uncover an underground casino, three billionaire suspects, and even Lester's connection to an alleged New York City mobster.

"Mabel is dressing the part," one Godfather-looking suit at a time. "Dealing with these mobsters and billionaires, she's up against all these aggressive people," Covarrubias says. "You could perceive [her suits] as a weapon, because it's her tool to fight these characters."

One of Mabel's strongest "tools" was Episode 4's burgundy satin suit, courtesy of LaPointe. Turns out, the slightly-oversize set—topped with an of-the-moment silky sheen—had been in the making for multiple seasons. "[Show runner] Hoffman wanted to put Selena in a magenta or raspberry for a long time."

At first, Covarrubias believed Mabel should wear a dress to meet with Christoph Waltz, Renée Zellweger, and Logan Lerman, all of whom portray suspicious billionaires tangled in the casino's illegal web. But that "felt too feminine" to confront three (potential) murderers.

A sleek suit "on [the billionaires'] same level" was the clear frontrunner. "I think Mabel is really good at dressing for the occasion," Covarrubias says, a trait served on a silver platter by the LaPointe look. In the character's world, it's a tool to get what she needs.

Mabel's aesthetic reaches peak Godfather mode during a twisted business meeting. She negotiates a podcast deal with Wonderfy (the Only Murders version of Spotify) in a pinstripe suit set from Naked Wardrobe. The black two-piece—its heightened shoulder pads and wide-leg hems front and center—looked right at home inside a New York City skyscraper.

"Dress for the job you want," an age-old fashion adage, inspired Covarrubias's pick. "We wanted to highlight the Boss Lady vibe of her look, because that's ultimately what she's trying to do," the costume designer explains. "She's trying to prove she is qualified, prepared, and successful."

Season 5's "ripped from the headlines" script clearly guided Covarrubias's costuming. In that same vein, Gomez's looks felt accessible and most importantly, "real." The "silliness" of the series doesn't go unnoticed by Covarrubias. In fact, she believes the show's color palettes and patterns became too "cartoony" in recent seasons. "I [prefer] the costumes to be more grounded so the silliness can contrast that."

Covarrubias also wanted Mabel's attire to "foil" that of new penthouse resident, Althea. The contrasting characters—though polar opposites—were childhood friends who've grown apart. Althea's pop star persona, Thé, makes waves in Season 5 for her "bright and crazy" sweaters and skirts. "Thé thinks she knows what's in style, and is doing that to the nth degree," Covarrubias says. If Mabel picks up an understated Veronica Beard vest, Thé will choose a bubbly Rachel Antonoff cardigan.

As one of the busiest protagonists on television, Mabel requires a closet that supports her lifestyle—however chaotic it may be. "We had to dress her for everything," Covarrubias says "A single outfit had to make sense in the lobby, on the ferry, or in her apartment."

Mabel wore her most layered looks in Episode 5, during one of the trio's multi-stop escapades. Covarrubias outfitted her in another Godfather-inspired set, remixed for the girlies. A semi-sheer Acne Studios long-sleeve—starring fall's plaid trend—served as her first layer. Then, a pinstripe waistcoat and pleated pants (both with LouLou de Saison tags) juxtaposed the pattern underneath. A black leather jacket finished her casino-searching outfit.

A few scenes later, Gomez swapped plaid for stripes, by way of a semi-sheer Cordova turtleneck. Its long-sleeves peeked out from underneath a leather dress from Nanushka.

Fans first got a sneak peek of Gomez's Episode 5 look in May, due to photographers surrounding the Manhattan set. Paparazzi captured every angle of the actor's attire, which kickstarted a broader conversation about on-set spoilers. (The Devil Wears Prada 2, also filmed in New York, furthered the discourse.)

Covarrubias knows spoilers aren't going anywhere. It's a risk casts take when filming exterior scenes in big cities. She never lets paparazzi impact her costuming choices. Plus, she says a spoiler can't replace seeing an outfit in its intended scene.

"I do feel a little bit like it's gotten out of a little out of hand, when people are judging [a look] before watching the show," she says. "The costume designer is just one element of the bigger picture. The editing alone does so much for a television show. Every element of design is what should be judged, not [what's] randomly captured."

She and Gomez have put in the work to make Mabel's costumes an onscreen highlight of Only Murders in the Building. When they're filming, the actress will join Covarrubias with coffee around 4 a.m. to trade wardrobing notes. While she gives the costume designer "a generous amount of freedom," Covarrubias says with a smile, "She has her eye on the ball with who Mabel is."

Working together for five seasons straight creates a bond unlike any other. "Selena is so willing to go with whatever we think is right for the character and the scene." They'll discuss it when a piece isn't "fully Mabel." Then there are magic moments when there aren't notes: "Sometimes she won't say anything, and then that's when I know, we nailed it." Such was the case with Mabel's plaid Veronica Beard set in Episode 4.

In the first few seasons, Covarrubias didn't see many similarities between Gomez and Mabel's closets. But as time went on—and their fittings became more frequent—there was "a bit of meshing together of styles." Sophistication comes to mind, whether she's thinking of Gomez or her on-screen alter-ego.

"It's not your mama's sophisticated, though, [her look] is more modern than that," Covarrubias says. Think uncovering evidence in Veronica Beard, Favorite Daughter, or A.L.C. That's the Mabel who, in Season 5, has solved the mystery of curating a must-have wardrobe.