#wwmbw

In honor of Malec Month and Magnus Week, here's an overview of our favorite warlock's fashion over time:

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 18th Century Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 1878 Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 1903 Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 1950s-90s Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 2007 Edition (Part 1)

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 2007 Edition (Part 2)

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 2007 Edition (Part 3)

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 2008-2010 Edition

We hear a lot about Magnus's fashion in 2007, so I'm splitting this up into several posts to avoid it getting monstrously long. Here's the first part:

City of Bones

The man blocking the doorway was as tall and thin as a rail, his hair a crown of dense black spikes. Clary guessed from the curve of his sleepy eyes and the gold tone of his evenly tanned skin that he was part Asian. He wore jeans and a black shirt covered with dozens of metal buckles. His eyes were crusted with a raccoon mask of charcoal glitter, his lips painted a dark shade of blue. He raked a ring-laden hand through his spiked hair and regarded them thoughtfully.

The warlock answered his door wearing a silk kimono printed with dragons, a gold turban, and an expression of barely controlled annoyance.

Kissed: Magnus and Alec’s First Kiss

Compared to the first time Alec had seen him, he looked fairly normal. His black hair stood up in spikes, and he looked sleepy; his face, even with its cat’s eyes, very young. He wore a black t-shirt with the words ONE MILLION DOLLARS picked out across the chest in sequins, and jeans that hung low on his hips, low enough that Alec looked away, down at his shoes. Which were boring.

“The Course of True Love (And First Dates),” The Bane Chronicles

He had selected a date outfit of red Ferragamo pants, matching shoes, and a black silk waistcoat that Magnus wore without a shirt because it did amazing things for his arms and shoulders.

“Come on,” said Magnus, and grabbed a red leather duster. “We’re going to dinner.”

“What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything (And Who You’re Not Officially Dating Anyway),” The Bane Chronicles

This was Magnus’s home, she had arrived early, and Magnus felt entirely within his rights to be dressed in nothing but black silk pajama bottoms decorated with a pattern of tigers and flamingos dancing. He did realize that the pants were sliding down his hips a fraction, and pulled them up.

When Magnus emerged from his room wearing maroon leather pants and a glittering cowl-neck sweater, which had come with a jaunty little matching scarf, Caroline looked at him with a cool distance that suggested she did not find it to be a huge improvement on his pajama pants.

See also:

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 18th Century Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 1878 Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 1903 Edition

Magnus Bane's fashion in the 20th century, between The Last Hours and The Mortal Instruments:

“Saving Raphael Santiago,” The Bane Chronicles (late summer, 1953)

On the covers of books and in films, most detectives looked like they were dressed up in Sunday suits for a small-town jamboree. Magnus wished to wash away the stain of his newly adopted profession and dress in a way that was both suitable to the profession, pleasing to the eye, and on the cutting edge of fashion. He ditched the trench coat and added some green velvet cuffs to his gray suit jacket, along with a curly-brimmed bowler hat.

The heat was so awful that he had to take off his jacket as soon as he set foot out of doors, but it was the thought that counted, and besides, he was wearing emerald-green suspenders.

He knew he looked extremely sharp. He was wearing an amazing brocade tie.

“What Really Happened In Peru,” The Bane Chronicles (1962)

Magnus was wearing more than a dozen scarves all in different colors and carefully arrayed to swirl about him like a fantastic rainbow.

“The Fall of the Hotel Dumort,” The Bane Chronicles (June 1977)

Magnus looked down at his red-plaid-and-black-vinyl oversize suit with a shredded T-shirt underneath. It was au courant for the London punk set, but New York wasn’t quite there yet.

For the occasion Magnus had decided to skip his new look. There would be no punk here—no vinyl or fishnet. Tonight was a Halston suit, black, with wide satin lapels. This passed the test, and he got a nod and a light smile.

“The Last Stand of the New York Institute,” The Bane Chronicles (1989)

Magnus was used to a certain amount of attention. His clothing invited it. He wore silver Doc Martens, artfully torn jeans so huge that only a narrow shining silver belt prevented them from slipping entirely off, and a pink T-shirt so big that it exposed collarbones and quite a slice of chest—the kind of clothing that made people think about nakedness. Small earrings rimmed one ear, ending in a larger one swinging from his earlobe, an earring shaped like a large silver cat wearing a crown and a smirk. A silver ankh necklace rested at the point over his heart, and he had shrugged on a tailored black jacket with jet bead trimming, more to complement the ensemble than to protect against the night air. The look was completed by a Mohawk boasting a deep pink stripe.

“The Last Stand of the New York Institute,” The Bane Chronicles (1993)

If he wished to forgo a shirt and wear scarlet drawstring pajamas patterned with black polar bears, and a black silk bed jacket, he could do so.

See also:

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 18th Century Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 1878 Edition

Magnus Bane's evolving fashion after The Mortal Instruments, including his first appearances as "fashionable teacher" and "fashionable dad":

“Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy,” Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy

Sitting on the stone bench in the middle of the garden were Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood, a Shadowhunter who was tall and dark and fairly strong and silent, at least around Simon. Magnus was chatty, though, had the aforementioned cat eyes and magic powers, and was currently wearing a clinging T-shirt in a zebra-stripe pattern with pink accents.

“Born to Endless Night,” Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy

Magnus had decided to dress with quiet dignity, as befitted an educator, and was wearing a black shirt and tailored pants. He was also, for that stylish educator touch, wearing a short robe over the shirt, but the glittering gold thread running through the robe was very subtle.

After a short while Magnus emerged from the attic suite dressed in skintight black clothes and a shimmering gold robe. His hair was still wrecked, going every which way as if Magnus had been caught in a small personal tempest, but Simon was not going to quibble about the hair of his potential savior.

Magnus answered the door. He was wearing jeans and a loose, frayed T-shirt, holding the baby, and he looked very tired.

[George] paused and looked over at Magnus, who had changed into a black gauze shirt with blue sequins twinkling underneath.

The Lost Book of the White

With a flourish, [Magnus] divested himself of the robe, letting it fall into a pool of black silk around his feet. Underneath, he wore navy pajamas covered in small white anchors.

They said their good-byes to Maia, and she disappeared just as Magnus appeared at the door of the Sanctuary. He’d changed clothes—only the Angel knew where he had gotten the new outfit from—and was now in a velvet suit in dark navy, with a matching navy shirt and tie.

The warlock’s hair was, strangely, soaking wet, and spiked angrily up above his head. His clothes were dry, but they were not the same clothes he had been wearing when they went through the Portal. Alec was a little disappointed—he loved Magnus in a suit—but Magnus had perhaps wisely chosen to blend in, in black jeans, a sleek black button-down shirt, and a black leather motorcycle jacket. He looked like a sexy urban race-car driver.

Magnus was dressed for comfort at home. In fact, he was wearing one of Alec’s sweaters, the thick worn fabric slipping to one side on his narrower shoulders. As with most things, Magnus made it look good.

See also:

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 18th Century Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 1878 Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 1903 Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 1950s-90s Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 2007 Edition (Part 1)

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 2007 Edition (Part 2)

City of Ashes

The High Warlock was wearing black leather pants, a belt with a buckle in the shape of a jeweled M, and a cobalt-blue Prussian military jacket open over a white lace shirt. He shimmered with layers of glitter.

Magnus swept toward them. He was wearing a floor-length green silk dressing gown open over a silver mesh shirt and black jeans. A glittering red stone winked in his left ear.

His hair was wrapped in a towel and he was dressed in a blue satin tracksuit with silver stripes down the side.

As he drew closer, she saw that his hair, normally spiked up and glittered like a disco ball, hung cleanly past his ears like a sheet of black silk. The rainbow leather pants had been replaced by a neat, old-fashioned dark suit and a black frock coat with glimmering silver buttons. His cat’s eyes glowed amber and green.

City of Glass

It was hard to miss Magnus—he was wearing a splash-painted white T-shirt over rainbow leather trousers.

A tall figure materialized out of the shadows, hair sticking up in a corona of ungainly spikes. He wore a black silk suit over a shimmering emerald green shirt, and brightly jeweled rings on his narrow fingers. There were fancy boots involved as well, and a good deal of glitter.

But the person who stepped out of the front door was tall and thin, with short, spiky dark hair. He was wearing a gold mesh vest and a pair of silk pajama pants. He regarded Clary with mild interest, puffing gently on a fantastically large pipe as he did so.

It was Magnus Bane, wearing a long and glittering coat, multiple hoops in his ears, and a roguish expression.

He wore a long, dark coat buttoned up to the throat, and his black hair was pulled back from his face.

He was dressed like a Victorian gentleman, in a long black frock coat over a violet silk vest. A square pocket handkerchief embroidered with the initials M. B. protruded from his vest pocket.

The Red Scrolls of Magic

Magnus was wearing black leather trousers, the material sleeking along his long legs as if the lean muscle had been dipped in ink. His belt was a metal snake, the links scales and the buckle a cobra's head with sapphire eyes. His cowl-neck shirt was a waterfall of midnight-blue and indigo sequins, dipping low in front to show not only collarbones but a long stretch of skin.

In the end, Magnus was sporting a shimmering white suit decorated with what looked like iridescent dragon scales, wreathing him in opalescent light. He wore an ivory cloak that hung to his knees, and the collar of his shirt was undone, pearly material curling against the brown of his skin.

Magnus’s head was tipped back, his shimmering white suit rumpled like bedsheets in the morning, his white cloak swaying after him like a moonbeam. His mirrorlike mask was askew, his black hair wild, his slim body arching with the dance, and wrapped around his fingers like ten shimmering rings was the light of his magic, casting a spotlight on one dancer, the another.

Magnus waved, snapped his fingers, and was instantly wearing a burgundy T-shirt with a plunging V-neck, a jaunty silk scarf, and a pair of skinny jeans.

He stood and waved a hand, and his wet towel transformed itself into jeans and a dark blue shirt scattered with yellow stars.

City of Fallen Angels

She flipped through the photos on Jace’s phone and giggled. Alec and Magnus standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, Alec wearing jeans as usual and Magnus wearing a striped fisherman’s sweater, leather pants, and an insane beret. In the Boboli Gardens, Alec was still wearing jeans, and Magnus was wearing an enormous Venetian cloak and a gondolier’s hat. He looked like the Phantom of the Opera. In front of the Prado he was wearing a sparkling matador jacket and platform boots, while Alec appeared to be calmly feeding a pigeon in the background.

Alec was dressed in a sober black suit; Magnus, to Simon’s surprise, was similarly dressed, with the addition of a long white silk scarf with tasseled ends and a pair of white gloves. His hair stood up like it always did, but for a change he was devoid of glitter.

See also:

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 18th Century Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 1878 Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 1903 Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 1950s-90s Edition

This is it, for now! The last installment of Magnus's fashion as we've seen it so far.

“The Land I Lost,” Ghosts of the Shadow Market

Carefully, since Magnus was still holding a bubbling jar, he slid his arms around Magnus's waist, linking his hands together over the embossed buckle of Magnus's belt. The T-shirt Magnus was wearing had a dramatic scoop neckline, so Alec put his face down in the smooth bare expanse of skin and breathed in the smell of sandalwood and spell ingredients.

Magnus was standing in the room, with Rafe beside him. Magnus was wearing a red-and-gold silk robe, and Rafe’s face was tipped up to watch him as he produced a low, soothing stream of Spanish. […] Underneath he was wearing a tunic shirt shimmering with gold thread, and loose ratty gray sweatpants.

Lady Midnight

[Emma] broke off as a man ambled into the room, hands in pockets. He looked about twenty, tall, with spiked black hair and cat’s eyes. He wore a white suit that contrasted crisply with his brown skin.

In the middle of the room stood Magnus Bane, resplendent in an elegant outfit: a brocade jacket and trousers, his fingers adorned with dozens of rings.

Lord of Shadows

Walking toward them was a tall man with short, black, spiked hair. He was clearly a warlock: His eyes were cat’s eyes, with slit pupils, green and gold. He wore a charcoal trench coat dramatically lined with red that swept out behind him when he walked.

Magnus Bane appeared in their kitchen, wrapped in a long black coat, his right hand sparking blue fire, his expression thunderous.

Queen of Air and Darkness

[Julian] knocked and Magnus opened it, looking pinched and unusually pale. He wore a black T-shirt and jeans with a blue silk robe thrown over them. His hands were bare of their usual rings.

Surrounding the kindling were Alec and Magnus, Simon and Isabelle, all in ritual mourning clothes, even little Max and Rafe.

Magnus, dressed somberly in dark colors, was helping a geared-up Alec strap on his quiver of arrows.

[Magnus] was in full warlock regalia–a cloak of black sewn with silver stars, silver chains at his throat and wrists, hair spiked to maximum height. Blue fire spread from his hands.

Jace stepped forward to help Alec into a dark blue gear jacket printed with golden runes, while Catarina draped a cobalt-and-gilt silk jacket around Magnus’ shoulders.

“The Lost World,” Ghosts of the Shadow Market

Jem and Tessa both cried out, crouching down. And then Magnus was there in green silk pajamas beautifully embroidered with Pokémon.”

[Ty] was asleep when Catarina Loss returned with a tray of food, and still sleep when Magnus Bane came through the door several hours later in a puffy scarlet down parka trimmed in black fake fur that came all the way down to his ankles. He looked as if he had been mostly swallowed by a very fat eiderdown dragon.

“Forever Fallen,” Ghosts of the Shadow Market

It was odd to see Magnus whole and well, sitting under a cherry blossom tree. He was wearing buckled purple boots, skinny jeans, and a tank top that had BABE WITH THE POWER scrawled on it in pixie dust.

See also:

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 18th Century Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 1878 Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 1903 Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 1950s-90s Edition

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 2007 Edition (Part 1)

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 2007 Edition (Part 2)

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 2007 Edition (Part 3)

What Would Magnus Bane Wear? — 2008-2010 Edition

I'm quite taken with Magnus Bane's evolving fashion over the years, so I started noting the descriptions of his outfits from each of the books. They feel like too much for a single post, so I'll start with his fashion from the 18th century (everything I could find from before The Infernal Devices):

"What Really Happened in Peru," The Bane Chronicles

Magnus awoke in his roadside inn just outside Lima, and once he had arrayed himself in an embroidered waistcoat, breeches, and shining buckled shoes, he went in search of breakfast.

When his particular expertise was called for, he brought Ragnor with him. They boarded the ship in the Salaverry harbor together, both dressed in their greatest finery. Magnus was wearing his largest hat, with an ostrich feather plume.

"The Runaway Queen," The Bane Chronicles

It was brutally hot inside his cabriolet as it bumped its way along. Magnus had animated one of his magnificent Chinese fans, and it flapped ineffectively at him, barely stirring the breeze. It was, if he was completely honest with himself (and he did not want to be), a bit too hot for this new striped blue-and-rose-colored coat, made of taffeta and satin, and the silk faille waistcoat embroidered with a scene of birds and cherubs. The wing collar, and the wig, and the silk breeches, the wonderful new gloves in the most delicate lemon yellow … it was all a bit warm.

They wore long, workmanlike pants, and they cast long, judgmental looks at Magnus’s own exquisite breeches, which matched the rose-colored stripe in his jacket, and his faintly silver stockings.

A look at Magnus Bane's fashion in The Infernal Devices:

Clockwork Angel

[Tessa] whirled and saw that a tall man had appeared just behind her, as soundlessly as if he had drifted there like smoke. He wore an elaborate brocade jacket, like something out of the previous century, with a riot of white lace at his collar and cuffs. Below the long jacket Tessa glimpsed knee breeches, and high buckled shoes. His hair was like rough black silk, so dark it had a bluish sheen to it; his skin was brown, the cast of his features like Jem’s. She wondered if perhaps, like Jem, he was of foreign extraction. In one ear he sported a silver loop from which dangled a diamond pendant the size of a finger, which sparkled brilliantly under the lights, and there were diamonds set into the head of his silver walking stick. He seemed to gleam all over, like witchlight. Tessa stared; she had never seen anyone dressed in such a mad fashion.

Clockwork Prince

Magnus stood beside the circle, a book open in his hands; his old-fashioned cravat was loosened, and his black hair stood up wildly about his face as if charged with electricity.

He was wearing all black, with no other ornamentation save on his hands. Each finger bore a ring set with a huge stone of a different color—lemon yellow citrine, green jade, red ruby, blue topaz.

Clockwork Princess

There were footsteps in the corridor behind Woolsey, and Magnus appeared in full evening dress, as if he had just come from a ball. Starched white shirtfront and cuffs, swallowtail black coat, and hair like a ragged fringe of dark silk.

Magnus stood, looking indifferent, in a charcoal-gray suit. He was slowly rolling his gloves, dark gray kid, off his thin brown hands.

The doors of the Institute had opened, and Magnus had emerged. He wore an astrakhan wool greatcoat, and his tall silk hat was already being spotted by the falling snowflakes.

See also: