In the trenches: How Only Murders In The Building honors the tradition of detective wear

The trench coat is a staple of wardrobes and detective stories alike. Harried sleuths, poised private eyes, and world-weary investigators have often donned these versatile numbers: double-breasted; belt buckled or tied; sometimes accompanied by a hat. One of the most famous fictional detectives, Sherlock Holmes, for decades sported an Inverness outercoat, which is quite trench-like, before trading it for a Belstaff Milford Coat in Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ BBC series. (Both looks remain highly coveted.) The trench coat could speak to a detective’s no-nonsense attitude, but it could just as easily become a fashion statement.

The look evolved, and the more traditional trenches of Dragnet gave way to Columbo’s rumpled raincoat. The Inspector Gadget cartoon played with the functionality of the coat. Sometimes, the coat was a riff on the trench: a mac, a cag, and a Barbour have shielded detectives from the elements and their quarry. The collected closets of the cops of the various Law & Order shows have more gabardine, leather, and cashmere outerwear than a Macy’s.

In its send-up of true-crime culture, Hulu’s Only Murders In The Building honors some detective story traditions as it skewers or deconstructs many of the rest. One element that translated easily to the Upper West Side setting of the show, which stars Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, and Martin Short, was the iconic coat. The series, which is now in its sixth episode, deploys its outerwear looks as thoughtfully as its clues. What these amateur sleuths wear says a lot of about their characters. Their natty cold-weather ensembles serve as armor, a façade, and even advertising.

That’s all by the show’s design, which got a guiding hand from Dana Covarrubias. The costume designer, who’s also worked on Mrs. Fletcher, Ramy, and Claws, tells The A.V. Club that she was inspired by Hitchcock movies, Columbo, and even Fargo to put together ensembles that are both timeless and of the moment. We spoke to Covarrubias about paying homage to the TV detectives of yore, pairing faux fur with a pop star, and the hunt for one traffic-stopping look.

The veteran (actor) who comes out of retirement

The main characters of Only Murders are introduced one by one, in seemingly random order (though Oliver would likely argue that Charles and Mabel were the opening acts). They each have a distinct look, and all appear at home on the streets of New York. As Charles (Steve Martin), a genteel, out-of-work actor, makes his way home to the Arconia, he looks confident, even happy. He muses on his good fortune until his reverie is interrupted by a stranger who recognizes him from his most prominent role as the eponymous detective on a ’90s procedural called Brazzos. Charles’ love of true-crime podcasts isn’t revealed until later in the premiere, but we already have a sense of his relevant past. The only time we see him in a trench coat is in old footage of the Brazzos show, but Covarrubias says Charles’ looks always “reflect the silhouette of his character Brazzos. At one point, we were looking at having him in a more similar silhouette to the leather trench that he wears as Brazzos, but it just felt too on the nose. We decided to go with more of a very classic, clean line wool overcoat.” The one seen in the photo above is a navy Reese overcoat, complete with blue fedora. It’s chic, but not something that would necessarily stand out in the sea of New Yorkers. Early on, Charles doesn’t want to stand out. He just wants to make omelettes he doesn’t eat in an impeccably designed kitchen.