Countdown to City of Heavenly Fire: City of Bones

So as many of you may be eagerly anticipating, City of Heavenly Fire, the final, probably heart-wrenching installment of the Mortal Instruments series, is due to release on May 27th. In honor of that, we've decided to do a post for every book in the series, posting one every other day, until the day we've all been waiting for, when Cassandra Clare rips our hearts out with a stack of paper. Instead of normal reviews, we're doing different types of posts for every book, so you'll have to tune in to see what we come up with for each book. For City of Bones, I've put together two outfit collages based on the book!

The first is inspired by none other than Isabelle Lightwood:



For this outfit, I focused very heavily on Shadowhunter black. This was more literal of an outfit interpretation the other one, and it's very clear where Izzy's influences come from. When I read the book, I was immediately drawn to Isabelle as a character. She's strong, independent, hardcore, and tough, but she isn't afraid to be a girl. "Nothing less than seven inches" is her motto, when referring to the size of her heels. Isabelle always dresses impeccably stylishly, and often looks intimidating. And that includes her Shadowhunting outfits. Shadowhunters look better in black, and no one pulls it off quite like Isabelle Lightwood. Reading City of Bones, I knew that even though she could wear plain black unassuming fighting gear, why would she? Isabelle Lightwood looks nothing short of badass. If you want to channel your inner Izzy, this is the outfit for you.

I picked the vest first. It's black and it's leather, which is always a stylish combo. I particularly liked the zippers. I enjoyed the fact that it was a vest because it gave her free movement of her arms and I liked the idea of her signature whip snaking up her arms without sleeves forming a barrier between the whip and her skin. I thought the leggings complimented the vest nicely, especially with all the zippers. The extra metal looks almost as fierce as Izzy as actually is on the inside. And then, of course, there are the heels. If anyone can run and kill demons in heels, it's Isabelle. Every inch gives more power to her already 5'9" frame. These heels give her feet room to breathe and have all the height she needs. I added in a few images of runes because those are always important for Shadowhunters, as runes are how they get their strength. We all know Izzy has courage and strength, so I thought those would be fitting. And last but not least, her whip. The one I included in this photoset is actually a bangle version of her signature snake whip so if you're trying to rock an Izzy-style outfit, make sure to add that finishing touch. It's her weapon of choice and she's mastered it like no one ever could.

This next outfit takes inspiration from the most fabulous, glittery character in the series, the one and only Magnus Bane (specifically, his parties) :



Magnus Bane is a fabulous warlock, known for throwing outrageous parties. So let's say you've snagged an invite to such an esteemed event? What do you wear? From all those times you've stared from afar, you've seen people walk in wearing everything from evening gowns to bathing suit, so where should your outfit fall on the spectrum? I put together something that should get you a second invite.

The pants caught my eye first. They just screamed Magnus Bane and I knew that if I was a guest at his party he would appreciate them. Those pants were a must in this outfit and what I based it around. Also, not gonna lie I actually own similar pants, and I always feel kinda Magnus Bane in them. Anyway, I knew I wanted to do gold and glittery as a theme with this outfit so I searched for a top with that in mind, as you can see with what I ultimately decided upon. I was debating whether or not I wanted to go with something with spikes or studs instead but I decided on this instead and I'm really happy with it. The shoes were next. Gold statement heels to compliment the top. After I picked the fundamentals, I knew I wanted something to give the outfit a pop. The word cape came to mind. I love the color red so naturally I knew what was coming next. I found this one and I thought it was beautiful and elegant and gave the outfit the finishing touch it needed. After that, I just needed to add accessories. The clutch and the bangle, in my opinion, compliment the outfit without distracting from it. The smokey eye look is necessary to add to the mystery a Magnus Bane party, and I especially love the pop of red, Last but not least, red lipstick to deal the deal and keep all eyes on you! 

I hope you guys enjoyed my City of Bones inspired outfits and I hope you're as excited for City of Heavenly Fire as I am! 

- Noor

What are you inspired to wear after reading City of Bones?

Let us know in the comments!