How to Look Like a Shadowhunter

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: April 4, 2021

The Shadowhunters from Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments, "Infernal Devices", and "Dark Artifices" series each have their own personal style, but there are some core aesthetics that you can easily adopt to fashion yourself as a Shadowhunter for cosplay or next Halloween. Whether you are taking your cues from a specific character or creating your own, pretty much all you need are some dark, form-fitting clothes, a few temporary tattoos, and a tough attitude!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Dressing the Part

1
Decide between costume or style. Are you only planning to dress like a Shadowhunter for Halloween, Comic Con, or some other one-time deal? Or do you wish to adopt their aesthetic for your own day-to-day wear? Depending on which route you take, think about how authentic you wish to be, since leather and tattoos are signature styles for Shadowhunters, which can be quite expensive and, in the latter case, either permanent or really time-consuming if you reapply temporary tattoos on a daily basis.
2
Wear black.^{[1]
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Research source} Make this the dominant color of every piece of clothing. Feel free to accent your outfits with complementary colors that also match your hair and skin tone, but limit those colors to accents, as opposed to making them your clothes’ primary color. As a rule, though, default to solid black, especially if you are going out on the hunt. Also, stick to solids without any prints, logos, or designs (unless your fashion is inspired more by Clary).
- If you plan on dressing the part on a day-to-day basis, feel free to vary the “all-black” look with more color. But if this is a one-time deal, like for a Halloween party, stick to all-black to make your costume easy to identify.
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3
Choose the right material. Since Shadowhunters often find themselves brawling with demons, always dress so that you are ready to fight. If you can afford it, opt for leather pants and jackets, since Shadowhunters often wear these because they look bad-ass AND stand up to serious wear and tear. If the cost of leather is too much (or if you have a moral objection to animal products), go with another durable material, like denim.
- Also, choose form-fitting clothes rather than loose ones, since you don’t want to give those pesky demons any extra handholds to seize.
- Some characters, like Isabelle, stray from the rough-and-tumble look and dress more femininely. So whether you're dressing up for one night only or every single night of the week, go ahead and stray from the Sarah Connor aesthetic if you like. However, be sure that whatever articles of clothing you choose fit comfortably and allow you a wide range of movement so you're ready to kick some butt at any time.
4
Keep your tops short-sleeved. Unless you plan on wearing no jacket at all, wear short-sleeves or sleeveless tops. This way you can slip your form-fitting jacket on and off without anything bunching up along your arms. Also, if you take the time and care to draw some authentic-looking runes on your body like a true Shadowhunter, be sure to keep your arms clear so you can easily show off your fantastic body art!
- If you take your fashion cues from Alec, only wear sleeveless tops, since Alec wears a sleeveless leather jacket, too.
- If you plan on dressing like a Shadowhunter all the time (as opposed to a one-time costume), feel free to disregard this step and wear long sleeves, since Shadowhunters generally try to keep their runes hidden from view.
5
Wear boots. Remember: they’re not just made for walking. Keep your feet well-protected with a tough pair of black boots when you go out stomping evil creatures. If you opt to wear a mini-skirt instead of pants, and if you happen to be very petite, choose a pair of knee-high boots to catch other people’s eye.
6
Accessorize. Draw runes on your body. Wear military-style belts, or even a utility belt. Bring a dagger or sword with you to stand in for your seraph blade (which magically extends from a dagger to a sword with an incantation). Be sure to only carry replicas, however, for physical safety and legal purposes.
- If you are going out as any characters, carry a stele with you, since every character has one.
- If you are dressing up as Isabelle, find a bracelet that resembles a whip, since she wears her whip as a bracelet.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Drawing Runes on Your Skin with Makeup

1
Pick a design. Search online or in companion books for runes that are specific to the Shadowhunters universe. Since runes are the source of Shadowhunters’ powers, decide which powers you would personally like to have. Examples include Angelic Power, Clarity, Courage in Combat, and Mental Excellence.^{[2]
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Choose its placement. Since Shadowhunters often try to keep their runes hidden from sight, pick an area that would normally be covered by clothing. Even if you plan on hitting the streets without long sleeves, keep your character authentic and avoid areas like the back of your hand, neck, and face.
- If possible, ask a friend to draw the runes on you, since this will allow you to cover more area with more runes than you could manage on your own.
- If you don't have anyone to assist you, stick to easy-to-reach places like your chest, stomach, arms, as well as the tops of your thighs. Depending on your flexibility, you could also possibly include more of your legs.
3
Use cutouts. For runes with more intricate designs, or even simple ones if you would rather not attempt drawing them freehanded, print each design from your computer. Use scissors to crop the paper until you have a rough square around the image. Then trace around the edges of the design, both inside and out, with a utility blade or exacto knife to create a cutout for stenciling. Tape the outside edges of the cutout to your skin and stencil yourself first with waterproof eyeliner, which will help prevent your rune from running should you start to sweat or otherwise get wet.
- When you create your cutout, be sure to save any blank paper that has been cut from the inside of the design (such as the squarish piece in the center of the Angelic Power rune) so you can tape these pieces separately to your skin in order to complete the stencil.
- Do not use kohl pencils, since this material will rub off onto your clothes.
4
Draw your tattoos freehanded. If you don't have a printer, practice drawing your rune on paper a few times before you attempt to draw the rune directly onto your skin. Once you feel confident, tattoo yourself freehanded with black eyeshadow, since this is easy to wipe off your skin in case you slip up. Once you are happy with the result, trace over the eyeshadow with waterproof eyeliner for a longer lasting temporary tattoo that will keep its shape despite sweating. However, before applying any new products that you haven’t used before, apply a little bit to a small patch of skin to test whether or not you have any adverse reactions.
- If you are drawing your runes on your own body, be sure to practice drawing them according to your view of the area where it will be place. For example, if it will be on your chest, practice drawing the design upside-down since this matches your view of your own chest.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Your Own Stele

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Cut a wooden dowel into three pieces.^{[3]
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Research source} Since you want one long piece and two shorter pieces of equal length, measure and mark the dowel first. Divide the total length of the dowel by five. Then mark each fifth along the dowel. Use a folding saw to saw off one fifth for each of the two shorter pieces, leaving the longest piece at three-fifths of the dowel’s original length.
- Measurements do not need to be perfect, as long as the two shorter pieces are roughly equal and the third is considerably longer.
- A dowel that is roughly a foot long before cutting is an ideal length.
2
Tape the three pieces together. First, tear a short strip of packing tape from your roll. Lay it on your worktable horizontally, with the sticky-side up. Set the dowel pieces on the tape, in the middle, with the longest piece in the center and the tops of all three lined up. Fold the excess tape over the dowel pieces to secure them together.^{[4]
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- The shorter pieces should pinch together when you tape all three together.
3
Reinforce the stele's body. First, fix a pen to your stele’s body.^{[5]
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Research source} Lay another short strip of packing tape on your worktable, sticky-side up. Lay a pen or thin marker on top of it. Then lay the longest dowel piece alongside it, so that the pen’s tip extends a little bit past the bottom of the dowel. Fold the excess tape over the pen and dowel to secure them. Then wrap more packing tape around your stele’s body, excluding the pen’s tip.^{[6]
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Research source} Secure the end of the tape to either the top or bottom the dowel. Wrap the body with tape in an over-under action until the body is roughly of a uniform thickness.
- If you plan on actually drawing runes on your skin or someone else’s, consider using a henna pen or waterproof eyeliner pencil to avoid ink poisoning.
4
Create texture. Use strips of duct tape to shape runes on the stele’s body. Search online for specific Shadowhunter rune designs. Sculpt the duct tape into your favorite designs and stick them to the stele’s body. Then tear off enough strips of packing tape to cover the rune sculptures. Use your fingers to gently mold the packing tape to the shape of the duct tape underneath.^{[7]
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- If you prefer having a smooth stele, skip this step and simply ink your runes onto the body later.
5
Color your stele. For quickest results, spray the packing tape with silver, gray, or white spray-paint. Allow it to dry for the amount of time indicated in the direction (usually anywhere from five minutes to one hour, depending on the product). Then use markers to color the raised sculpted runes with darker shades, such as black or dark gray. Or, if you chose to keep your stele smooth, use a fine-tipped marker to design your runes.^{[8]
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- You can also use oil based paints to detail your stele, but these will likely take a very long time to dry. Watercolors will most likely be too thin to effectively coat the packing tape.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I look like Clary for Halloween inexpensively?

Community Answer

Dye your hair red using a cheap (and non-permanent) dye, use a Sharpie marker or non-toxic paint to draw/paint the runes, and look through your clothes to find whatever is black and looks like something a Shadowhunter may wear. Look for tighter athletic clothing like black running tights, boots, and a cool-looking black jacket.
Question

How do I look like Izzy from the episodes?

Community Answer

Like the books. dress to show off. Try new styles with your hair. Be strong and smile a lot.
Question

What are the best places to draw runes?

Koyuki-Haku

Community Answer

Probably the forearms or legs, since, depending on your outfit, this is where they will be the most visible to onlookers. If what you're intending to do is something more inconspicuous to show your admiration for the franchise, maybe put them on your chest or thighs, since in everyday situations, only you'd be able to see them.