How a $100 Purple Suit Turned a Shy Magician Into a Headliner

"Ladies and Gentlemen...The Man in the Purple Suit."

“How many purple suits do you own?”

A question I get all the time.

But the truth is, this whole purple-suit saga started way before I ever became a Magic Castle member back in 2017.

A little over a year before that momentous event, I decided to embark into the wonderful—but slightly terrifying—world of children’s shows. Up until then, I was just your typical close-up magician with a deck of cards, a few coins, and a dream of making some pocket money doing what I loved.

So, like any self-respecting student of the art, I studied the greats: Silly Billy, Danny Orleans, and the other legends of children’s entertainment. And the advice was unanimous: “Wear something bright and fun.”

There was just one problem…

I Am Not a Fashion Guy

My wardrobe screamed “Target clearance dad section.”I live in greys, blacks, and what appears to be the same pair of jeans (I promise, there are multiples—they just all look alike).

So, I did what any fashion-confused magician would do:

I hired a personal stylist named Google.

I typed: “What color suit looks good on dark Filipino skin?”

The top result? Purple.

Sure. Why not?

Next question—where do I buy this magical purple suit? Armani? Fendi? Men’s Wearhouse?

Nope. Amazon.

Fun fact: You can buy a three-piece suit on Amazon for about $100. (Jeff Bezos, if you’re reading this, call me.)

Two days later—thanks to Amazon Prime—the suit arrived. I tore open the box, put it on, looked in the mirror, and thought:

“Oh no… I bought a women’s suit.”

The fit was tight in all the wrong places, but at that point, there was no turning back.

The First Show

I wore it to my next children’s show—hesitant, uncomfortable, and praying no one would laugh.

But to my surprise… they loved it.

This suit had superpowers. It made a shy, unconfident guy feel… sorta confident.

The Magic Castle Moment

So, when I finally became a member of The Magic Castle in 2017, I figured, why not wear the purple suit? (Mostly because I didn’t own another one.)

At first, I got a few awkward looks from other magicians in their sleek black tuxedos. But then something amazing happened.

The late Joan Lawton, who was on the Board of the Academy of Magical Arts, walked by me, stopped, and said:

“That is a beautiful suit! Where did you buy it?”

She went on to rave about it for five whole minutes. In that moment, my shoulders straightened, my confidence doubled, and a big smile spread across my face.

That’s when the legend of the purple suit was born.

Who Named Me “The Man in the Purple Suit”?

Now, this is a topic of great debate. Many people have claimed the honor of coining the name—but the award goes to Scott, the head of security at The Magic Castle.

Mainly because he’s a large, intimidating man who could crush me with one hand… and he’s very passionate about how he came up with it.

Honestly? I don’t even remember who said it first.

But it stuck. And it became me.

So, How Many Purple Suits Do I Actually Own?

Two.

That’s it. Just two.

The Twist of Fate

For a long time, I fought being known as “The Man in the Purple Suit.”

Gosh darn it, I wanted people to know me as Jonathan Molo, magician—not some guy defined by a $100 Amazon outfit.

But over time, I realized something: sometimes fate works in mysterious ways.

That suit didn’t just change how people saw me—it changed how I saw myself.

It became more than a costume.

It became a reminder that even when you don’t feel ready, confident, or stylish… you can still step on stage, do your thing, and shine in your own unique color.

So yeah, maybe I didn’t choose the purple suit.

Maybe the purple suit chose me.

-Jonathan Molo

The Man in the Purple Suit