Numerous stylish women like us were tired of the good girl trend and were ready for some unadulterated fun in fashion. As a born-and-bred fashion girlie from NYC, I know little about the ‘Mob Wife’ and ‘Mob Girlfriend’ Style Trends. Yes, we have to talk about the side chicks, too, without discussing the aesthetic of the side pieces.
In millions of TikTok videos, 2024 has officially been hailed as the “year of the mob wife.” The style is big, bold, and often involves a (real or faux) fur coat. There’s no “quiet luxury” here, honey — a true mob wife always makes an entrance.
‘The perfect mob wife looks like she’s attending a funeral.’
Clean girls are out, and mob wives are in—at least according to TikTok. If you are not obsessed with the platform, you will be after following this trend.
After minimalism returned last year, it appears that an entirely opposite—read: maximalist—aesthetic is taking social media by storm. Enter the “mob wife” with her fur coats, heavy makeup, and teased hair à la Big Ang, Sharon Stone’s Ginger McKenna in “Casino,” and, naturally, Adriana La Cerva and Carmela Soprano of “The Sopranos.”
The recent mob wife obsession aligns with the 25th anniversary of HBO’s hit series, which some TikTok users have speculated is a genius marketing strategy. It isn’t just fans of mobster media that are talking about the trend: even Francis Ford Coppola, director of “The Godfather” trilogy, shared his thoughts on the fad via Instagram, noting that his sister inspired the “sultry, delightful Italian princess” character of Connie Corleone. One needn’t be a gangster’s moll to dress like a mob wife. Jennifer Lopez, Dua Lipa, and the entire cast of “Real Housewives of New Jersey,” among other celebrities, have successfully channelled the aesthetic.
Mob Wife Shop The Look
The mob wife aesthetic can easily be duplicated after a trip to the thrift store. Faux furs, oversized sunglasses, animal prints and costume jewellery are readily available for resale. However, many current brands — think body-con silhouettes hawked by Skims or Balenciaga — are making the rounds on TikTok as base layers for a mob wife look.
Much inspiration can also be found on the runway: long before the aesthetic went viral, labels including Alaïa, Versace and Dior made fashions that worked within the trend. John Galliano’s early 2000s designs for the latter house, frequently aplenty with logos, prints and diamanté embellishments, have proven timeless, with stars like Rihanna and Emily Ratajkowski rocking vintage Dior in recent years. Meanwhile, Courregès’ vinyl skirt suits, which Stone could be spotted wearing in “Casino,” for example, were re-released in 2020 after first being introduced in the ’70s.
While the look clearly trafficks in maximalism, for a more minimalist approach, shoppers can look to Michelle Pfeiffer’s Elvira Hancock in “Scarface,” whose slinky satin slips and structured suits embody a more tailored, elevated version of the trend.
A mob wife aesthetic often comes with a full face of makeup. TikTok beauty aficionados Alicia Breuer, Steph Hui and Hayley Bui, for example, have a look down pat with smoky eyes, heavy blush and maroon lips. Other current makeup trends can be easily incorporated into the aesthetic: siren eyes, dark lip liner and bold eyebrows are peak mob wife. Long nails are another essential staple, with shades of red and French tips preferable.
Mob Wife Hair
Mob wife manes are all about volume. Retro hairstyles like bouncy blowouts and towering updos are an ideal source of inspiration.
‘Mob Wife’ and ‘Mob Girlfriend’ Style TrendDo: Do you already live this lifestyle? Our? was that our Playbook was valuable.
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Charlotte Smith is the founder of Style Cartel, a platform dedicated to creating engaging digital content and securing impactful editorial coverage for brands and POCs like herself. With a background in Fashion, digital marketing, or brand strategy, Charlotte brings a wealth of experience in connecting brands with their audiences. She is passionate about showcasing brands with unique stories and values and helping them amplify their reach through compelling content. Charlotte believes that there is a seat at the table for everyone and holds the elevator door open so we all can go to the penthouse suite.
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