Tiya Antony
Fashion News Editor
The start of 2024 has come with a new fashion trend of the “mob wife.” The core idea is to display the money and power that a woman has worked hard to achieve. The look is inspired by the female styles of 1980s such as “Scarface”, “The Sopranos”, and “Goodfellas” which feature faux fur, leather, tight stockings, and high heels. This style is definitely bold and has an aura of fearlessness to create feelings of aspirational admiration. 29-year-old New Jersian Sarah Jordan Arcuri, is the main influencer that started the trend and endorses that the trend is “bold, tough, fearless, and unapologetic— all traits I think are admirable and aspirational.”
The recent mob wife trend can be spotted with animal prints, massive fur coats, heaving accessorizing with gold bracelets, belts, and chunky rings. TikTok has also circulated popular makeup to accompany the look which consists of fake eyelashes, dark red lips, heavy kohl for the eyes, and voluminous hair. There are over 160 million views on TikTok surrounding videos regarding the aesthetic.
Mob wife takes the direct opposite approach to last years trend of quiet luxury, in which riches were hidden with discreet outfits. The rediscovery of 80s trends can be credited to the 25th anniversary of “The Sopranos” and the Netflix showing of ‘Scarface”, as well as the new show “Griselda” which explores Columbian cartels.
Many celebrities have been spotted embracing the new style such as Dua Lipa, Khloe Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, and others which has increasingly bolstered the frenzy for the aesthetic. Paris Fashion Week took place from February 26th to March 5th and many celebrities in attendance embraced this eye-catching trend. Kim Kardashian attended the Balenciaga show in a floor length leopard print coat which was accessorized with a leather belt and leather tote bag. Ashley Graham was also spotted wearing a white and tan zebra-printed coat that was paired with snake print boots.
However, this trend is not free from criticisms. There are ongoing debates about the offensive nature and claims of cultural appropriation relating to the fashion trends of Italian American mobsters. Within the recent years, there has been a decline in fur sales, but the 80s aesthetic is definitely creating a growing interest in fur. It is expected that the mob wife trend is going to allow secondhand and fast fashion retailers to benefit from the growing faux fur buying. Regardless of the criticisms, the celebrity and social media attention has allowed the mob wife aesthetic to garner a lot of popularity. We will have to wait and see if the aesthetic will be long lived or be quickly molded over with new fashion trends.
Contact Tiya at antonyti@shu.edu
