What’s behind rise of the mob wife look? TikTok viral fashion and make-up trend defies 2023’s clean girl minimalism in favour of the big, bold and over-the-top
2023 saw the “quiet luxury” and “clean girl” looks reign supreme, but fashion and make-up are doing a complete U-turn in 2024.
Instead of slicked-back buns and matching athleisure sets, TikTok’s tastemakers are dressing like “mob wives”.
Since self-proclaimed “mob wife CEO” and influencer Sarah Arcuri laid out the aesthetic’s basic tenets last October, the social media platform has been obsessed with the over-the-top look, which, its promoters say, works for everyone – as long as they have the attitude to match.
Following Arcuri’s statement, influencer Kayla Trivieri enthusiastically announced on the platform that “Starbucks and black puffas are out, we are wearing vintage furs all winter”.
Could it be that the world is finally ready to usher in this century’s roaring 20s, and that cream jumpers and minimalist make-up are not cutting it any more? With recession lurking just around the corner, some are looking towards excessive escapism – and for them, the brassy vibes of a gangster moll fit the bill perfectly.
According to Madé Lapuerta, the creator behind the Instagram account Data, But Make It Fashion, hundreds of social media posts in January showed that references to “mob wife” were growing by four per cent per day, while references to “clean girl” were decreasing by around 16 per cent per day.
She calls the meteoric rise of red lips, red nails, leopard print and fur coats a “direct response [to] and rejection” of the seemingly minimal, but high-maintenance “clean girl” look.
In a follow-up post, Trivieri says the look “is starting to bleed over into celebrity fashion”. Citing American model Hailey Bieber’s full-length fur coat and gold jewellery, as well as socialite Kim Kardashian’s head-to-toe leopard look, Trivieri explains that the look draws from the early 90s and Italian luxury brands.
The influence of Italian-American culture on the look is obvious – think Sharon Stone’s high ponytail and frosted lips in Casino, Michelle Pfeiffer’s thigh-skimming silk dresses in Scarface, or Drea de Matteo’s animal print jumpsuit in The Sopranos.
While their characters are deeply flawed, their outfits often made them the centre of attention – and this will feel like a breath of fresh air for many after the restrictiveness of cosplaying a clean girl or the exclusivity and aloofness of quiet luxury, observers say.
Asked why these characters appeal so much to women, psychologist Niloufar Esmaeilpour points to the contrast between their glamorous looks and their gritty criminal lives. “It offers a compelling narrative of vulnerability, strength, and complexity,” she says.
De Matteo’s Adriana was a particular fan favourite in The Sopranos and is being heralded as one of the main models for the 2024 trend. Esmaeilpour elaborates on her popularity.
“Adriana taps into the fantasy of a life untouched by mundane concerns, even as it is fraught with danger and moral ambiguity.
“This duality can be intriguing, as it presents a form of rebellion against traditional female roles and expectations, wrapped in the allure of luxury and power.”
For some, the richness of looking like a mob wife makes the clean girl look seem boring in comparison. And crucially, despite the latter’s pared-back approach to dressing and simple make-up, the clean girl look is incredibly difficult to achieve without naturally perfect skin and hair.
A mob wife, on the other hand, is exciting, vibrant, dangerous and a little messy – making the style more forgiving and approachable. They also work for what they want and, unlike the quietly luxurious Shiv Roy in Succession or clean girl proponents Sofia Richie and Kendall Jenner, the most iconic mob wives are not born into money.
The aesthetic also taps into a certain hedonism. On screen, mob wives embrace their womanhood, are not afraid to show off their bodies and take pride in their appearance – a trip to the supermarket warrants just as much dressing up as a party.
They drink and smoke, but their hair, make-up and nails are always done. They lack the condescending air of clean girls, so dressing like them – according to accounts promoting the trend – is a lot more fun.
When it comes to make-up, winged eyes and over-lined red lips are the go-to look, while gold jewellery and diamonds are the default accessories.
Even though they love their logos, TikTok’s mob wives will happily team US$500 Versace sunglasses with a US$20 dress as long as it is form-fitting and low cut.
Fur, leather and suede are mixed and topped off with a big bouncy blow dry that is held in place with extra-strength hairspray. Heels finish off the look.
The fur coat is a mob wife staple, something which has ratcheted up demand for second-hand furs and fast fashion dupes. Online fashion resource Business of Fashion, citing data from analytics platform Trendalytics, says searches for a particular Zara faux fur jacket are up 212.7 per cent compared to similar products last year.
When it comes to the faux vs fur debate, both sides have their naysayers: some decry the microplastics and synthetics used to create faux fur, while others argue that faux fur will always be a better option than the real deal – a debate that will only escalate as the mob wife look gains ground.
Cultural commentators have also pointed out that the mob wife trend plays into the glamorisation of an incredibly toxic lifestyle. Behind the bling, the mob wife characters on television are somewhat tragic heroines – anyone who has seen The Sopranos knows that Adriana’s arc is anything but inspiring.
Still, almost all trends have negative aspects and, assuming you do not actually marry into the mafia, the mob wife aesthetic is playful, feminine, sexy and daring.
In the span of a few short months, this trend has gone viral, so much so that even The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola felt the urge to post on Instagram and shout out his favourite mob wives, further cementing their role in shaping fashion and beauty this year.
