Will the Mob Wife Aesthetic Take a Sledgehammer to Quiet Luxury?
Between the countless microtrends that have popped up in recent seasons, inflated by TikTok and an explainer-happy media landscape, the overarching theme is one of hyper-femininity. First, Barbiecore cannonballed into our consciousness in all its hot-pink glory, followed closely by its cousin, bimbocore. Then came all manner of sweet, innocent, girlish tropes, from the adorable coquette trailing ribbons and bows down the runway to the candy-colored barre staples of balletcore. And who could forget the clean girl and all her food-related antecedents, from blueberry milk nails to strawberry makeup?
Well, if TikTok is to be believed, they’re all headed for their graves. The app’s latest pet style archetype shares the high-femme, almost performative DNA of its predecessors, but with a twist—it is anything but innocent. The world-weary “mob wife” has been a movie trope since she popped up in the form of a gangster’s moll in films like The Killers and White Heat. Tough-talking and dirty-mouthed, she’s seen it all—and looks like it. And, like it or not, there’s a certain glamour in her adjacency to crime.
TikTok creator Kayla Trivieri kicked off the trend with a video declaring the “clean girl” aesthetic out and “mob wife” in. (“Carmela Soprano walked so you bitches could run,” she said.) The 25th anniversary of The Sopranos is prompting a rediscovery of the series and its complex female characters, along with their style. But this aesthetic feels bigger than just the show; it’s more like a wholesale rejection of everything that has come before. The hallmark of mob wife style is excess, whether that’s being swathed in fur, sporting unrepentantly big hair, treating cheetah print as a neutral, or wearing the polar opposite of no-makeup makeup.
“Quiet luxury” is not in her vocabulary, but luxury is. Her wealth is far from stealth. Look at Sharon Stone’s Ginger in Casino, who slowly unravels in looks like Pucci lounge pajamas and a go-go Courrèges set, set off with copious jewelry, or Michelle Pfeiffer’s Elvira in Scarface, in big sunglasses and silky slipdresses. In House of Gucci, Lady Gaga plots and schemes in (what else?) Gucci, while Jennifer Lawrence’s American Hustle character is all piled-high hair and tight Halston-lite gowns. An undersung heroine is Jennifer Tilly’s mob girlfriend in the Wachowskis’ Sapphic thriller Bound, whose brick-red lips slinky dresses, and Chanel Vamp talons leap off the screen. In a way, it’s the perfect look for a recession: why not flaunt everything you’ve got while you still can?
There’s also a sense of a lost world being mined here: the remoteness is part of its charm. All of the above films and shows are either older projects or period pieces. And as with everything from roll-up-your-sleeves workwear to office clothing to the “coastal grandmother,” fashion loves to fetishize a fading archetype.
Performed effortlessness (and, in the case of the clean girl, a kind of enforced blandness) is falling away in favor of a self as constructed as an edifice. The mob wife is hardened by life, and not afraid to show it. On the runways, the minimalist may still reign triumphant, for now. But I know who I’d rather down a martini with.
Easy Ways to Master the Mob Wife Aesthetic (Without Getting Arrested by the Fashion Police)
Naturally, celebs like Kendall Jenner, Rihanna, and Irina Shayk are on the list of early adopters, showing us exactly how it’s done. In Paris during Couture Fashion Week, Rih delivered an elegant, edgy take by cinching a Saint Laurent leather scarf with a gold cuff around her neck. The toughness of the leather was balanced by the soft draping—a key styling trick to keep in mind when channeling the exotic—often times unhinged—glamour of the mob wife aesthetic.
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We can always count on Rih Rih to take everything she does to the next level, and she even went full retro with blonde side-swooped tresses and voluminous height that defied gravity. But if you’re looking for hairstyle inspiration too, a perfectly undone messy updo is the effortless way to go and Jasmine Tookes nails it in the photo below.
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Ahead, we’ve gathered three ways to dip your toe (or should I say your red acrylic full set) into the pool of the mob wife movement with ease.
Instead of a Low-Key Stole, Go All Out With Fluffy Coats
While in Aspen, Jenner showed us how to master the mob wife aesthetic while wearing a brushed shearling Phoebe Philo coat. For added elegance, finish the look with sheer tights and kitten heels.
Instead of understated sparkles…drip in gold
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Of course, diamonds are forever, but the appeal of chunky gold earrings adds a retro twist that feels classier than ever to any outfit. Take notes from Tookes and finish your look with a tousled updo and mysterious smokey eye makeup.
Instead of Head-to-Toe Animal Print, Try Subtle Splashes of Leopard
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Joyfully chaotic animal prints can sometimes feel overwhelming, so ease them into your outfits in small doses, Ã la Irina Shayk.
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