“Mob wife” is the dominating fashion trend of early 2024: consciously over-the-top, even trashy — the strong lady who has fought her way to money and power and isn’t ashamed to flaunt it.
Millions of TikTok fans have been enamored with the looks of ladies in “Goodfellas,” “Scarface,” and “The Sopranos,” as well as Melania Trump’s icy, hard style.
The outfit is strongly reminiscent of the 1980s, with faux fur over loads of black, including tight stockings, leather, Lurex, and sky-high heels.
It is about being “bold, tough, fearless, and unapologetic — all traits I think are admirable, aspirational,” one of the trend’s influencers, Sarah Jordan Arcuri, told AFP.
The 29-year-old Italian-American from New Jersey — home of “The Sopranos” — has been promoting this look to her 120,000 Instagram followers for a few years.
The accessories are what actually make it: numerous heavy gold bracelets, chain belts, and rings heaped on top of one another.
“All the gold given by your husband. Arcuri laughs. “You never take it off.”
Mikayla Nogueira, a TikTok celebrity with 15.3 million followers, tweeted a highly popular instructional on how to do’mob wife’ makeup: heavy kohl around the eyes, artificial eyelashes, and a “dark red lipstick”.
The hair requires tremendous volume, preferably an 80s-style perm.
Reaction to ‘quiet luxury’
Social media stars such as Dua Lipa, Kendall Jenner, and Hailey Bieber have all embraced this trend.
Naturally, theirs is a more sophisticated version, and they position themselves as hard-nosed business magnates rather than trophy wives.
In the fashion pendulum swings, “mob wife” is the inevitable reaction to last year’s “quiet luxury,” in which the ultra-wealthy wore subtle and austere clothing to hide their immense wealth.
Google searches for “mobwife” have surged by more than 2,000 percent in the previous three months, while its hashtag has received 161 million views on TikTok, according to trend consultant Journo Research.
Much of this could be attributed to Gen Z’s rediscovery of Michelle Pfeiffer’s style in “Scarface,” which recently premiered on Netflix, and amusement over Edie Falco’s appearance in “The Sopranos,” which is commemorating its 25th anniversary.
“Griselda,” a new show about a Colombian cocaine baroness in Miami during the 1970s and 1980s, has fueled the buzz.
It didn’t take long for some on the internet to find something offensive in all of this, accusing fashionistas of “cultural appropriation” for borrowing from Italian-American mobsters and Latin American narcos.
Arcuri dismissed the criticism.
“It’s just a way to have fun and feel empowered.” It’s not limited to Italian-American girls. Anyone should feel welcome to join in.”