• by Carly McCracken , February 1, 2024

By now you have probably seen videos on TikTok or Reels of women decked out in fur coats, touting gold jewelry and bringing out their boldest lipsticks. The "mob wife” aesthetic is the newest women’s fashion trend, but I believe it is signaling more.

Last year was the era of the “Clean Girl” aesthetic, a simple look that trended toward natural beauty featuring little to no makeup and minimalistic fashion. “Quiet luxury” was also all the rage. Heavily influenced by the TV show “Succession,” quiet luxury features high-quality materials in neutral shades with simple and clean-cut designs, because those who are truly wealthy don’t need to shout it with their clothes. The common theme between both trends is minimalism.

The mob wife aesthetic smashes minimalism and restraint with a tire iron. It’s all about being bold. But why now? Last year was an award-winning year for women, dubbed the “Year of the Girl” by numerous publications. We saw women trending and winning, with the incredible popularity of the Taylor Swift Eras tour and Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour. The “Barbie” movie brought on Barbiecore, a flood of pink and women leaning into their femininity for themselves.

Swift is a billionaire, and her concert looks are far from minimal. Swift and her fans leaned into sparkles and bright colors. Beyoncé’s looks also dripped with silver bling and glamour, and fans followed suit. It makes sense that bold looks would be in now. However, I don’t think the mob wife aesthetic is just riding the coattails of the Year of the Girl.

Last year was one of instability and disruption. Kantar Monitor released its “2024 U.S. Outlook: Turning Selfward”report, which noted that consumers need a break: “Disheartened by pervasive negativity and cultural friction, consumers increasingly value escapism, entertainment, and indulgence as forms of self-care.”

Canvas8 showed a similar sentiment in its “Bold Statements” report: “An opposing maximalist wave is on the rise; fatigued by the permacrisis, people are craving kitsch and colour.” Consumers want to indulge in creativity within their wardrobes, playing with the audacious and vibrant to bring inner peace.

This expansion of color doesn’t just apply to wardrobes. A recent Vocast article, “The Rise of Maximalism,” zeroes in on the rising trend of maximalism within home decor. There is a reason dopamine decor is trending; consumers are craving not only vibrancy and color, but also control of their environment.

Companies are also tailoring their products to this need for boldness and maximalism. In the article “Hestia rebels against restraint with artisan cigarettes”by Canvas8, we see a D2C tobacco brand offering brightly colored cigarettes. When we can’t control the world around us, we lean into the things we can control: our fashion, our home and the products we buy, sparking moments of decadence and comfort in our everyday lives.

One other key part of the mob wife aesthetic is the attitude that comes along with it. Carmela Soprano from “The Sopranos,” Karen Hill from “Goodfellas,” and Gina Montana from “Scarface” are a few of the cinematic women who inspired this trend. They are materialistic, bold -- and selfish.

This isn’t a bad thing. Consumers are turning inward for comfort and pleasure. If they want to wear a bold lip, traipse around in vintage furs and revel in their gold jewelry, they will do so proudly. Clean girl aesthetic and quiet luxury offer confinement, while mob wife aesthetic offers freedom and indulgence. This coming year consumers are going to look for more ways to gratify themselves. The mob wives just told you first.