Who is the ‘Mob Wife’? And Why is She the New ‘It Girl’ Aesthetic?

In what appears to be a 180 degree turn from the 2023 obsession with the ‘clean girl’ aesthetic, social media now welcomes a messy, extravagant, and unapologetically unbothered ‘it girl’ for 2024: the ‘mob wife’. The ‘mob wife’ aesthetic is convincing many to trade their athleisure sets, slicked-back buns, and natural makeup for big fur coats, long acrylic nails, and dramatic eyeshadow. This includes celebrities like Hailey Bieber (who was arguably once the face of the ‘clean girl’) and Dua Lipa who recently jumped on the trend by incorporating ‘mob wife’ staples in Instagram posts. Making such a drastic aesthetic switch clearly requires a complete wardrobe change from the minimalist capsule closet everyone knew and loved last year. So, what is the allure of the ‘mob wife’ and why is there such a sudden and widespread shift in aesthetics going on right now? 

In general, trends and aesthetics go beyond the physical materials, impressing certain feelings, associations, and appreciations of beauty to go along with them. Juliet Polsca, costume designer of the 90’s/early 2000’s mob show The Sopranos especially notices the relationship between trends and emotions to be behind the current ‘mob wife’ obsession. She told Washington Post this month, “It’s not so much the clothing, it’s more about the attitude.” What comes along with the leopard print, teased-back hair, and big sunglasses is the impression of opulence, toughness, and unbotheredness. This is in part due to the associations impressed by many iconic movie and television mob wives such as The Godfather’s Connie Corleone, The Sopranos’ Adriana La Cerva, and Scarface’s Elvira Hancock. In fact, some believe the recent ‘mob wife’ craze is directly tied to HBO’s marketing and promotion of the 25th anniversary of The Sopranos debut. Yet, the cultural prevalence of mob-themed films, shows, and characters is not the only explanation as to why the appeal of the ‘mob wife’ is on everyone’s ‘for you’ page right now.

A general attitude shift on social media appears to be contingent with the messy yet put together look that the ‘mob wife’ embodies. With its overall look of being unapologetic, the appeal of the ‘mob wife’ is in direct contrast to the neat, ‘put together’ allure of the ‘clean girl’. Photographer and global beauty expert Robin Black claims, “They’re [mob wives] not getting up at 5 a.m. to do yoga, they’re not drinking green juice. They smoke, they drink, they curse, they betray their husbands.” Thus, the morally-gray and candid lifestyle of the ‘mob wife’ is bringing a sense of relief to those who felt pressured by the ‘clean girl’s’ perfectionism “being shoved down our throats,” according to Black. Others have also grown tired of the ‘clean girl’s’ minimalist emphasis. Haus Labs’ global artistry director and celebrity makeup artist Sarah Tanno admitted to Allure, “I’m personally really excited to have a break from the clean girl aesthetic. I was getting so bored.”

Yet, the back-and-forth between minimalism and maximalism is no new phenomenon. Head makeup artist for HBO’s Euphoria and co-founder of Half Magic Beauty, Donnie Davy explained to Allure Magazine, “A switch to minimalism was like a swing to the other end… but minimalism gets old quickly, and I’d say it actually inspires maximalism.” In fact, looking back on the makeup/beauty world, we can see this swing in motion from the heavily contoured looks of the late 2010’s to the more natural looks of the early 2020’s. Now, four years into the decade, we are reverting back to maximalist makeup with the dark eyeshadow and red lipstick of the mob wife. Thus, both minimalist and maximalist trends have their time of social prevalence until — inevitably — consumers grow tired and aspire to switch to the other extreme. While many are welcoming the ‘mob wife’ aesthetic as a refreshing change, no trend goes without its critics. In fact, similar critiques made against the ‘clean girl’ are now directed towards the ‘mob wife’. Critics claim both the ‘clean girl’ and ‘mob wife’ are forms of cultural appropriation. For the ‘clean girl’, some disparaged the trend for ignoring the influence of the fashion and beauty practices of women of color — such as gold hoops and hair oiling. Tamzeeda Shakira argued in the Teen Magazine, “Similar, if not identical, beauty aesthetics have existed within Black and Latin communities for decades, yet only resurfaced more recently in its repackaged form — in other words, tailored to be more palatable for the white audience.” In particular to the mob wife, Roberta Shroeder warns in her article for Elle, “we probably shouldn’t be cosplaying as Italian Americans for fun”. Furthermore, the ‘mob wife’ is also being accused of glorifying criminal behavior and organized crime. Despite these critiques, however, it is clear this trend has kicked off 2024 with a bang. Whether it be by sparking debate or shocking the minimalist world with its bold prints and colors, the ‘mob wife’ has certainly caused a provocative stir.

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