Big hair, furs and miniskirts — Mob Wife Aesthetic is winter’s hottest trend full of ‘sexiness, opulence and confidence’
Disrespect their style, and you’ll be sleeping with the fishes — capeesh?
Putting the bada-bing back into fashion after the cutesy crop tops and hip-hugging jeans of the Y2K resurgence have had their fair run, glamour gals of Gotham are going gangster with their garb in the saucy “Mob Wife Aesthetic” trend.
“Leading ladies in mob movies always ooze sexiness, opulence and confidence,” Manhattener Kayla Trivieri, 28, told The Post, tipping her hat to the hardcore heroines of street crime classics such as Lorraine Bracco in “Goodfellas,” Sharon Stone in “Casino,” and Edie Falco as the iconic Carmela Soprano.
But quiet luxury? Fuhgedaboudit.
“Bold glam — the furs, big jewelry, designer handbags,” continued Trivieri, a tech specialist and lifestyle content creator, “it’s what the fashion world has been missing for a while.”
Ringing in nearly 8 million TikTok views since the dawn of the new year, the #MobWifeAesthetic comes as the loud and proud antithesis of the muted “stealth wealth” look sported by A-listers such as Sofia Richie and Gwyneth Paltrow during the latter half of 2023.
Instead, fearless fashionistas of the movement — including everyone from its pioneer Sarah Arcuri, to Hollywood haute-steppers such as Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lawrence, and Kendall and Kylie Jenner — are donning plushy furs, black leather miniskirts, red lipsticks, gold chains and look-at-me prints.
Swift, 34, recently swapped her traditionally “clean girl” gear out for snazzy furs and eye-popping prints. Dua Lipa, 28, too, recently wowed in mafia bride-inspired couture while patronizing NYC’s Greenwich Hotel. The Jenner sisters spent the holidays in mob wife looks, seeing Kendall turn heads in a floor-length fur during a New Year’s holiday in Aspen.
The unapologetic pizzazz of trend coincides with the recent revival of leopard-printed apparel — a once-maligned design that’s cloaked the curves of Hollywood heavyweights like Rihanna and Emily Ratajkowski this month.
And it, too, comes on the haute heels of the 25th anniversary of the hit mob drama “The Sopranos.”
“It’s ‘in-your-face’ glamor,” Arcuri, 29, an author of Italian-American romance novels, from New Jersey, told The Post. “It’s a nostalgic nod to the wild fashions of ‘80s, ‘90s and the 2000s — it’s all about the Carmella Soprano influence and the Victoria Gotti impact.”
Arcuri, who’s appointed herself the “Mob Wives Aesthetic CEO” online, began virally pushing the fad in 2022 as a nod to the unabashed elegance and enduring perseverance of the women behind powerful men.
“These women embody such strength and self-assuredness,” said the spirited brunette. “They’re true bosses, they run the house while their men run the streets, and they don’t care what anyone thinks about them.”
“What better way to replicate that boss energy than through fashion.”
NYC style expert Dawn Del Russo tells The Post that the flamboyant finery is likely here to stay.
“Now that we’re a few years out from the pandemic, people are looking to elevate their styles with the luxe unpredictably of the mob wife aesthetic,” said the chicness specialist of two decades. “It’s like living in a flashy fantasy.”
And Del Russo says the voguish revelry is all-inclusive.
“The trend is not just for Italians,” she noted. “Everyone can take a fur coat and pair it with their favorite little black dress and some jewelry to get that sophisticated maximalist look.”
Genya Delbridge, a gourmet food truck owner from Jersey City, tells The Post she doesn’t have to boast the same physical features as the stereotypical mob wife in order to join in on the fab fun.
“I love this trend because I live this trend,” said Delbridge, 41, who often takes her chichi cues from Michelle Pfeiffer’s portrayal of Elvira Hancock opposite Al Pacino in “Scarface.”
“Those women held down their household with makeup, beautiful fits and big hair,” said the entrepreneur and mom of one. “I stay stylish as I manage two businesses, run a family and make dinner every night.”
“It’s not easy, but women like us make it look flawless.”
