The Rise of the Mob Wife
When you think of leopard print clothing, an image of Janice from Friends probably pops into your mind, decked out in head-to-toe animal print and accessorised with big hair and flashy jewellery. But, accompanying the on-the-rise mob wife trend, animal print, and particular leopard, are popping up everywhere.
When I first saw the beginnings of this trend, it was on retro photos of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy popping up on my Pinterest feed–a long coat or pair of pumps, tastefully styled with an all-black ensemble and her classic sunnies, red lip, and slicked back blonde pony. Since then, it seems that everywhere I turn I see a fur coat or leopard print pants.
The mob-wife aesthetic is a rising trend full of animal print, black leather, and bold, shiny jewellery–basically the opposite of last year's clean girl aesthetic. Embracing maximalism, the aesthetically messy, over-the-top 90s are back, in a refined yet intentional way, the mob-wife trend embraces more-is-more and that I-just-rolled-out-of-bed look. This also ties into a wave of feminism focusing on blatant independence and a take-no-shit attitude, ironic, considering that being a “mob wife” is dependent on one’s husband's job.
What stands out about the mob wife aesthetic is the blending of high and low. Each outfit is unique and bold through the use of patterns and textures rather than through labels and trends, making it both more accessible and more individual. It is also very sustainable as many of the emerging trends through this, like animal print, can be found in charity shops and second-hand websites.
To join in, even if just part-way, there’s a variety of brands that can help you out. Many mid-range brands, like Sezane and Anthropologie, have begun incorporating leopard and animal prints into their offerings, alongside large, chunky gold jewellery and exotic fabric choices. Aritzia’s famous Melina black leather pants are a good starter for this trend, a way to incorporate unique and distinctive materials and fabrics into everyday outfits and practice the art of blending high and low fashion for a chic, on-trend look that is still very much YOU.
Beyond leather, take the Carolyn Bessette route and keep your outfit classy by adding just a touch of the aesthetic to your look. Whether a dainty oversized gold hoop, a leopard print pump, or even a duster coat, there are plenty of everyday ways to bring the mob-wife aesthetic into your everyday life.
Going beyond clothing, testing out a red lip or a messy smokey eye, and serving the classic rom-com I’m-wearing-last-nights-makeup-but-in-a-sexy-smudged-way look, can help you fit right in with those who started and who embrace the trend.
Perhaps the most important part of the mob-wife aesthetic is not the animal print you choose to adorn yourself with or the amount of leather you choose to wear, but the attitude you bring with you. Be unbothered by the trials and tribulations of everyday life. You run the world–basically.
