What Is ‘Mob Wife’ and Why Is It Trending?
If you have been scrolling through TikTok lately, you may have noticed the term “Mob Wife” gaining traction. The trend began in early January when TikTok user Kayla Trivieri posted a video with the caption: “Clean girl is out; Mob Wife era is in, okay?”. This video garnered millions of views, sparking a trend of people swapping their yoga leggings and natural makeup for animal print, fur jackets, and bold lipstick. Although both ‘Clean Girl’ and ‘Mob Wife’ are popular aesthetics, the speed with which individuals adopt these new trends and change their style to fit this mould is worrying. It prompts us to question: are we sacrificing individuality for the sake of fitting in with the latest trend? Has personal style been lost?
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Mob Wife is merely the latest in a string of microtrends emerging from TikTok. Last summer, the ‘strawberry girl’ makeup look took the app by storm. This heavy blush makeup was originated by Hailey Bieber, who also popularised the ‘glazed donut nails’ trend. These trends accumulate millions of views and wield enough influence for brands to invest in them, creating products tailored specifically for their followers. However, such trends typically enjoy a fleeting spotlight, lasting only a few months before the cycle moves on to the next big thing.
While we’re on the topic of the Mob Wife aesthetic and Office Siren - what are these words? Why are we assigning such arbitrary names to everything? For those curious, ‘Office Siren’ embodies business casual from the 90s and early 00s. Sleek, sexy, and put together. Every trend I see on TikTok is so niche and specifically labelled. Why, for instance, are we dubbing baby blue nails as ‘blueberry milk’? And what on earth is ‘Ballerina Sleaze Core’? Every fashion choice nowadays is suffixed with ‘core’, ‘girl’, or ‘era’. You're not in your Mob Wife era for wearing some leopard print and a red lip. The reality of these frivolous names is marketing. These are tactics made to convince you that these trends are new. That your old pale blue nail polish just won’t cut it anymore, and that you instead need to purchase the new ‘blueberry milkshake’ shade. Your tried and trusted blush no longer does the trick, you must buy the new ‘sun-dried tomato’ blush. These names are carefully selected to help you construct your identity around them. However, the reality is that these products have likely already been predetermined for you by brands through extensive consumer research.
In an era dominated by influencers, people increasingly turn to them for fashion advice and inspiration. However, to stay relevant, influencers must actively engage in microtrends. They will showcase the latest looks, promote PR products, and encourage viewers to follow suit. Unfortunately, with TikTok and Instagram being so accessible, the masses are exposed to influencer content, fuelling a desire to emulate their style.
With our attention constantly fixated on what’s trending, it’s easy to lose sight of our personal style. The short shelf-life of microtrends results in a revolving wardrobe, filled with fleeting fads that quickly come and go. Once you assume a trend driven mindset, you’ll instantly hate the clothes you bought during a different trend. This is an easy way to waste money and clutter your wardrobe. It’s time to redefine the concept of ‘style’. Currently it seems synonymous with following the latest trends dictated by fashion influencers and celebrities. However, in reality, ‘style’ is completely subjective. Having your own style is dressing in the way that makes you feel the most confident and comfortable. Instead of chasing trends, embrace your individuality and dress in a manner that resonates with your authentic self.
I believe what exacerbates this situation is not only the rapid pace at which trends evolve but, the stigma attached to embracing previous trends - immediately labelled as ‘cringe’. There is no problem with buying into trends if they genuinely resonate with your style and you envision yourself wearing them for years to come. The problem arises when people who are still into ‘Cottage Core’ or ‘E-Girl Aesthetic’ from 2019/20 are being ridiculed for their fashion choices. Those who don't want to participate in ‘Mob Wife’, ‘Office Siren’, or ‘Indie Sleaze’ should not immediately be labelled as unfashionable. Fashion trends, have, and will always be cyclical. Anything we are seeing today has already been done 10 times over. Trends commonly found on the high street often echo throughout history.
This is precisely why the notion of ‘micro trends becoming cheugy’ seems absurd. Instead of chasing trends, embrace your individuality and dress in a manner that resonates with your authentic self. It's unrealistic to declare leather jackets out and fur jackets in, condemning those still sporting the former to 'fashion suicide'. Even the Mob Wife aesthetic isn't new, it’s been around for decades. Things will always come back into style. Therefore, it's crucial to invest time in discovering your personal preferences and curating a wardrobe comprised of timeless pieces. Determine your preferred colour palette, what silhouettes suit you best, and what makes you feel confident. We're all too eager to succumb to trends, forfeiting our individual style in the process. It's high time we prioritise self-expression over fads and take the necessary steps to cultivate a wardrobe that truly reflects our unique personalities.
Undoubtedly, another significant concern associated with micro-trends is their environmental impact. There unfortunately is nothing sustainable about buying into these short-lived trends. It's impressive really, the speed in which brands can put out products that fit in with the latest trend. But the contribution to fast fashion can’t be ignored. It’s not news that fast fashion is bad for the environment, and yet, we are still purchasing clothes from the front-running fast fashion brands, like Shein, H&M, and Zara. Let's be clear: this isn't a condemnation of individuals who opt for these brands. The appeal lies in their affordability and trendiness, as well as their widespread accessibility. It's no wonder they remain immensely popular. However, the dilemma arises when more sustainable alternatives, such as ethical brands or second-hand outlets, are priced out of reach for many. Sustainability has become a luxury—a privilege that many cannot afford. However, this can slightly be helped, by not buying into every single trend that these brands put out. This goes back to building your personal style, if you need to purchase from Zara to do so, then go for it, but we must shift our shopping habits towards investing in clothes that we genuinely intend to keep. We need to refrain from glorifying trends that perpetuate the cycle of consumerism, where garments are designed to be quickly replaced.
For a generation well known for pushing boundaries in fashion and expressing ourselves with makeup, clothing, tattoos and piercings etc we’re really eager to put ourselves in a box every three months and label anything outside that box as cringe. Take some time to develop your personal style to prevent you from falling victim to these microtrends. It will save both your money and the environment in the long run.
Sources:
Mikhaylyants, A. (2023). TikTok Core: The Fashion World of Today | Arts | The Harvard Crimson. [online] www.thecrimson.com. Available at: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/3/9/tiktok-aesthetics-microtrends-fast-fashion-style/.
Nast, C. (2023). Tomato girl summer? How brands can keep up with TikTok’s micro-trends. [online] Vogue Business. Available at: https://www.voguebusiness.com/fashion/tomato-girl-summer-how-brands-can-keep-up-with-tiktoks-micro-trends.
Petrarca, E. (2024). What Does the ‘Mob Wife Aesthetic’ Actually Mean? [online] Harper’s BAZAAR. Available at: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/a46493231/mob-wife-aesthetic-trend-explained/.
Sustainably Chic. (2024). What Are Microtrends? (& how they are unsustainable). [online] Available at: https://www.sustainably-chic.com/blog/what-are-microtrends#:~:text=Microtrends%2C%20duping%20culture%2C%20and%20cheap%20fashion&text=In%20addition%20to%20the%20planned [Accessed 30 Jan. 2024].
www.thedigitalfairy.co.uk. (n.d.). Blueberry milk nails and tomato girl summer: why cute names are controversial | The Digital Fairy. [online] Available at: https://www.thedigitalfairy.co.uk/digiverse/blueberry-milk-nails-tomato-girl-summer [Accessed 30 Jan. 2024].
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