“If you’ve got it, flaunt it,” was once the mantra of dressing. Take the fabled Gucci Marmont belt, for example. In 2018, it was a $450 status symbol, stamped on the midriffs of celebrities, influencers, soccer moms, and sorority sisters alike. A few short years later, however, the accessory was deemed “cheugy” by Gen Z and quickly fell out of the zeitgeist.
This rejection of ostentatious logos eventually spread to every sector of fashion and, thus, the “quiet luxury” aesthetic was born. Inconspicuous designer brands, like The Row, sold logoless, $2,000 bags to the upper echelon of the fashion set; shows like Succession highlighted the understated fashion choices of the uber-wealthy; and, around the same time, Sofia Richie married in custom Chanel, becoming the poster girl for “quiet luxury.”
Fashion trends, by nature, ebb and flow over time. And, in the case of “quiet luxury,” it spurred an equal and opposite reaction within the fashion space. When temperatures dropped in November 2023, the look was given the winter touch. Vintage fur coats entered the fashion scene as a means of style and warmth — a catalyst for bolder clothing choices to come.
The trend evolved naturally in the new year, as stylistas paired their plush outerwear with dramatic animal print, oversize logos, and fiery shades of red. Loud luxury, if you will, had officially entered the chat.
This way of dressing is rooted in overt glamour. As celebrity stylist Jay Hines points out, it’s about toeing the “fine line between looking like luxury and looking tacky.” He tells Bustle: “It’s all in the detail. It’s all about the accessories, the sunglasses, and the jewelry. It doesn’t have to be a $10,000 jacket.”
All of this can be summarized in one simple rule: more is more. Kendall Jenner, who typically sports low-key looks, was one of the first celebrities to make the jump. Fur jackets became a mainstay in Jenner’s winter wardrobe — and there was nothing understated about her $27,000 shearling coat.
Kim Kardashian’s affinity for designer logos is also an excellent example of this more grandiose form of dressing. On the other hand, it could also be personified by The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Theresa Giudice with her large hair and deep appreciation for leather and bling.
The “mob wife” aesthetic is another indicator of this larger fashion shift, in which looking a little tacky is the goal. Its widespread popularity has given style stars a newfound passion for smokey eyes, paired with vintage fur, big blowouts, and outsize gold jewelry.
The hashtag #mobwife already has over 224 million views on TikTok. Influencer and self-proclaimed “Mob Wife Aesthetic CEO” Sarah Arcuri has become a resource for those looking to embrace a more flamboyant style sensibility.
“I never could get behind ‘quiet luxury.’ I just don’t think it’s in my nature,” says Arcuri. “If I’m buying a Louis Vuitton bag, it’s going to have the logo all over it. I think I just naturally gravitate towards bold statement pieces.”
According to fashion psychologist Shakaila Forbes-Bell, this overarching shift can be attributed to more than a mere swing of the fashion pendulum. In fact, it’s almost a form of dopamine dressing.
“Elaborate styles like the ones displayed in the ‘mob wife’ aesthetic are said to have a tension-release dimension, because they allow people to escape into a character that is often far removed from their typical daily life,” Forbes-Bell tells Bustle.
This pivot in aesthetics goes beyond a superficial change or an algorithm. At its core, it’s about finding joy and excitement within your wardrobe. Essentially, we’re making fashion fun again.
