‘Clean girl’ who? 2024 is the year of ‘mob wife’ glamour.

New year, new style. While the controversially named “clean girl” aesthetic may have had a strong presence on social media since 2022, this year may be the year that we finally do away with slicked-back buns, “no makeup” makeup and neutral color palettes. In fact, one creator is forecasting a trend that can best be described as the antithesis to the “clean girl” — and that’s the “mob wife.”

Entering the ‘mob wife’ era

On Jan. 7, Kayla Trivieri (@ktrivz), a New York City creator, took to TikTok to declare that “mob wife” is officially in for 2024.

“We all need to step into our mob wife era. We’re already seeing the cheetah prints, the sparkle, the glitz, the glam, the furs, the big hair,” Trivieri says in a video that already has more than 1.4 million views. In the TikTok post, she references Carmela Soprano, who was famously portrayed by Edie Falco on HBO’s The Sopranos, which (coincidentally?) celebrates its 25th anniversary today. “She’s got the big hair, the stacks [of jewelry]…I think bold glamour is making a comeback because who doesn’t want to be this?”

‘She’s glitz, she’s glam, she’s wealthy mentally and spiritually.’

Trivieri told Yahoo News that she thinks the “clean girl” aesthetic was born out of the pandemic. Cleanliness, she explained, was something that was “critical to our survival” during this time and, as a result, manifested itself in our day-to-day fashion choices. Four years later, Trivieri believes people are craving something different and are ready to celebrate a new normal, which she says is reminiscent of the Roaring ’20s.

“Embracing your mob wife era isn’t just about adopting an aesthetic or trend — it’s a lifestyle,” Trivieri said. “Your mob wife era is about you showing up as your most confident self, always standing on business. It embodies the energy of ‘I'm not bossy, I'm the boss.’ It's representing the matriarch, and our power, we run the show.”

A modern day mob wife, Trivieri added, is a woman with agency. More than just looking the part, she is someone who prioritizes her own mental and spiritual well-being.

“Today’s mob wife is booked, busy and does things on her own accord. She’s glitz, she’s glam, she’s wealthy mentally and spiritually. There's also a nostalgia of the ‘mob wife era’ that's slightly different from the Y2K trend. It's exuding a more mature, refined, opulent and glamorous aura,” she added.

Carmela Soprano, according to Trivieri, is the “mob wife” prototype – and she isn’t alone in praising the character’s style and overall essence. As Rolling Stone writer EJ Dickson points out, Carmela has amassed a cult following of doting Zoomers who aspire to be just as luxurious, comfortable and privileged as she is. It helps, Dickson adds, that achieving Carm’s style is also quite accessible.

“Part of what makes Carmela so fascinating is watching her struggle against her own fundamentally decent nature in order to maintain her privilege,” Dickson wrote for Rolling Stone in 2021. “Time and again, she is offered the option to escape from her cosseted existence; and time and again, despite her numerous merits, she makes the wrong choice.”

Since Trivieri declared the start of the “mob wife” movement on TikTok, other creators have hopped on the bandwagon and are happily leaning in.

“Bare nails? Who is she? Next time I go to a salon, I’m getting a french tip manicure,” TikTok creator Abbey Sadleir (@abbeysadleir) declared in her video posted on Jan. 9, referencing the 2023 trend of “naked nails.”

‘Step into the limelight and shine’

And while Carmela Soprano remains a founding mother of the “mob wife” aesthetic, Trivieri told Yahoo News that there are many other modern women who embody this vibe as well.

“There is an abundance of modern icons like the Martha Stewarts, the Kris Jenners, the Nicki Minajs. She’s your mother, your aunt, or nonna,” Trivieri said. “This is a moment for women to step into the limelight and shine.”