Emily Ratajkowski Punctuates The Mob Wife Trend With a Gucci Thong

When Quiet Luxury, the understated aesthetic which dominated much of celebrity dressing last year, popped up on a swath of TikToker’s “Out” lists for 2024, we remained curious as to what the minds of the Internet would conjure up with next. Well, it’s only a few weeks into January and we already have our answer: Meet, the Mob Wife.

The viral style has been making rounds on social media in recent weeks as more of a concept than an actual real world trend. Over the weekend, however, Emily Ratajkowski appeared to be the first fashion girl to seriously co-sign the look. She shared a series of snaps from a recent getaway, with one outfit in particular that encapsulated a key characteristic of the trend: more is more.

Now, what is the Mob Wife aesthetic? Like Quiet luxury, it’s truly all in the name. Think big hair, and even bigger sunglasses, statement fur coats, layers of gold jewelry and gaudy animal prints. It’s Carmela Soprano, it’s 2000s Roberto Cavalli, it’s your local New Jersey housewife with a teased platinum ‘do. In the case of Emrata, it’s a skin-tight cheetah skirt paired with a plunging reflective top.

Most examples of the trend we’ve seen thus far usually involve some sort of gargantuan fur coat—but Ratajkowski managed to adapt her look for warmer temperatures. She based her outfit around the low-rise, early aughts skirt and a top that was basically a piece of fabric tied together at the waist.

The whole thing was very Mob Wife, yes, but also what we would expect out of 2000s Staten Island club wear—lots of skin, the cagey animal print, and a “going out” top for good measure. Ratajkowski didn’t skimp out on accessories, either—she slipped into sheer sandals as she rounded out her look with a fire engine red handbag. In another snap, the model showed off a different skirt (this one in a leopard pattern) as she flashed a Gucci thong.

Exposed thongs have been en vogue in recent months and this re-issued Gucci piece has remained a favorite amongst fashion girls for quite some time now. Still, Ratajkowski offered a more wearable approach to the Mob Wife trend here. Instead of all-over animal prints or overly gaudy furs, she gets by with a hint of leopard here, a flash of a Gucci thong there. She’s not Carmela Soprano or Victoria Gotti, but truly, she doesn’t have to be.