Fur coats, leather and lingerie: How Mobtown does the ‘mob wife’ aesthetic

BALTIMORE -- Walking into A Day In June, a small vintage clothing, home decor and furniture store in Fells Point, at least a few customers have come searching to emulate something specific this winter: the “mob wife” aesthetic.

Crafted with all-black base layers, fur coats, boots, gaudy accessories and high-volume hair, the look gained traction on TikTok and Instagram— where characters from “The Sopranos” and “Goodfellas” serve as inspiration for those looking to emulate the garb of mobsters’ female companions.

“Clean girl is out, mob wife era is in,” declared Kayla Trivieri, whose TikTok video has been viewed 1.8 million times since she made the statement at the start of the year. It’s just the latest in a slew of micro-trends, but marks a palpable departure from the “clean girl” aesthetic and others that came before.

“Anything that requires an oversized, dramatic fur coat resonates with me,” said Lindsey Brown, who started selling her wares online and bringing A Day In June to local markets in 2013 before opening her store last April. “This is the hot thing for winter, but come spring, it’ll be something else.”

In Mobtown (a name Baltimore earned after violent riots in the 19th century), vintage sellers had the staples on their racks even before TikTokers latched onto the “mob wife” trend. Here’s what they say you need to make it your own.1. The confidence to pull it off

The trend (or at least its name) could be critiqued for seeming to glamorize a dangerous — and less-than-legal — lifestyle, but not everyone buys that it’s that deep.

“It’s not about the crime, it’s about the times,” said Sara Autrey, the owner of Get Shredded Vintage, a shop that sells vintage home goods along with men’s and women’s clothing in Remington. “It can be hard to step out looking, like, as boss as that. It kind of does attract a lot of attention, but I think it’s like a power move.”

In all of its over-the-top flashiness, she said the “mob wife” aesthetic represents a shift in fashion away from minimalism and toward maximalism — and it takes serious confidence to pull off a bold look.

“Because it’s this opulence and this excess, sometimes that feels powerful,” said Angie Gavin, who co-owns Milk & Ice Vintage and puts on the annual Baltimore Vintage Expo with Kate Schultz. “Anything that makes a woman feel powerful I think is cool.”2. A big, luxurious fur coat

Vintage shopping offers a way to buy a hefty fur coat — arguably the most important part of the look — more sustainably.

“It’s cheaper, for better quality” than buying new, said Autrey, who sells fur jackets for between $100 and $150 at Get Shredded Vintage. “And it already exists. So … if you’re going to wear fur, wear vintage fur.”

At A Day In June, Brown sells faux and real fur coats for around $60 to $200, and has been selling more with “dramatic” details like buttons and hoods, and in a riskier array of colors and patterns. Fur stoles go for as low as $40 at Milk & Ice Vintage in Lauraville.

“The fur coat meant money, it meant power,” Gavin said, calling new fur “yucky” for its environmental and animal cruelty implications.3. Loud leather boots

Heeled boots are another core part of the look according to Brown, who said leather boots — something she hasn’t always stocked at A Day In June — have been flying off the shelves.

“All of the girlies I saw doing it on TikTok, they were all [pairing it] with a black leather boot, or a leather bag,” she said.

It’s a way to express the “mob wife” attitude, Gavin suggested. “A heeled boot is a little bit more of a power move” than a dainty heel, she said, perfectly suited for stomping around.4. Lingerie, to channel ‘classy and trashy’

The look is also about a certain kind of sex appeal, “a mix of classy and trashy,” said Autrey. She suggested wearing lingerie as clothing to show some skin, and said Get Shredded Vintage has plenty.

Vintage lingerie and undergarments were more detailed and better fitting than what’s widely available today, said Gavin, noting that Milk & Ice Vintage customers often buy camisoles to wear as blouses. To make it look “mob wife” chic, there has to be something “a little tougher about it,” she said.5. Gold bling and an abundance of accessories

You’d be hard-pressed to find “mob wife” devotees without their hair, nails and makeup done up big. You also wouldn’t catch them without accessories like purses and blingy gold jewelry — from hoop earrings to chunky necklaces.

“Sometimes we have good luck with vintage jewelry” at A Day In June, Brown said, but she also stocks an LA-based brand called Furano Studio.

“That aesthetic wants to pay attention to all the details,” said Gavin. “If you don’t incorporate some piece of vintage, you are kind of missing the assignment.”