As we scroll through TikTok, our screen is littered with the words “mob wife,” “coquette,” “office siren,” “clean girl,” “quiet luxury,” “rockstar girlfriend” — just to name a few. I think I can ask the question that we are all wondering: What do any of these words even mean? What do they look like? Why can I not escape them?
Gen Z, our beloved, is obsessed with trends. From the days of Hydro Flasks and plastic straws donned “VSCO girl” to wearing a bow in your hair and being called a coquette icon, we love to group items together and slap a label on it. In analytical terms, we can surely talk about the impacts of our material, capitalist economy on rampant consumerism and recycling trends. However, that would be boring, and 99% of the trendsetters probably don’t even understand how our economy works. I, for one, can say with certainty that I do not, yet I still find myself waking up in the morning and deciding that today is the day I dress “mob wife.” It sounds clinical, I know, but it’s a very real phenomenon in Gen Z culture.
The idea of being “trendy” has always been a concept. The difference is that, in the past, being “trendy” meant that you owned all of the newest styles of clothing, jewelry, shoes, accessories, etc. In 2024, being “trendy” means that you dress with an aesthetic — and not one that is necessarily unique. It means to put together an outfit that resembles a detached persona.
Let’s take a look at “mob wife” — dark hair, gold jewelry, animal prints/furs, bold lipstick, oversized sunglasses, designer purses. Now, let’s look at “coquette” — bows everywhere, pink, teddy bears, lace, ruffles, pearls. “Rockstar girlfriend” — heavy eyeliner, band T-shirts, leather jackets, distressed denim, studded belts. All of these items existed before the emergence of these labels, but they have been grouped together to create fantasized aesthetics. How many mob wives, coquettes and rockstar girlfriends do you actually know? The answer is probably none.
With that being said, I would like to touch upon why Gen Z women have created a trend culture that associates certain styles with unrealistic personality characteristics. I want every Gen Z reader to remember those convoluted, treacherous, but also heartwarming years of middle school. We can remember the point in time when the things we liked as a child started to go “out of style.” When we had to switch out our Justice matching sets for Aeropostale and Hollister; when we stopped playing with dolls and started downloading Instagram on an iPod Touch; when we stopped buying flavored Lip Smackers and started buying e.l.f. makeup products.
The things that we used to like were labeled as “too childish” or “too girly.” We quickly changed and started to accumulate products and hobbies that would garner attention, make us seem cool and grown up. Does this sound familiar?
In 2024, that internal desire for attention and popularity still stands. The more “trendy” we dress, the more compliments we receive, the more likes we get on our selfies and TikToks, we are impersonating an aesthetic that is not realistic for us to achieve. As children, it was not realistic for us to stop playing with dolls at the age of 10 just because someone else said it wasn’t cool. Today, it is not realistic for us to aspire to be a “mob wife” or “clean girl” or “quiet luxury” when we are 20-year-old college students who still call their moms every time they have to book a doctor’s appointment.
We were forced to grow up too quickly as children navigating the age of social media. We should not be using said social media to continue to reinforce such rapidity during these final developmental years of our lives.
What is the solution to such a problem? Unfortunately, the girl gods have not bestowed a savior on us Gen Z women quite yet. I am still patiently waiting for the day, mind you. However, I think we can start by embracing authenticity and youthfulness.
Capitalism and consumerism will promote trend after trend after trend, but it is only to create a profit. As social media users, it is up to us to identify our own styles, even if they don’t adhere to the status quo. Understandably, this seems like an impossible task. Encouraging conversations about self-care, self-love and acknowledging beauty beyond stereotypes is our best way to properly navigate forming our identities in our early 20s. Yet, if the newest fur coat makes you feel happy because you finally fit the mob wife aesthetic of your For You page, then go ahead and buy it. We can participate in trend culture without making it toxic or ridiculous, because after all — we’re just girls.