Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures.
The clean-girl era is over. Gangsters, underground, luxury, and the glamour of the 70s and 80s; That is the inspiration for the storm of mob-wife-chic that has infiltrated every single account on social media in the past weeks. And now everyone does it: Whether it is Kendall Jenner with a dark brown faux fur coat, Hailey Bieber, or Julia Fox on the streets of New York. But what does mob-wife-chic really mean?
It’s a world of nightlife and sins, where style icons wear voluminous blowouts with waves reaching higher than the ocean. The eyeliner is smudged, the lips are luscious, and the lashes so thick they could bat away any doubt. A typical uniform consists of animal prints, heavy jewelry (the more expensive the better), elegant dresses, and obviously the opulent fur coat.
But a mob wife is more than – well, just a mob wife. A mob wife is a woman who radiates self-confidence, extravagance, and power; a woman who is not afraid to take risks, and, above all, not to let herself be defined by any man. She is the representation of femininity that balances both strength and vulnerability, toughness and grace, intelligence and intuition. She may not always be the most morally defensible woman as she has her downfalls, but one thing is certain: whenever she enters the room, she is flawless, intimidating, and untouchable – she’s the embodiment of desire.
Therefore, being a mob wife does not necessarily mean being married to a gangster. It’s more of a lifestyle that helps to gain self-confidence through fashion and attitude. So put on your poker face and the biggest sunglasses you can find: SLEEK collected the 10 most iconic movie mob wives (whether real mob wives or just mob wives by heart) for you.
Image Courtesy of Dean Film, United Artists Europa.
1. Renata in “First Love”(1978)
Renata is young, beautiful and ambitious. While working as a servant at a retirement home for entertainers, she meets Picchio, a former variety artist and agrees to run away with him after he has received a severance payment. Although Renata has never been involved with a mafia boss, she embodies everything the mob wife energy stands for: confidence, ambitions, and a lot of willpower. Her style is elegant, luxurious yet despicable through her dark eye makeup, countless cigarettes and a lot of animal prints.
Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures.
2. Elvira in “Scarface” (1983)
Desired, intelligent, and addicted to cocaine: That’s Elvira Hancock from “Scarface”. Whenever she enters the room, all eyes are on her – no wonder then, that she was not married to only one mafia boss, but two. The blonde hairstyle, her blue silk dress, and even her white set of blazer, pencil skirt, hat, and sunglasses are iconic looks that embody a strong, seemingly flawless businesswoman, you definitely don’t want to mess with.
Image Courtesy of TriStar Pictures, Baltimore Pictures.
3. Virginia in “Bugsy” (1991)
Virginia Hill is a true moll: ran away from home to get into show business, has now involved herself in criminal businesses, and is the girlfriend of the gangster Benjamin alias ‘Bugsy’. If you mess with her, she leaves you in the desert of Nevada – at least that’s what she did with Bugsy after a fight. Her style consists mainly of gold dresses and jewelry, as well as her distinctive red lipstick.
Image Courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
4. Elise in “The First Wives Club” (1996)
For those who don’t know “The First Wives Club”; it’s the story of three women who team up to take revenge on their unfaithful husbands – and Elise is one of them. A successful actor with a slight drinking problem and an even bigger problem with accepting her age. As the style icon of the three ‘first wives’, she protrudes through dark sunglasses, gold rings, casually styled leather or fur jackets, very high heels, and an ego, that doesn’t get destroyed by any man.
Stifler's mom in 'American Reunion' (2012). Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures, Practical Pictures, Zide Pictures.
5. Stifler’s mom in “American Pie” (1999)
With her tight dresses, perfectly blow-dried hair, constantly smoking cigarettes, and sensual looks, Jeanine Stifler is the embodiment of young male desire – a woman who knows how to use her ‘weapons’ to get what she wants. In this case, it’s her son’s classmate. Although Jennifer Coolidge only plays a side character, she managed to create an impressive movie icon who lasted in the world of the American Pie theatrical series.
Image Courtesy of Walt Disney Productions.
6. Cruella de Vil in “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” (1961)
If there is one ultimate despicable, intimidating, and fashionable mob wife, it has to be the legendary Disney character Cruella de Vil: She steals 101 innocent Dalmatian puppies, just to create the fur coat of her dreams. That’s what we call true dedication to the mob wife aesthetic. No wonder, that people have been inspired by her high cheekbones, distinctive black and white hair, and red gloves for decades.
Image Courtesy of Miramax Films, Pacific Pictures, Medusa Produzione.
7. Malèna in “Malèna” (2000)
Oh, Malèna. Beautiful Malèna. As the most desired woman in Castelcutò of the 40s, she experiences attention from admirers, jealousy from other women, and unhinged gossip, until she falls into the dark sides of violence and poverty. Although her story is tragic, she never betrays her own beliefs, stays loyal to the ones she loves, and faces her enemies. Monica Bellucci embodies Malèna as a woman, who is superior through restraint, intelligence, and strength and gave the fashion world some of the most iconic women’s looks in cinematic history (just think about the cigarette scene!) but also for the mob wife aesthetic.
Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures.
8. Ginger in “Casino” (1995)
Ginger McKenna is definitely one of the most stereotypical but nevertheless also iconic mob wives: As a con artist, showgirl, former prostitute, and wife of Sam Rothstein (who oversees the day-to-day casino and hotel operations at the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas) Ginger loves gambling, drugs, affairs and a lot of jewelry. Her style is the glamour of the 70s with endless glitter, gold, fur, big wavy hair, and bright colors. But just like any tough woman, she also knows when the time is right to leave her criminal husband.
Image Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Fundamental Films, Columbia Pictures, Atlas Entertainment, Annapurna Pictures.
9. Rosalyn in “American Hustle” (2013)
In New York in the late 70s, Rosalyn is the eccentric, manipulative, and jealous wife of trickster Irving. When he tries to leave her, she threatens to report him to the police and denies him contact with their son Danny. Her significant updo hairstyle runs through the movie like a red thread and accompanies her style of brown, gold, and crème colors, asymmetrical dresses, animal print, and – of course – fur.
Image Courtesy of New Line Cinema, Spyglass Entertainment.
10. Isabella in “Rush Hour 2” (2001)
The setting is a huge luxurious yacht in the port of Hong Kong. At the bar, the main character Carter meets a mysterious, quick-witted woman with long dark hair and an elegant smile: Isabella Molina, an undercover agent for the United States Secret Service. Although she is not a classic mob wife, she is not scared to use a gun herself, to have a fight (literally) and to play twisted games with the enemies. What makes her the perfect inspiration for the mob wife style is her intimidating aura as soon as she enters the room.