Embrace the Whimsy: 2024’s Fashion Trends That Redefine Fun and Chaos

The Mob Wife trend originated last October when TikTok user and self-identified “mob wife CEO” Sarah Arcuri shared a video showcasing black leather, animal prints, a disheveled updo, and bold gold jewelry. Shortly thereafter, in the first week of 2024, TikTok user Mikayla Toninato further emphasized the alluring, chaotic charm of the aesthetic with teased hair and enveloping outfits. Their presentations were labeled “mob wife” as they evoked memories of the most legendary women in mafia cinema, such as Drea de Matteo and Edie Falco in The Sopranos, Sharon Stone in Casino, or Lorraine Bracco in Goodfellas. Closer to home, this year’s ITV production Joan featuring Sophie Turner provided an array of exquisite boxy, ’80s-inspired fashions complete with fur coats and large diamonds.

Oops, we’ve done it again. At a time when trends fluctuate monthly, or sometimes even weekly, the sartorial liberty of early 2000s fashion appears to resonate with Gen-Z-ers leading the style scene. At least, that is our hypothesis for the revival of Fendi Baguette bags and pedal pushers. It’s a throwback to a hedonistic manner of dressing, combining clashing, occasionally kitschy clothing that is simply playful. And what could be more enjoyable than lovely butterfly clips and carefree slip dresses?

The naked look

2024 undoubtedly marked the year of the naked dress. Almost every red carpet has been inundated with sheer, cut-out, nipple-exposing, or other similarly revealing designs. In fact, nearly half of the most talked-about red carpet moments of 2024 feature tasteful nudity in some capacity. Don’t take our word for it? Even the Duchess of Cambridge participated in demonstrating that these styles can indeed be extraordinarily high fashion, flattering, elegant, and sultry. Naturally, our nearly-naked dressing divas remain Miley Cyrus, Doja Cat, Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, and Zendaya.

To paraphrase Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada, any item of fashion in vogue has its backstory rooted in the runway, and the balloon skirt that has taken over our streets this summer is no different. Tory Burch, Staud, Conner Ives and Molly Goddard are just a few cherished labels that have featured the voluminous bottom in their latest collections, with Amy Lynn’s puffball dress making its way onto the Lyst Index’s most desired items of 2024. However, since summer, the bubble skirt has transitioned into the Space Barbie aesthetic, a more avant-garde interpretation of the peplum thanks to trendsetting brands like JW Anderson and Marques Almeida.