From mob wife to MAGA woman — TikTok trends are losing steam

As the latest deadline for TikTok to be sold or banned in the U.S. approaches, we’ll find out this month whether the app will continue to be a fixture on American phones or not.

A decline in fashion fads conceived by TikTok creators, (think “cowboy core,” “office siren” and “coastal grandma”) means consumers and retailers won’t be as affected as they would have been a year or so ago, when such viral “aesthetics” peaked on the video-sharing platform.

But brands have their work cut out in responding to what’s taken over since: lifestyle trends amplifying political, social and economic influences. After all, it’s much harder to monetize “recession core,” the “MAGA woman” look and “underconsumption.”

Super-speedy TikTok trends are best exemplified by the viral “Mob Wife” look from early las