The first time I noticed them was last summer when I made my usual pilgrimage to the Hamptons. (Thanks for asking, no, I do not own a house there. God, I wish.) I go every summer because my college roommate Mia married incredibly rich (actualCAPITALSrich) and lets me stay at her “little summer cottage.” It’s actually a sprawling, 5-bedroom beach house with an infinity pool. I was laying out at the beach in Southampton one afternoon on one of those massively overpriced lounge chairs when they appeared.
Mother and daughter. Wearing outfits that were the absolute, most immaculate representation of their respective generations’ idea of summer perfection. Together, they were flawless.
The mother portion of the duo was wearing a cream linen caftan that costs more than my rent, slept on her face nightly to preserve her clearly thousands-of-dollars-worth-of skin care routine, and had hair cut to that illusively-distressed-but-still-incredibly-manicured-rich-girl bob. Hair that somehow never frizzes or looks bad, even after a day spent at the beach.
She accessorized with barely-there diamond studs, a tower of tennis bracelets, and a giant straw hat.
She probably spent more on that outfit than I make in a year, but she wore it like she buys clothes like this every day. Accompanying her was a woman who I’m going to assume was her daughter. SHE WAS SO HOT.
Like, unrealistically hot. The hotness you can only achieve when you know you don’t have to pay rent every month. She was wearing high waist jean shorts that were probably already too bleached from years of washing, somehow-matching white crop top that showed off her tan midriff, tourist-y kaleidoscope sunglasses, chunky gold necklaces and bangles, and of course…those minuscule sunglasses that make no one over the age of 25 look cool. “I swear to God they’re going to literal speakeasy-themed parties and both be killing it,” I whispered to Mia. “OH BABE,” she laughed. “that’s called Rich Mom, Hot Daughter Trend.
You’ll see it everywhere this summer.” And boy was she right. After she told me what it was, I started seeing them everywhere. Instagram.
TikTok. Outside my window when I took my Bipap machine out for a stroll. Literally, every.single.where.
It was like I had developed this ultra-specific criterion for public humiliation and everyone in the world suddenly fulfilled it. WHAT WAS THIS TWINNING TATTOO ED HASLMAS NONSENS? And more importantly—how could I lean into it?
At its core, Rich Mom is the aesthetic we all aspire to when we grow up. It’s minimal, classic, luxe. She wears Brunello Cucinelli sweaters in oatmeal, camel, and all the other edible-toned neutrals.
She rocks the perfect white button-up. She has an entire dresser full of jeans that look suspiciously “cheap” but are actually $400 slim-jims that she can wear until she’s 80. She owns loafers that were made by Italian grandparents who have been creating the perfect penny loafer since 1753.
Rich Moms have been doing this for so long, they don’t even have to think about it anymore. Their style changes seasonally, but not drastically. They get highlights every six weeks like it’s their fucking job.
Their nails are always done in Ballet Slippers or some similarly “don’t-notice-my-nails-because-this-flower-print-is-distinctly-uplifting” pink. They have enough Goyard totes to fill a dumpster but have no idea they’re “a TikTok thing.” They don’t contour because they all have bougie lip fillers and jaw fillers and cheek fillers. Their makeup routine has been basically the same sinceFOREVER,consisting mainly of Clé de Peau under-eye/concealer, and Chanel Les Beiges applied with a.hot. fucking.damp.brush.
Hot Daughter, on the other hand, is doing her best Marc Jacobs spring/summer 2007 Adidas camp meets Old Navy revival. She knows how to rock that WTF-I-woke-up-like-this messy bun like nobody’s business. She’s wearing inspired-by vibes we’ve never actually lived through; early aughts minimalism, late 90s grunge, full-on Y2K madness, and she owns it.
She shops at Agolde for boyfriend jeans and thrifts Vivienne Westwood corsets to wear as tops. She has an obnoxious amount of barely there crop tops that defy physics. She knows how to angle her face in photos to seem like a total vaj-cert but secretly gets sent clothes from PR people who know her actual measurements.
Last weekend I was perusing Nordstrom, trying to find the perfect birthday present for my mother when I spotted them yet again. There was Rich Mom examining rack after rack of cashmere sweaters like she was Dr. Burke on a unicorn autopsy.
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Beside her Hot Daughter was skipping from pillow-soft jersey brands to trunk shows selling tiny purses I couldn’t get my handlets into if I tried. I pretended to examine the Diptyque candles intently while people watching. “You like this one, sweetie?” Rich Mom held up a buttery soft-looking camel sweater. “It’s cute, Mom, but you like ten of those already.” Hot Daughter replied, not taking her eyes off a pair of PradaPLATFORM LOAFERS. “How about this one?” She motioned toward a slightly lighter shade of pinkish beige. “I could get that. But would it match with my—“ “MATCH.
IT. WITH. EVERYTHING.
It’s basically a neutral but just a little more fun.” Hot Daughter looked up at her mother, locking eyes. “Trust me.” There’s beauty in how these women complete each other. Rich Mom has the bank account and appreciation for luxury. Hot Daughter keeps her on trend and isn’t afraid to take some risks.
Rich Mom buys the Tiffany & Co. shift dress that she’ll wear for the next decade. Hot Daughter buys the Telfar bag she knows will be ripped off the second she steps foot outside. Together they have: staples AND trends, satin AND denim jackets, maturity AND sexuality.
I’ve started to see this played out among my own friends. My friend Leila and her mom Soraya are the perfect example of Rich Mom and Hot Daughter on adjournment. Soraya is your stereotypical Rich Mom: a brain surgeon who only shops at The Row,MSGM, and vintage Armani who refuses to even Facebook, not realizing it’s actually Instagram’s lessfun cousin.
Leila is well-versed in fashion world happenings and can detect a barely-started micro-trend just by scrolling through TikTok for ten minutes. She has, on multiple occasions, dragged her mom to her closet to “consult” on what era looks best for her. “My mom kept trying to get me to wear these ‘investment pieces’ when I was in college,” Leila explained to me over iced lattes. “I thought it was so boring! Now I’m 26 and REALISING YOU NEED BASIC WHITE SHIRTS AM I RIPOnce I actually started having a real income, I’ve been asking her where she bought certain items she’s had for years!” Soraya, on the flip side, reached out to Leila in a panic last month because she had to speak at a conference and wanted to “look cute but not like I rolled out of bed wearing a student’s backpack.” “I got her to wear these oversized Steve Madden sneakers with her normal suit outfit,” Leila told me proudly. “She was complimented the entire event.
Now she texts me where to find ‘study’ clothes before she goes to conferences.” While there is literally an aesthetic for literally everything these days, this cool-girl dupe somehow seems to work for anyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re a hot mess of a mother or the cool daughter that every mom hates. Anyone can embrace a Rich Mom or Hot Daughter vibe; you just have to know how to do it!
Embodying Rich Mom energy has less to do with how many Chanel bags you own and everything to do with how you carry yourself. It’s having a uniform of quality basics that you can throw on at all hours and still feel confident. It’s knowing what colors and silhouettes look best on YOUR body.
It’s dressing in a way that makes you look put-together for any occasion… because you are put together. Hot Daughter energy is also not limited to women in their early 20s with low muscle tone. Hell, half my faves in the Hot Daughter department are WELL OVER 30.
It’s about finding trends you love and sticking to them while throwing out what doesn’t work for you. It’s wearing what makes YOU feel comfortable and expressing yourself however YOU want to. Stop giving a fuCK about “girls being feminists but wearing skirts” mom shit.
I know which parts of both aesthetics I gravitate towards already. Rich Mom jeans? Yes, please.
Crop top from some brand I’ll never heard of again that I saw on TikTok? You better believe it. Rich Mom cares about fabrics, I care about cute ass boots I can wear to runPostal Service for rent on my bike.
Hot Daughter probably spends her Saturday’s scrolling through vintage dresses on Etsy.
I spend mine watching CoachOutputStream marathon parties on Hulu. Honestly, I think I sit firmly somewhere in the middle.
Rich Mom/Hot Daughter = 55%/45%. When I’m 50 that will probably be reversed. You do you, boo.
I’m just saying find your balance! If you naturally tend towards one or the other, lean into it! If you’re a huge baddie who loves being overtly sexy—stick with Hot Daughter all the way.
If you’re someone who’s always dressed for success and loves expensive basics—own that Rich Mom energy till they day you die. I tried to explain this concept to my father over our monthly phone call. “What’s the ratio, sweetie?” he asked after I spent a solid ten minutes talking. “Um, Rich Moms wear luxurious basics and Hot Daughters embrace trendy clothes?” I replied. “IDUNNO.” There was a long silence before he finally said, “So you’re telling me people are buying expensive clothes and thinking it’s revolutionary?” Yeah, Dad. Something like that.
