Grace Loveday
Tradwives. We’ve all seen them in our long stretches of doomscrolling. How they seem to have endless hours in the day to make bread from scratch, clean and keep their children under control, all while dressed in flowy summer dresses and promoting a stay-at-home lifestyle of motherhood, marriage and using natural foods.
First going viral in 2020 during the global lockdowns, tradwives have remained a topic of conversation years later. In a time where our attention spans have dropped by nearly 70 per cent between 2004 and 2024, are we simply dazzled by the simplistic message of motherhood and baking?
It’s possible the answer to their control over the internet is a symptom of growing conservatism in the U.S. However, given their never-ending time in the sun of internet fame, an alarming question emerges: is being a tradwife a smart career choice in America?
First Of All, What Exactly Is A Tradwife?
When consulting online dictionaries, they refer to a tradwife as someone who upholds traditional gender roles, usually married women. The word is primarily used to refer to women who post their homemaker lifestyle on social media. If you search the word up on TikTok or Pinterest you’re met with pictures of beautiful women in linen dresses surrounded by nature.
“With Trump’s tariff economy and rising inflation causing more financial strain, it’s no wonder the picturesque world of tradwives is so enchanting. Even more appealing once you learn how much they make.”
Tradwives promote a lifestyle of simplicity, motherhood and letting the men be the breadwinners. However, it appears a shift has occurred. With their millions of views and followers, tradwife influencers are earning enough to support their family alone. Many tradwives have a staggeringly high net worth, with popular influencer and model Nara Smith being worth $6 million.
Probably the most famous tradwife of all, Hannah Neeleman — otherwise known as Ballerina Farm — is said to earn $4-5 million from her brand each year. With 10.4 million Instagram followers and all kinds of products to promote, such as a sourdough kit for just under $80, the profits seem to be endless.
@ballerinafarm Lots has happened at the farmstand since opening a few months ago. And the Everyday Bowl is back on the website 🎈
This is worlds apart from the life of the common American, whose average salary in the U.S. has been reported at $62,192 per year in 2025. No wonder 57 per cent of Gen Z in America want to be influencers when they grow up — tradwives seem to be raking in the cash.
So, How Does This Link To Conservatism In The US?
The 2024 election of Donald Trump marked a rise of conservatism in the U.S., and with it, a sweeping influx of tradwife content, making America the place to be if you want to try your hand at being a tradwife influencer.
“As traditional values are being pushed and considered important by programs, it highlights America’s shift toward conservatism.”
To use the example of Hannah Neeleman, in the span of 2 years, her Instagram followers increased substantially. While she was popular in 2023 with 7.3 million followers, Neeleman has since gained millions more followers, rising to 10.4 million at the time of writing this article — a 41 per cent increase. As she was also listed in Times top 100 creators of 2025, her increased prominence is clearly linked to Trump’s re-election, as she shares many values with both the current U.S. President and Vice President. Multiple children, stay at home mothers, highly religious. The list goes on.
@ballerinafarm Spaghetti has always been our kids favorite meal. What’s your go to family meal? 🍝
Days after being sworn in as US Vice President, JD Vance declared his desire for “more babies in the United States”. Similarly, the creation of a White House Faith Office shows the importance of religion in Trump’s second administration. All the ingredients needed for tradwives to grow and thrive.
In fact, charities aimed at improving American womens’ rights have increased their resources after the systemic reduction of women’s bodily autonomy since Trump’s re-election. Examples are The National Organization for Women and the Center for Reproductive Rights. Thanks to these charities, strides have been made in restoring women’s rights. North Dakota’s abortion ban was even overturned in 2024 thanks to a case filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights.
How Is Conservatism Growing In The US?
Alongside tradwives, another way of explaining the growth of conservatism in America is through clothing brands. Two months after Trump was sworn into office for a second time, the brand Pretty Little Thing did a complete rebrand. Instead of offering the low-cut going-out tops the brand was previously associated with, they switched to more modest clothing — throwing out the strappy sequin tops for brown button-up blazers.
The switch-up hasn’t been lost on consumers, with many on social media commenting on the rebrand. A user on Tiktok said the rebrand showed “the mental shift the world is taking on conservatism.”
If you search up the brand on Tiktok, a suggested search is ‘Pretty little thing tradwife trend’. The switch up in marketing and products was clearly considered to be a necessary financial decision. As clothing brands are having to adapt to the political climate just to remain in business, it shows how conservatism has grown in the U.S.
“The 2024 election of Donald Trump marked a rise of conservatism in the US, and with it, a sweeping influx of tradwife content, making America the place to be if you want to try your hand at being a tradwife influencer.”
Algorithms and the content we’re shown on social media reflect the political landscapes we live in. As traditional values are being pushed and considered important by programs, it highlights America’s shift toward conservatism.
Unfortunately, given ordinary Americans are unable to afford homes and 39 million people are stuck in jobs paying less than $17 an hour, it feels like the perfect conditions for conservatism to grow and spread. With Trump’s tariff economy and rising inflation causing more financial strain, it’s no wonder the picturesque world of tradwives is so enchanting. Even more appealing once you learn how much they make.
It’s ironic, tradwives claim to live a jobless lifestyle, yet offer a lucrative financial career in a place where conservatism is ever growing. A place like the U.S.
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Featured image courtesy of Library of Congress on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.
Grace Loveday
Hi I'm Grace, a student journalist with a focus on politics and current affairs. I'm interested in how politics affects people on a human level. I am also a writer for The Courier, (Newcastle uni's student paper)