Nara Smith Slams Tradwife Label in Wide-Ranging Interview: 'It's Really Not That Deep'

Mar. 15, 2025

Nara Smith in Harper’s BAZAAR.Photo:Clara Balzary for Harper’s BAZAAR

Clara Balzary for Harper’s BAZAAR

Nara Smithis pushing back against criticism of her so-called “tradwife” lifestyle.In a wide-ranging interview withHarper’s Bazaar, she notes that she’s “a working mom” and not a stay-at-home wife — and that her social media content is “really not that deep,” despite the conversation surrounding it.Speaking with the publication, the 22-year-old Smith downplays how she’s skyrocketed to internet fame in recent months, telling the outlet she’s still finding her footing when it comes to explaining what, exactly, she does.“I never know what to say when people ask me [what I do], because technically, yes, I create content,” she tellsBazaar. “But then I’m just living my life and sharing that with people, which a lot of people do.”Smith is among the leading “tradwife” influencers on Instagram and TikTok — a growing number of women who use their social profiles to demonstrate how they practice conventional gender roles within a relationship with elaborate homemade meals and 1950s-inspired wardrobes.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Nara Smith in Harper’s BAZAAR.Clara Balzary for Harper’s BAZAARBut with more than nine million followers onTikTok(and four million onInstagram), Smith stands apart from the pack of tradwives. Her slickly edited “made it from scratch” videos garner millions of views, offering an ASMR-style look at how she makes everything from homemade bagels to bubble gum.Smith’s videos, unlike many on Instagram and TikTok, are less about instructing audiences how to create the items she’s making and more about a glimpse into her home life. The fact that Smith is a professional model, and is almost always dressed in head-to-toe designer clothing from brands like Prada, adds to the allure.For every positive comment praising Smith for her lifestyle, there are dozens more slamming her for romanticizing the housewife trope and celebrating the image of a time when women had even fewer rights than they have now.Nara Smith in Harper’s BAZAAR.Clara Balzary for Harper’s BAZAARSpeaking toBazaar, Smith pushes back on that criticism, saying she has “a really hard time” wrapping her head around the idea of “the trad wife, whatever it is."“You don’t see me getting on a plane, hopping to New York, modeling, coming back — all while I have a newborn — paying bills, filming content, getting my kids dressed,” she tells the magazine. “Being put into a certain box, just because people think that I’m slaving away, is so weird to me. I’m a working mom who gets to go about her day in a very different way than [someone with] a normal nine-to-five job would.”Describing herself as “a girly girl,” Smith nods to the performative nature of some of her videos, saying, “Sometimes my outfits aren’t the most practical, but then again fashion isn’t always practical. That’s what I do. I post videos of me cooking for my kids and my husband. It’s really not that deep.”“To me, it’s all about just putting what I love out there, and whoever can resonate with that and take something away from it—that’s what I want to do,” she adds.Nara Smith in Harper’s BAZAAR.Clara Balzary for Harper’s BAZAAR

Nara Smithis pushing back against criticism of her so-called “tradwife” lifestyle.

In a wide-ranging interview withHarper’s Bazaar, she notes that she’s “a working mom” and not a stay-at-home wife — and that her social media content is “really not that deep,” despite the conversation surrounding it.

Speaking with the publication, the 22-year-old Smith downplays how she’s skyrocketed to internet fame in recent months, telling the outlet she’s still finding her footing when it comes to explaining what, exactly, she does.

“I never know what to say when people ask me [what I do], because technically, yes, I create content,” she tellsBazaar. “But then I’m just living my life and sharing that with people, which a lot of people do.”

Smith is among the leading “tradwife” influencers on Instagram and TikTok — a growing number of women who use their social profiles to demonstrate how they practice conventional gender roles within a relationship with elaborate homemade meals and 1950s-inspired wardrobes.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Nara Smith in Harper’s BAZAAR.Clara Balzary for Harper’s BAZAAR

But with more than nine million followers onTikTok(and four million onInstagram), Smith stands apart from the pack of tradwives. Her slickly edited “made it from scratch” videos garner millions of views, offering an ASMR-style look at how she makes everything from homemade bagels to bubble gum.

Smith’s videos, unlike many on Instagram and TikTok, are less about instructing audiences how to create the items she’s making and more about a glimpse into her home life. The fact that Smith is a professional model, and is almost always dressed in head-to-toe designer clothing from brands like Prada, adds to the allure.

For every positive comment praising Smith for her lifestyle, there are dozens more slamming her for romanticizing the housewife trope and celebrating the image of a time when women had even fewer rights than they have now.

Speaking toBazaar, Smith pushes back on that criticism, saying she has “a really hard time” wrapping her head around the idea of “the trad wife, whatever it is.”

“You don’t see me getting on a plane, hopping to New York, modeling, coming back — all while I have a newborn — paying bills, filming content, getting my kids dressed," she tells the magazine. “Being put into a certain box, just because people think that I’m slaving away, is so weird to me. I’m a working mom who gets to go about her day in a very different way than [someone with] a normal nine-to-five job would.”

Describing herself as “a girly girl,” Smith nods to the performative nature of some of her videos, saying, “Sometimes my outfits aren’t the most practical, but then again fashion isn’t always practical. That’s what I do. I post videos of me cooking for my kids and my husband. It’s really not that deep.”

“To me, it’s all about just putting what I love out there, and whoever can resonate with that and take something away from it—that’s what I want to do,” she adds.

source: people.com