I saw this style question on another site last week:
“Hello Sasha, I’m going to [a] concert – don’t judge me! I’m going to see Rihanna with some friends. I’m 40ish, I consider myself stylish, and I’m a size 8 with an hour glass figure. I have no idea what to wear to a concert – only because it’s going to be hot and I will boil in jeans!! HELP. Also, my daughter is going, who’s not happy that I’m going. Anyway, I want to look good but also not look like a street hooker or look like THAT MOM who is trying to pull off an outfit her daughter can. Know what I mean? HELP!!”
The idea of being judged for going to see a concert must have made me dizzy, because, for a split second, I thought this woman’s concerns were reasonable. Then I remembered that I dressed like this when I took my (20-year-old) stepdaughter to her first concert — Lady Gaga — in January 2010.
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My stepdaughter was quite calm about the whole situation because she’s had a lot of practice being embarrassed by me over the past 13 years. It is every parent’s and stepparent’s job to humiliate the children to prepare them for life’s vicissitudes. Spare the mortification, spoil the child … that’s what I always say. Also, if you don’t make the children suffer, what will they talk about with their therapists? As far as I’m concerned, this guy from Utah should be named Father of the Year.
Video Courtesy of KSL.com
When I went to see Lady Gaga again in July 2010, I went for a “disco-ball Marie Antoinette” look, which I thought surpassed my original Gaga costume.
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My stepdaughter didn’t attend that show, but fear not: I forced her to view my outfit pictures. Unlike the Rihanna-loving lady, I take my parental responsibilities very seriously.
ZOMG that second costume is BRILLIANT! LOVE it. And your hair looks great curled!
Love both of these, what is the point of going to a concert for Lady Gaga and not dressing up? It’s like wearing a sensible sweater and jeans to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Props to you Wendy.
I love you, WendyB, because you’re crazy. Fashionably so!
Good lord! If my mother had never embarrassed me, I wouldn’t be who I am today. She still takes the piss on me on a weekly basis!
I’m going with the Wear What You Want policy and rock whatever makes you feel awesome. Concerts on one of the few times you can get away with dressing like a Disco ball.
It’s just so strange how we can get so caught up in the preoccupation of the judgment of others, and how it hinders people and makes them fear wearing something because of that. Gosh I hope I don’t feel like this when I have kids. But then again, I’ve been around my mom a few times when she was embarrassed to be seen with me a few years ago when I dressed a little bit crazier. I also made her make me a pair of harem pants two years ago when they weren’t officially cool. She refused to at first and thought I was crazy, but made them anyway.
Aw! That’s a sweet story. Harem pants love!
I’m not going to say a single word, at least not right now!
Tis true! It is that parent’s duty to go lean and mean Rihanna stylie and hang what her daughter thinks. How else will she have stories to recant about the day my mother…
you R U L E for this.
WendyB, you are THAT STEPMOM! It is a sad day when you feel you have to ‘explain’ going to a concert.
those two outfits are ROCKING! I hope Rhianna lady w3ears somthing fab too! How old is her daughter. If she’s 13, she’s going to be embarrassed anyway, so may as well go all out!
Excellent point!
amazing look, the silver disco mama … you look so happy and cool.
Just because you are parent doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be able to express yourself in whatever way you wish. My father used to try and embarris me in whaever way he could (and still does) I feel it only fair I pass that on to my daughters. I am considering what I should wear to a festival I am going to with the children this summer. That said when I collect from the school I tend to stick to a more conseravtive style!
brilliant. When I was under 16 (the age you had to be to enter CBGB’s without a parent), my dad took me took a few punk shows, and I was def. not embarrassed. I bragged to all of my friends that I had such a cool dad, who was willing to release me to the mosh pit and crazed teens at cbgb’s while he drank a beer in the back (mind you, usually, he was pretty strict).
I’m impressed!
I was crushed when I went to a Scissor Sisters concert years back and NOBODY had dressed up apart from us. It was all shorts, vests, crocs, trainers, t-shirts….I nearly screamed. I was in a Biba dress, YSL platforms and pretty much exactly the same hair you have in both those photos (and you look phenomenal, as always…)
I was SO disappointed in the audience at the first Gaga concert. Peeps were completely lame in the costume department. The second one was much better.
“Also, if you don’t make the children suffer, what will they talk about with their therapists?”
Ha! Amazing outfits. My mom wouldn’t have let me listen to Gaga at that age, let alone take me to one of her concerts… props on being a cool (and hot) mama!
I should point out that my stepdaughter is college age! She’s just not much of a concert-goer.
Totally misread the “13 years” bit. Oops!
In this case, people probably thought the two of you were friends 🙂
I don’t think that you are ever too old to have fun with your outfits. I remember my Grandma wearing some crazy Halloween costumes when I was a kid, and it was a lot of fun.
If you were my stepmom, I’d be proud. However, back in the day, when I was raising kids, I have to admit that I was sensitive to the embarrassment issue and kept a lid on it. If I had it to do over again? Actually, I will, with grand kids someday. And you know, I might turn out to be some kinda crazy granny!
That’s what grandkids are for!
Both of these are absolutely stellar. However, since the gal who sent in the question is clearly less confident, I can’t imagine her dressing AS Rihanna for the show. But I guess you never know!
I couldn’t agree more
what will they have to talk to their therapist about??? LOL
brett
Step-parent proudly. I recently asked one of my steps to photoshop me without my head; he eagerly agreed. Keep up the good work.
ahhhh you look so cool 🙂
i wish i could see gaga live 🙂
Love your Blog. Takes me back to the Studio 54 days with this post!
I’m kind of in love with the Marie Antoinette look. I am really, seriously, passionately in love with that dress, lol.
You are a cool stepmama! And yes embarrassing our kids should be part of our parenting rights.
I love your sparkly second concert outfit.
I wish my three “step-children” liked me!
LOVE IT! My dad always took great pride in trying to embarrass me as much as possible and I plan on doing the same one of these days!
I’m trying to dress Arm Baby as goofy as possible until she’s old enough to protest, so not only will I be embarrassing her with my outfits when she’s a teen, but I can also torture her with her baby photos. Just trying to be a good mom!
you look so fierce. love it.
I like the silver look best as I am very into sparkles. It’s amazing how little it takes to embarrass your children. My daughter is mortified if I move my hips to the music in the mall. She begs me to stop which makes me do it more of course 😉 I have to show her this video of costume dad so she knows how lucky she is.
Ha ha! Totally…you can threaten her with that if she’s bad.
I probably embarrass my mother more than she does me, but if I have kids I fully plan to wear the craziest outfits during their most memorable moments and take lots of photos!