by Cathy and Patti
There are many amazing things about having daughters.
For one, as they grow older, we, as mothers, have a built-in buddy; somebody to shop with, play with, share clothes and makeup with, and yes, even get hormonal with. But there are some, uh, challenges, that come along with having daughters, not the least the fact that, as they grow older, some of their fashion choices, however innocently concocted, leave us with a big ol' "What the Hell?" bubble over our heads.
Now, we consider ourselves pretty “with it” moms. We both dress trendy, we both love our heels and occasional hoochwear, we both still like hanging out and going out. In short: We ain’t old fashioned June Cleavers clutching at our pearls at the sight of some skin and sin. However. When it comes to our girls? Sometimes those proverbial pearls get clutched.
Cathy:
I would say Bella is pretty fashionable; she keeps up on all the fashion magazine trends and is always quick to notice a new piece of clothing or pair of shoes I've bought. Considering what a picky dresser she was when she was a little girl, she has expanded her experimentation with clothes considerably - except for two things: 1) She gets hung up with certain items (skinny jeans) and she wears them every. single. day. until there are holes in the knees and 2) she hates wearing clothes that are loose, big or even just her size. Nope. She prefers shirts to be glued onto her chest, button-downs barely buttoned and pants she needs to hop into.
The other day she wore a size 4T sweater to school. (She is 10 years old.) Her school uniform shirts are her younger sister's - a size 6. Because of this, I have no idea what her true size really is. In my head, I still think she's an 8. But when I think of buying her a size 10, I feel like it will be too big for her - even though it's according to her height and weight. While out shopping for a fall coat for her with Patti, I chose a cool, fitted, military style coat - and after struggling between the 8/10 and the 10/12, I went with the 8/10 because of her Snookified fashion style. Patti looked at the coat with hesitation and went on to prove to me that this size wouldn't fit her. She was right. I've been trained to go with the Snooki Lookies for Bella but going forward, I'll know to stick with her true, un-Snookified size.
Patti:
What a feelin'! Means believin'! I can have it all, now I'm dancin' for my life!
No, you're not imagining it. You did just hear S's theme song. Somehow, some way, it doesn't matter what she is wearing, it ends up becoming a total Flashdance, off-the-shoulder number. The other day we were at a pumpkin patch. It was a brisk day, and we were all wearing sweaters. S, however, had strategically slid the sweater off of her shoulders and was walking around it with barely clinging to her back. "Honey, it's chilly. Put that sweater back on!"
"I can't help it, mom - it just keeps falling off."
Yeah, right. The thick, heavy, cable-knit sweater that is easily secured with buttons up the front just keeps slipping right off. Let's face it: It could be a zillion below zero degrees outside, and S would still find a way to sport the world's first shoulder-baring turtleneck, all in the name of "cool".
I know what is really going on. In S's mind, this off-the-shoulder look means she is in a video; she is Selena Gomez; she is a famous dancer! I love that my kid has a vivid imagination; what I don't love is that it is manifested through the Flashdancification of just about anything she puts on. The second that fabric slides off her shoulder, she becomes a maniac, maniac on the floor, and while part of me wants to let her express herself, the other part is all, "God, I miss onesies."
Yes, having daughters is amazing. I mean, sure, they can inadvertently Snooki it up and innocently flash in a Flashdance kind of way, but really? We know they really aren't Snooki and Jennifer Beals - they are who they are. And we wouldn't want them to be anyone else.
For one, as they grow older, we, as mothers, have a built-in buddy; somebody to shop with, play with, share clothes and makeup with, and yes, even get hormonal with. But there are some, uh, challenges, that come along with having daughters, not the least the fact that, as they grow older, some of their fashion choices, however innocently concocted, leave us with a big ol' "What the Hell?" bubble over our heads.
Now, we consider ourselves pretty “with it” moms. We both dress trendy, we both love our heels and occasional hoochwear, we both still like hanging out and going out. In short: We ain’t old fashioned June Cleavers clutching at our pearls at the sight of some skin and sin. However. When it comes to our girls? Sometimes those proverbial pearls get clutched.
Cathy:
I would say Bella is pretty fashionable; she keeps up on all the fashion magazine trends and is always quick to notice a new piece of clothing or pair of shoes I've bought. Considering what a picky dresser she was when she was a little girl, she has expanded her experimentation with clothes considerably - except for two things: 1) She gets hung up with certain items (skinny jeans) and she wears them every. single. day. until there are holes in the knees and 2) she hates wearing clothes that are loose, big or even just her size. Nope. She prefers shirts to be glued onto her chest, button-downs barely buttoned and pants she needs to hop into.
The other day she wore a size 4T sweater to school. (She is 10 years old.) Her school uniform shirts are her younger sister's - a size 6. Because of this, I have no idea what her true size really is. In my head, I still think she's an 8. But when I think of buying her a size 10, I feel like it will be too big for her - even though it's according to her height and weight. While out shopping for a fall coat for her with Patti, I chose a cool, fitted, military style coat - and after struggling between the 8/10 and the 10/12, I went with the 8/10 because of her Snookified fashion style. Patti looked at the coat with hesitation and went on to prove to me that this size wouldn't fit her. She was right. I've been trained to go with the Snooki Lookies for Bella but going forward, I'll know to stick with her true, un-Snookified size.
Patti:
What a feelin'! Means believin'! I can have it all, now I'm dancin' for my life!
No, you're not imagining it. You did just hear S's theme song. Somehow, some way, it doesn't matter what she is wearing, it ends up becoming a total Flashdance, off-the-shoulder number. The other day we were at a pumpkin patch. It was a brisk day, and we were all wearing sweaters. S, however, had strategically slid the sweater off of her shoulders and was walking around it with barely clinging to her back. "Honey, it's chilly. Put that sweater back on!"
"I can't help it, mom - it just keeps falling off."
Yeah, right. The thick, heavy, cable-knit sweater that is easily secured with buttons up the front just keeps slipping right off. Let's face it: It could be a zillion below zero degrees outside, and S would still find a way to sport the world's first shoulder-baring turtleneck, all in the name of "cool".
I know what is really going on. In S's mind, this off-the-shoulder look means she is in a video; she is Selena Gomez; she is a famous dancer! I love that my kid has a vivid imagination; what I don't love is that it is manifested through the Flashdancification of just about anything she puts on. The second that fabric slides off her shoulder, she becomes a maniac, maniac on the floor, and while part of me wants to let her express herself, the other part is all, "God, I miss onesies."
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| Just a steel-town girl on a Saturday night. |
Interesting. I guess I can be thankful I have a daughter with no interest in clothes? She likes what I buy her and prefers shrts and t shirts and crocs. I'm tired of that particular uniform myself but it's going to get colder in California so she,ll add socks,
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading your blog btw.
Hi Susan,
ReplyDeleteI guess, whether it's tshirts and crocs, or skinny jeans and flashdance tops, it seems our kids become obsessed with a "uniform", no matter how you slice it. Cathy's daughter wore her pink crocs non-stop until they were no longer pink. They actually turned GRAY.
Thanks for reading our blog and for taking the time to comment!
Patti