I came this close to buying my 7-year-old a pair of black faux-leather leggings.
We were in Target looking for the perfect little hip outfit for her to wear to tonight's Jonas Brothers concert. We found a black tunic with a big, screen-printed red rose surrounded by sparkly things; it looked so like something I would have worn as a tween in imitation of Cyndi Lauper or Madonna that I felt Ains just had to have it. A pair of leggings were in order to make the outfit complete and ready to go for the kid's first ever concert. I picked up a pair of black ones in a girls' size medium and noticed they were made of something shiny and slick and clearly meant to imitate leather.
Black leather leggings...well, that's kind of "rock star", isn't it? I thought to myself. Ainsley oohed and ahhed and I was on my way to the register until I found myself returning to logical thinking and realizing that black leather-ish leggings are maybe, just maybe, a little too sexy for a child.
"I changed my mind, Ains. These leggings are just a little too hootchie-mama for you."
Sometimes I say really dumb things out loud to my kid. I waited with held breath for Miss Curious to ask what a hootchie-mama is, and I just don't know that I have a really good age-appropriate answer for that one.
She didn't ask, though I had questions of my own. Namely, why in the hell a store would sell black leather leggings in the young girls' department when it's not Halloween. Can we just try to keep our little girls as little girls until their age has entered double digits? Please?
We chose a pair of simple cotton capri-length leggings instead and the kid's first pair of Converse low-top Chuck Taylors. People I work with have been telling me she's my mini-me; I would have picked out a very similar outfit had I been going to a concert in, say, 1987. And I, like her, would have looked trendy and kinda cool while not at all crossing that fine line into hootchie-mama.
Of course, it's going to be in the mid-90s tonight for this outdoor concert, so she's probably going to have to save this very retro-chic rocker ensemble for some other big event this fall and sing along with the Jo-Bros in a sundress. But at least I can live with putting the clothes aside and saving them for, say, some school-related function; had I bought the leather leggings, that might have clashed with traditional Catholic-school values.
Clothing choices aside, Ains is stoked for her first concert experience. A good friend scored two tickets for free and knew Ainsley would go nuts when she saw them. (After 30 minutes of flipping out, she looked at me and said, "I never thought anything like this would happen to me!")
I haven't heard from y'all in a while; chime in below with memories of your first concert. How old were you, and who did you see, and where? And did your mom dress you in age-appropriate separates?
(I'll start--believe it or not, my first concert wasn't until I was 18 years old. It was a week before I left for Centre, and I saw the B-52s with the Violent Femmes in the same outdoor venue we're going to tonight. Knowing me at the time, I probably dressed too old, though not in a slutty way--I seem to remember a pair of Mom-jean rolled-up cutoffs and some hiking boots. Sexy, right? Now THERE was a girl in desperate need of some fake black leather.)
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6 comments:
Smashing Pumpkins in 1994 in Louisville. And yes, my mom dressed me in age-appropriate clothing. ;)
Of all the things . . . Hank Williams, Jr. in 1988 or '89 at Freedom Hall. And I can't resist adding that this was *after* my parents had flatly refused permission for me to go see an earlier show by The Jets. In their defense, the objection was more with the kids who'd invited me along than with The Jets themselves.
As for my attire, I don't remember for sure, but I can say that it was either hand-me-down or off the Value Sh*tty clearance rack and was a pathetic distance from whatever look I was going for.
Oh, and as for the other focus of your post - I could go on ad nauseum (and have) about the relentless pressure on younger and younger girls to appear, if not actually be, sexually available to men. It's as American as apple pie!
Cranky, maybe you and I can share a mother-of-young-daughters rant over an intoxicating beverage one of these days. Or if you're lucky, I'll just mellow out after 2 or 3 beverages and never land on that subject. Ahem.
I remember that B-52s concert! I have no clue what I was wearing though... Wasn't that also the night I was introduced to Monty Python and the Holy Grail??
The Monkees (minus Mike Nesmith) in 1987. Weird Al was the opening act. My former step-mom made me go. It was July, so I was probably wearing shorts and a t-shirt. :)
New Kids On The Block with Tommy Page. 1991. I wore my NKOTB t-shirt and neon colored Umbro shorts, scrunched down socks and K-swiss shoes. It was at Riverfront. ahhhh the memories. I passed out when Jordan Knight hit the stage. What a GEEK I was! But I have to admit, I was pretty into them and our seats were 8 rows from the stage. I got to touch "Play's" hair from Kid n Play as he ran through the audience. I hope Ainsley had a blast.
Casey B.
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