I'm Lindsay Ferrier, a Nashville writer with a passion for family travel, exploring Tennessee, and raising kids without losing my mind in the process. This is where I share my discoveries, along with occasional deep thoughts, pop culture tangents and a sprinkling of snark. Want to get in touch? Use the CONTACT form at the top of the page.
October 9, 2005
I think my 14-year-old stepdaughter secretly considers herself to be a suburban Madonna.
And forget about Big M’s Sex book, her decidedly un-virginal rolling around on a bed in concert, and her recent weird morph into a Maeve Binchey character.
I’m talking about Madge’s uncanny, historically-documented ability to find and wear a trend a full year or three before it actually becomes fashionable.
Like Madonna, 14 takes great pride in being “the first” to wear a given look. But her predictions at this young age are still a bit hit-or-miss.
A few mornings ago, she donned the teenage uniform of denim mini-skirt and hoodie. Taking a cue from recent Lindsay Lohan sightings, she wore a pair of black leggings beneath the skirt.
“Is it Tacky Day?” my husband innocently asked while driving her to carpool. After all, the day before had been Dress-As-Your-Favorite-Teacher-Day. How was he to know she was making A Statement?
He learned soon enough.
“Daaaaaaaadddddddddd!!!!!!” 14 shrieked. If you’re a parent, you know that nothing more needed to be said. The tone, length and quality of your name being shrieked by your child can convey volumes. But for those of you who don’t have kids, here’s a translation…
“What is that supposed to mean? Tacky Day??!! Oh my gosh, what is wrong with you? It is perfectly obvious that I am a trendsetter and these leggings are clear proof of my superior fashion predicting abilities and how dare you question them???!!!!”
She also bought a pair of legwarmers in LA over the summer. Hot pink legwarmers. She wears them to school every few weeks or so. No matter that legwarmers haven’t been “in” since the early 80s. She, an 80s afficionado, is determined to bring the look back into vogue all on her own.
The reaction at school has been mixed. “What are those?” some have asked, eyeing them curiously. “Nice socks,” is a common one, prompting a correction and quick fashion lesson from 14. The fact is, most teenagers don’t know a thing about the 80s, so wearing legwarmers to high school would be like one of us sporting a 60s-era paper dress to play group.
I think the legwarmers are cool in a retro way, but when it comes to other Statements, it’s hard for me to keep a straight face. Fresh off of Dress-As-Your-Favorite-Teacher-Day, 14, who had punched the lenses out of a pair of black cat-eye sunglasses in order to dress as her bespectacled History teacher, found the frames in her purse as we drove to the airport. She put them on. I laughed.
“Interesting look,” I said, thinking she was joking.
“Yeah,” she agreed proudly, misinterpreting my giggle as one of delight rather than derision. The frames stayed on.
Lens-less and proud, she made her way to her gate and onto the plane for a weekend visit to her mom. I shudder to think of the giggling that likely greeted her on her arrival.
Of course, I’m one to talk… I distinctly remember a pair of clear-glass red frames that I wore throughout junior high whenever I was feeling intellectual-yet-funky. I spent 6th grade with blue jeans on (french-rolled! [I believe that’s “pegged” for you Yankees]) underneath my side-knotted prairie skirts, convinced that my look was indeed the wave of the future. I wore my cardigans backward, inside out, or purposely misbuttoned. As far as I know, I was the only girl wearing silver eyeshadow to school (Christian school!) each day.
And I distinctly remember blowing all of my souvenir money on a pair of clunky men’s-style shoes while on vacation in Quebec City, proudly bringing them back to the hotel, and being laughed at by my disbelieving father and stepmother.
I don’t want 14 to have that kind of memory.
So come hell or highwaters, I’m trying my best to support our future fashionista…
Unless she shows up in gauchos. Then all bets are off.
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