Wardrobing: Your style issues sorted

Q My daughter is 13 and is going to her first underage club night with her friends this weekend. I am terrified. Like most teenage girls, she has the ability to look much older than she is when she wears make-up and skimpy clothes, which she plans to do. I've refused to buy her a new outfit and she is very upset. Anne, Kildare

A

Bad behaviour is an element at every teenage club night, and clothing has nothing to do with it. My first disco was in a sticky-floored club called Spirals. I wore a pair of baggy jeans and a T-shirt with a picture of an eagle on the front, and I still, somehow, got the shift. Although it was over a decade ago, my mother will be annoyed that I shared that information. This is what comes of having a foolish child.

Clothing is not the enemy here. Ignorance is. Provided your child has basic social skills and is not an idiot, she should be just fine.

Of course, this doesn’t give her carte blanche. Follow this rule of thumb if you’re very uncomfortable with her outfit: either the legs or stomach can be exposed, but never both.

Go shopping with an open mind.

Penneys

,

Forever 21

and H&M are great for trend-based clothing. Let her try on everything and edit accordingly. Be glad that the billowy silhouettes of sportswear and grunge are huge for kids, and never underestimate the distracting power of sparkle.

[ wardrobing@irishtimes.com ]