Style Dilemma: What to Wear to a Metal Concert

How does a girl make it through a crazy week after a delightfully family-oriented weekend (see Pink Birthday Cake, below)?

She looks forward to rocking out at a KISS/Motley Crue show Friday night.

Uh-huh.

When I heard they were playing this Friday, I rallied the troops. This is a Do Not Miss show. Two summers ago, an old boss gave us corporate tickets to the KISS show at Jiffy Lube Live. 12th row, I think? VIP parking that meant we didn’t have to schlepp our way across the lot after tailgating? Bean No.2 was still pretty teeny, so H stayed home, and some awesome friends and I rocked out.

It was literally one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. There’s a reason they’re still playing. They. Are. Showmen.

And you know way more KISS songs than you think you know.

So getting tickets to this show was a no-brainer.

But what to wear? This is a fun dilemma to have, quite frankly. It’ll be hot, for sure. We do not have VIP parking this time. Nor do we have 12th row seats (I think Gene Simmons actually spat upon me last time.) I suppose it should be comfortable and cool.

Honestly, I’m super excited to rock a skimp-o-rific metalhead-inspired ensemble .I’ve got a rockin’ new bod, and, well, if you can’t wear something skimpy and completely age-inappropriate to a KISS concert, well, you’re losing a prime opportunity. H will be there this time, after all.

As some of you may have seen on Instagram or Twitter, lately, I’ve been wearing a Target Mossimo denim mini skirt H bought me pre-Beans as a semi-joke. He used to love to give me “hottie clothes” (translation, in my book? Stripper clothes) as “jokes.” Most of them have surreptitiously made their way to yard sales or donation piles. But for some reason, despite it never really fitting me, I didn’t toss this skirt. I’ve worn it 3 times now on weekends, and it’s garnered “where did you get that cute skirt” questions every time. Hel-LO, weekend staple!

So that’s a prime possibility. So are the Target poplin shorts I’ve found. We’ll see. I’m definitely turning to my Pinterest Rocker Chic(k) board for some inspiration. There is nothing more fun, in my book, than finding a way to channel rocker chic(k) not only at a concert but also in Regular Life. A little bit of leather, a little bit of metal? Yes please.

Ultimately, for Friday night, I suppose I’ll have to decide if I want to be able to sit down and how much I care whether I’m showing the world my underwear. Also, given that I’m sure I’m not the only one with a “what to wear to a summer concert” dilemma, I also wanted to share some of my favorite concert-wear posts from some of my favorite bloggers, and one from my archives:

Wardrobe Oxygen: Ask Allie: What to Wear to a Music Festival
So Much to Smile About: Outfit + Inspiration: Girls' Night Out
DC Celine Archives: Style Dilemma: Mama Rocker Chic on the Cheap and

Style Dilemma: The Perfect Nude Flat

“Perfect” is a funny thing.

So is twitter.

When Liz of So Much to Smile About tweeted her frustration yesterday, a couple of us sprang to her resuce.

[flurry of sympathetic tweets lamenting the cost of what should be a simple shoe + agreement that heels are the way to go. i voiced my opinion on it years ago, agreeing with the effortlessly chic Catherine Malandrino. then ate my words.]

In the end, Alison of Chain Strap Purse and I accepted the challenge. Alison posted this morning with her rainbow-inspired response to Liz’ “need” for nude ballet flats that won’t break the bank, tacitly daring Liz to wear more color.

So here’s my take on solving the style dilemma. Liz didn’t say so, but I’m guessing she’s looking for a “commuting shoe.” She did, after all, buy a pair of Converse instead. (My kinda girl!)

My choices range from practical to pretty. Admittedly, some of them, in their gorgeous suedeness, are not the best choices for stomping the DC pavement in the unpredictable spring and summer weather. I don’t know about Liz, but if I wear suede, it pretty much guarantees it’ll rain.

There’s also all sorts of “nude.” As Kate and I discussed when searching for the perfect nude pump, nude is in the eye of the beholder.

Lastly, I went first to some “old lady” sites known for their comfort. As TrainerJen and I were discussing just this morning, ballet flats can be as bad for your feet as stilettos. Though I’ve had luck finding modern, on-trend shoes at Aerosoles that are also kind to my tootsies, their flats selection was a bust for this dilemma. But Naturalizer, the brand I used to sell to my old ladies at the hometown shoe store where I worked in high school, had a couple of great choices. Oh, and cork? How deliciously now and classic all at the same time.

But most importantly? All 9 options? Under $100.

And Liz? Do share what you pick! We want to know!

First Row: Franco Sarto Astrid Pink Nappa, Sperry Top-Sider Kendall Blush Suede, Naturalizer Alex Grey Ivory Leather

Second Row: Isola Britt Natual Cork, Naturlizer Pola Portrait Leather, Isola Britt Anaconda Deco

Third Row: Calvin Klein Priya Dune, Anne Klein Bloom Pearl Linen, Chinese Laundry Gisenna 3 Blush

Looking for your own perfect shoe? Allie over at Wardrobe Oxygen answered a reader question about a perfect black pump, and shared how she uses the interwebs to find the perfect shoe in a busy life.