Moms Gone Wild

Does a woman have to toss out her sexy wardrobe after giving birth?

By Amy Kean and John D. Schwartz

JOHN:  Recently, Amy and I were flipping through channels on TV when we came across Christina Aguilera performing for the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. I've always sort of liked her, and I haven't seen her perform in a while (since she gave birth). So, I put down the remote and watched.




At first, she was hard to see because she was singing behind some crazy high-tech set with lots of smoke, but then, as the song crescendoed, Christina Aguilera was revealed and...

She wasn't wearing any pants.

So what, right? I mean, it's Christina Aguilera. We've seen her in some pretty risqué get-ups over the years. And this time, even though she was poured into these skintight black spandex leggings, she was still technically wearing clothes.

But I can't deny, the fact that she gave birth recently made me look at her differently.  Don't get me wrong; she looked great. And, considering her child couldn't be more then 7 months old, she's in phenomenal shape. But the material covering the lower half of her body left very little to the imagination. When she made her provocative crotch grab, I actually winced involuntarily.

So am I a "parentist"?

If a woman gives birth, is she suddenly forbidden to wear an overtly suggestive sexpot outfit ever again? My logical mind says it shouldn't matter, but my gut reaction was that she should put on some damn pants.  

AMY:  Actually, I think everyone in show business needs to "put on some damn pants" --mothers or not.

(Good God! I'm really starting to sound like my mother lately, but I just can't help it; everyone dresses like those ridiculous Pussycat Dolls these days. It's nuts!)

But let's get back to moms. I must admit that, as I lounged with John watching Christina Aguilera bump n' grind her way through this recent awards show performance, I thought, "Hmm, what's with that vulgar, unforgiving costume?! Now that she's someone's mother, shouldn't she tone it down a bit?"  

Oops, I guess I'm a "parentist" too.

I'm not sure why, but I always thought new moms should show a little more modesty.

But on second thought, maybe I'm just being mean, unfair and old-fashioned. After all, Aguilera's only 27. She's in the prime of her life. And just because she recently gave birth, does that mean she has to wear frumpy old sweatpants?

Let's take a look at other famous moms who bounced right back to their sexy selves after giving birth. Not one of them appears to have discarded their "seductive" personal styles--post-baby.

• Pamela Anderson
• Britney Spears
• Gwen Stefani
• Madonna
• Kate Moss

So, are all of these famous mommies wrong for wearing super-sexy clothes? Are they inappropriate or lewd in some way? Or are they just determined super-moms, who refuse to throw in the towel after giving birth, especially when their lucrative careers depend on it.

Can the mother of a newborn get away with wearing thigh-high stiletto boots, a leather bustier and hot pants? Or must new moms alter their wardrobes to adapt to some expectation of what a "proper mom" looks like? Maybe the rules are just  completely different for celebrity moms.

What do you think?