Kim Kardashian's plea for grace amid North West's fashion controversy
Kim Kardashian opens up about single parenting on the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast.
Image: Instagram
As a mom of a pre-teen, I completely understand the delicate dance of letting them express themselves while also trying to guide them on what's appropriate.
It’s a tricky age where they’re fully tuned in to the latest fashion trends and eager to copy their friends or favourite celebrities, yet they don’t always grasp the message some styles can send.
That's why I found myself nodding along as I listened to Kim Kardashian recently open up on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast about the very public scrutiny over her daughter, North West's, fashion choices.
It's refreshing to hear a celebrity mom speak so candidly about these universal parenting challenges.
In August, the 45-year-old mom found herself in the eye of a social media storm when photos surfaced of 12-year-old North in Rome, wearing a corset-style top and a short skirt, complete with platform boots and long blue hair.
Many criticised her outfit for looking "too adult" or "inappropriate" for her age, and people questioned Kim’s judgment as a mother.
The Skims owner, who is usually very private about direct responses to parenting critiques, decided to address this head-on with Alex Cooper.
She didn't shy away from acknowledging the public perception, even admitting that the outfit “wasn't the best choice.”
“It's interesting because all the kids are like wearing the same things, but then my daughter tries to wear it, and then I'm like, ‘OK, we're never wearing that again. Unfortunately, we made that mistake in front of the whole world,” she told Cooper.
She did add that that particular look isn’t North’s typical style.
“She's usually a girl that, that dresses like a tomboy most of the time,” Kim explained.
“She wanted to try something that her friends were wearing and went to the same place that they went to and they all got these outfits, and then she wears them and it's just like, ‘OK, wait, maybe you can't wear that.’ And so as a mom, you're kind of learning at the same time.”
The conversation then turned to the broader context of parenting in the public eye, especially as a single mother.
When discussing the constant judgment, not just over fashion but over everything, she touched on something that many parents, including myself, can relate to.
“I just ask for a little bit of grace. I'm doing my best. I'm a single mom, and it is really, really hard.”
That word, “grace,” felt like a lifeline. It’s what every parent, regardless of their celebrity status, secretly wishes for.
We’re all doing our best, making decisions in real-time, sometimes getting it wrong, and learning as we go.
Kim ultimately defended North's interesting sense of style and her right to creative freedom.
She emphasised that her daughter is a creative individual with strong opinions about her fashion choices.
It's a reminder that even for someone like Kim Kardashian, the challenges of parenting a pre-teen, from navigating fashion mistakes to the constant demands of single parenthood, are deeply relatable.
And perhaps, a little bit of grace for all of us, famous or not, is exactly what we need.