Cyndi Lauper Once Tried to Tone Down Her Iconic Style in Order to Fit in with Other Moms, But Lady Gaga Talked Her Out of It

Cyndi Lauper, the icon behind eternal hits like “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Time After Time” among others, has always had a unique style. Well, almost always.

In an interview with People Magazine, the musician reveals that shortly after she became a mother to son Declyn, who is now 22, she tried to trade in her flamboyant hair colors and colorful clothing for mom jeans in order to fit in.

“There was a long period when I just stopped,” Lauper told People, in reference to her over-the-top style. “Somebody told me, ‘Why don’t you just wear jeans and a t-shirt?’ And so in 2005, I just gave up and started doing that.”

Lauper gave it a good ol’ college try, but she apparently didn’t like how it felt trying to fit in. “I felt like I wasn’t really comfortable in my own skin,” she said of her new “mom” style. But then, a hero with a similarly unique take on clothing and fashion came to her rescue: Lady Gaga.

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She says Gaga, who she teamed with for a 2010 M.A.C. campaign, reminded her that it’s sometimes best to let your freak flag fly.

“Then I did this thing with Lady Gaga, and she woke me up a little,” Lauper told People. “What was great about working with her was I didn’t have to worry about looking like a freak. I am a bit of a freak!”

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If anyone can convince someone to return to eye-catching, controversial, and over-the-top style, it’s Lady Gaga, who famously wore a dress made of meat to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.

“I thought, no one is going to be looking at me,” Lauper added as she spoke about returning to her earlier style. “I can put colors in my hair. I’m just more comfortable like that.”

(Cyndi Lauper’s toned-down 2005 style)

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So what have we learned? Firstly, it’s always best to be true to yourself. “Fitting in” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Secondly, one should always listen to Lady Gaga. And lastly: Being a mom doesn’t come with a prescribed style. Whether you want to rock mom jeans and sweatshirts or colorful hair dye and oversized neon jewelry, you should do what feels best to you. And don’t let anyone tell you to do otherwise.