People still talk about it. You’ve probably seen the grainy paparazzi shots or the social media captures from years ago—one of Gwen Stefani’s boys, usually Kingston or Zuma, rocking something that doesn’t fit the "standard" boy wardrobe. Specifically, the time Kingston Rossdale stepped out in a pink tutu. It sent certain corners of the internet into a total tailspin.
But honestly? If you’ve followed Gwen Stefani since her Tragic Kingdom days, you know that fashion in her house isn't about gender roles. It’s about art.
Let's get the facts straight first. The most famous instance of Gwen Stefani son in a dress (or dress-adjacent clothing) happened way back in 2013. Kingston, who was about seven at the time, attended a friend’s birthday party. It was princess-themed. He didn't just show up in a tutu; he leaned into the fun of the event. He arrived in a t-shirt and shorts, but once the party started, he threw on a pink tulle skirt.
The "Tutu" Moment and the Public Meltdown
It’s wild how much one piece of fabric can bother people. When those photos hit the tabloids, the comments were... well, they were exactly what you’d expect from 2013. People questioned Gwen’s parenting. They worried about "confusion."
Gwen’s response? Total shrug.
She has always been vocal about letting her three sons—Kingston, Zuma, and Apollo—find their own vibe. Whether it's blue hair, painted nails, or a tutu at a birthday party, she treats clothes like a costume.
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"I like them to be creative and have fun," Gwen told InStyle. "Sometimes they’ll get dressed and it’s horrifying. But they often come out in outfits that are awesome."
She isn't pushing an agenda. She’s just not stopping them from being kids. Kingston has always been the "fashion plate" of the family. Since he was a toddler, he was picking out his own outfits, often choosing "outrageous stuff" that most adults wouldn't have the guts to wear.
Zuma, Apollo, and the Evolution of the "Rossdale Style"
It's 2026 now, and the landscape has shifted. We've seen Zuma grow into a 17-year-old who is basically a mini-Blake Shelton. He’s traded the experimental childhood looks for cowboy hats, denim jackets, and acoustic guitars.
Then there’s Apollo, the youngest. He’s been spotted at major events, like his mom’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, looking like a dapper doppelganger of his stepdad.
But here’s the nuance: the fact that they now wear "traditional" clothes doesn't mean the early experimentation was a phase to be "fixed." It means they had the freedom to try everything.
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- Kingston (19): The trendsetter. He’s the one who first broke the internet with the tutu and the multi-colored hair. Now, he’s a musician with a style that leans into rock-and-roll edge.
- Zuma (17): He went from wearing Spider-Man costumes everywhere to becoming a fixture at Blake Shelton’s Ole Red bars, rocking a full-on country aesthetic.
- Apollo (11): He’s currently the one most likely to be seen in "country flair," according to Blake, who admits it "warms his heart" to see the boys in boots and jeans.
Parenting Differences: Gwen vs. Gavin
It hasn't always been a united front, though. Gavin Rossdale has been pretty open about the fact that he and Gwen "just parent" separately. They have very different styles.
Gavin once mentioned on the Not So Hollywood podcast that they are "really different people." While Gwen is known for being the "strict" one with discipline charts and boundaries, she’s clearly the more permissive one when it comes to visual self-expression. Gavin, meanwhile, has described his house as more of a "bachelor pad" vibe.
This contrast is probably why the boys are so well-rounded. They get the rock-star freedom from one side and the structured, boundary-heavy environment from Gwen.
Why This Still Triggers People
The "boy in a dress" conversation usually ignores the context. For the Stefani-Rossdale-Shelton clan, clothes aren't a political statement. They are a byproduct of growing up with a mother who literally runs a fashion empire (L.A.M.B. and Harajuku Lovers).
When you grow up with 20 pairs of shoes arriving at the door for "work," you don't look at a tutu as a gendered symbol. You look at it as a Tuesday.
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Critics often miss that these kids are being raised by people who spent the 90s and 2000s intentionally breaking every fashion rule in the book. If Gwen can wear bindis, blue hair, and fishnets on a red carpet, why would she tell her son he can't wear a skirt to a birthday party?
Expert Take: The Value of Creative Freedom
Child development experts often point out that "gender-creative" play in early childhood is actually a sign of a healthy, imaginative environment. Letting a kid wear a dress doesn't "make" them anything—it just makes them feel safe enough to explore.
In Gwen’s case, she’s been consistent. She hasn't changed her tune because of social media backlash. She’s maintained that her job is to provide a "safety net" (those boundaries she talks about) while letting the "artistic" side of their brains run wild.
What You Can Learn from Gwen’s Approach
- Prioritize safety over optics: Gwen cares more about her kids feeling safe to express themselves than how they look to a paparazzi lens.
- Separation of style and identity: A tutu at age seven didn't dictate Kingston’s life path. It was just a tutu.
- Consistency matters: Despite the divorce and the high-profile marriage to Blake Shelton, the boys have always been encouraged to find their own "skin," whether that's Nashville country or London rock.
Moving Forward With Your Own Style
If you’re looking at these old photos and wondering how to handle your own kid’s "outrageous" fashion choices, take a page from the No Doubt playbook. Don't overthink the fabric. Focus on the kid.
Instead of worrying about what the neighbors (or the internet) think, look at whether the child is happy and confident. Most of the time, the "scandal" is entirely in the eyes of the adults. The kids are just having a party.
If you want to keep up with how the boys are evolving, follow their musical debuts at Ole Red or Gwen's occasional Instagram updates. You'll see that the "boy in a dress" grew up to be a confident young man with a guitar—proof that a little childhood creativity never hurt anyone.