Apron Shame

The other day I had a trio of young women come in to buy a gift from their girlfriend's wedding registry. They were not very impressed with the selection of items on the registry. As a group, they went in on a casserole dish and some other random item. While that was being gift wrapped, they critiqued the items left on the registry.

There was an apron on the list that was not yet purchased. They were all making fun of the apron. "Oh my god. Can you IMAGINE wearing an APRON??" The three of them cackled and guffawed over the absurdity of an apron. And then they looked at me. Who wears an apron. All day. As my uniform. They hushed themselves and spoke in low voices and moved to a different corner to talk.

For 5 minutes, I was embarrassed to be wearing an apron. And my choice of outfits for that day was very polka-dotty, girly, and disgustingly cutsey, which didn't help me to feel "cool." I felt like an quirky, apron-wearing weirdo.

I took another look at them huddled in a corner, waiting for their gift wrap and judged them real hard. And you know what? I was glad not to be them. I LIKED my outfit; it was original, adorable, and received many unanticipated compliments. I do not care to wear disposable mall clothes with AERO embroidered on the bosom. With disposable clothes, you wouldn't have to wear an apron because you might throw out your crappy clothes after they are stained anyway.

Ok, so I don't want to TOTALLY judge people that wear boring mall bought outfits. I think people should just wear what they want without being judged. Aprons are useful; I wear an apron at work as a uniform and at home to keep my adorable clothes clean. I do not feel silly or oppressed when wearing an apron. I feel smart, like, HA! I wear this sheath to keep to keep my clothes clean. What a neat trick!

If I were shopping off a friend's registry, I would buy the apron. And they can wear it like a hug.