To Dressing Gown Or Not?

"It's only in winter that you really need a dressing gown," says my friend Annie as we scoured the reduced sales racks in our local department. While hunting for post-Christmas deals, I had stopped to ponder the purchase of a fluffy, white dressing gown. It had a nice fur collar and was just the right size! I had been eyeing the dressing gown previously and now it being 30% off seemed to justify my luxurious buy. Sure, I thought, dressing gowns are great for winter but surely why not for spring? It's not like winter days don't drag on till way into April these days. And it's sure not like spring approaches anytime sooner than May with the doom and gloom of global warming. Besides, I really liked it.

But before I could delve into the rack for my special buy, I saw another hand reach in and make its move on my dressing gown! No! Not my dressing gown! Not my soft, white fluffy dressing gown that would be great for winter but just as nice for the cold spring mornings to come! It was a lady's hand as I deduced from the red painted nails and she was a stylish woman at that. Designer handbag in tow and high heels to match, the woman was quite the figure as I stood watching her with my dressing gown in hand. I waited and circled as she examined the collar and then the belt of the dressing gown. Both intact and made of the same luxurious cotton chenille with a fur collar, the dressing gown was heavenly the lady decided for she walked up to the till to make her purchase! NO! I thought. That's my dressing gown! My heart sank as she pulled out cash from her designer wallet and paid for the dressing gown. Not meant to be, I sighed. A moment's hesitation and the dream of warm mornings curled up by the fire in my dressing gown was dashed. And at that moment, Annie sauntered over and exclaimed, "Look what I just bought! It's a dressing gown in my size! I decided that dressing gowns aren't just for winter after all!" Ah, the bitter irony of it all. To make matters worse, the only place I ever see a similar dressing gown is on the tv, it would appear the shops are all sold out of cotton chenille dressing gowns.