Review on Caldo Daily Cotton Kitchen Apron for Cooking - Unisex Professional Chef or Server Apron - Adjustable Straps, Pockets, and Towel Loop (Spruce) by Amanda Thomas

Anyone who has worked in the industry can attest that it is nearly impossible to find the sweet spot in design, quality, comfort, durability and find price. when it comes to aprons and general uniforms for BOH personnel. What is available tends to be similar to dating in later life (smart, attractive, kind, emotionally stable - pick 3). Well, today is your lucky day. Call off the search party, give those K9 pooches a rest; Validate this ticket and have your customs declaration form ready because you have reached your final destination. These are definitely the droids you've been looking for. I was skeptical at first, but at under $30 I had to try one of these to see how it would hold up in my fairly stressful work environment (12-14 hours a day, 5 days). Days a week, working on everything from braising, frying, pasta, prepping for big projects to the infamous Ring of Fire wok station). I was just happy and impressed. These little ones are cool, fairly light weight but not at the expense of durability, perfect pockets for my notepad, pens/markers, long ties that tie in the front (huge for chefs), a cell phone or any other work essentials I might need during the day . The sophisticated casual look is perfect for the restaurant where I work. I get compliments from guests and colleagues, both boys and girls. They have held up very well for over a year and are often washed at least twice a week, many with OxiClean. I have since bought 2 more for myself and also for my sous chefs. And since next week is Mother's Day 2019, you can bet the best Gyuto will have a pair this year too. Of course, they're not perfect - and that's perfectly fine. Sometimes I wish the cotton fibers were a little more polished/dense. A rectangular metal ring that allows the use of an adjustable neck strap large enough to allow the straps to move along the curve during washing (one of mine is twisted like a Mobius strip and I don't know how to straighten it out so that it lies flat and flush. Needs to be fixed, but trust me, it's not this time.). It would be out of place in some of the expensive restaurants I've worked at in the past, but hey, we're still talking $30. and I refuse to pay $90 for an apron whose fate is sealed, like the Spartans at Thermopylae—heroic but inevitable. I would be MUCH better off having 3 of these than 1 Hedley apron. (And you butchers and fishmongers know better that aprons like that aren't suited to your level of dirty work anyway. Sorry.) This will be my apron unless I decide to return to the fine dining scene.TL;DR - 4.5 stars. Super satisfied and pleasantly surprised. I recommend these aprons to everyone I know now who is looking for a new apron. At this price point, you'll be hard pressed to find another apron that even remotely comes close to this one.