There is a small piece of evidence in the search data that tells you exactly how Australian groomers solve this problem.
Nobody here searches for a grooming apron. The Australian volume for grooming-specific workwear terms is essentially nil. What Australians search for is scrubs, and they search for it a lot.
So this post is not really about aprons. It is about the fact that this trade solved its clothing problem with veterinary and medical workwear, and that is a sensible answer we should just get behind.
Why scrubs won
They are cheap, they come in every size and every colour, they wash at sixty degrees forever, they dry fast, and there is a large competitive Australian market for them because every vet clinic, dental surgery and medical practice in the country buys them.
Grooming-specific clothing is a small market with thin distribution here, so it costs more for less choice. There is no prize for buying it.
Wear scrubs. Put the apron over the top.
The apron, and the one word that matters
Waterproof, not water resistant.
Water resistant means you will be dry for about forty minutes. Then it wets through, and you spend the rest of the day with a cold damp patch across your stomach, which is genuinely miserable in a Melbourne winter and it is exactly what people are describing when they say their back hurts by three.
A proper waterproof apron is coated nylon, PVC or a laminated fabric. It will feel less pleasant than the nice brushed one. Buy it anyway.
The fabric test that actually predicts happiness
Hair release. Some fabrics shed cut hair when you brush a hand down them. Others hold every single clipping until you go at them with a lint roller.
Smooth, tightly woven and slightly slick fabrics shed. Anything brushed, fleecy, textured or with a raised weave holds.
This is the difference between walking out at six looking like a person and looking like you lost a fight with a poodle. If you can, put your hand on it before you buy.
Pockets, and being honest about them
You need fewer than you think. Two decent ones at the front, deep enough that a comb does not fall out when you bend over a bath.
What you actually want is one pocket you can reach with either hand, and a loop or a clip for scissors. A dozen small pockets sounds efficient and turns into a hunt.
Avoid anything with a pocket low enough to scoop water when you lean over a tub.
Sleeves and the dryer
Long sleeves and a high velocity dryer are a bad combination, because the sleeve billows and flaps into the airflow and the dog's face.
Three-quarter sleeves, or a sleeve with a proper elastic cuff. Salon sleeves and arm covers exist for this and are worth it in winter, when you want the warmth without the flapping.
Buy two
This is the actual recommendation and it costs almost nothing.
One apron means you either wash it every night or wear it damp and smelling of yesterday's dog. Two means one is always clean and dry, and the pair lasts more than twice as long because neither is ever washed while still wet.
The same logic applies to shoes, and to towels, and to most things in a salon.
What we would not buy
We would not buy a full-length apron that reaches past the knee. It gets caught on the table pedal and on the tub edge.
We would not buy a tie-only apron with no neck adjustment, because your neck is not the same as the last person's and a badly hung apron pulls on your shoulders all day.
We would not buy white. There is no explanation needed.
And we would not buy anything that has to be washed cold. Everything you wear in this job needs to go in hot with the towels.
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