Aprons, passing, and hips

[AdamMLP]

(Do americans call aprons 'jumpers'?  I'm so confused.  One of these anyway:

Ours are exactly the same, just without the white writing at the top.)

I've wanted to post this topic for months, but I'd been trying to get a photograph, but I've not gotten an opportunity at all, and it doesn't look like I'm ever going to get one as the only aprons we have are at work and I'm not allowed to be on my phone there, let alone faffing around trying to get a full body shot.

I pass 90% of the time in real life to people that I don't know, but only twice have I managed to pass at work.  Obviously I know that some of that is due to be living in the same village for 16 years, and in the pub I work in for 15, so a lot of people know me/know of me and notice that I look like my mother/father, and that they only have a "daughter".  Not everyone is from the area though, and not every knows me.  Part of it is probably due to wait(ress)ing being a predominantly female job as well.

But only one passing experience in 2 years of work?  There's got to be more to it than that, and the only thing I can think of is that I wear an apron there, which is tied around my hips.  Anyone have the same problem, or know how to mask the effect at all?  The knot comes undone if I tie it any looser, and I've tried wearing black, white and blue shirts (I'm only allowed to wear white these days, but the new landlord doesn't dare say anything to me if I wear black because he knows he can't afford to lose me ) all to no avail.

[CursedFireDean]

Can't help with the main question, but yeah, us Americans call them Aprons. Jumpers are these dress things you wear over a shirt:

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

That is an apron here.  A jumper is usually like a dress with a bib.

[Devlyn]

Aprons here, I wore one when I bussed tables. Are you tying a "shoelace knot"? Try just tying both strings into a simple overhand knot. It would be almost impossible to have the apron be tight that way. Hugs, Devlyn

[AdamMLP]

Ahh I understand the jumper/apron thing now, I did a quick google to see if you'd understand what I was on about and the wikipedia picture looked like a normal apron to me.

The aprons are way too big for me really, they're the same ones that enormous the 6 foot something bar man who's built like a brick s-house can wear, so I have to wrap them around behind me and then tie them in front of me in what I suppose is a shoelace knot.  Tying them any other way looks a bit silly because the material of the apron can overlap behind me.  I should really suggest they buy some that actually fit seeing as most of the staff are tiny.

[Squirrel698]

I'm not sure if this would be allowed but have you tried a nametag?  A name tag with an obvious male name would give a clue to many people.  Others, perhaps, would respect your identity with the right pronouns. 

It's worth a shot.

[AdamMLP]

It's not a large business are really informal so name tags would just look weird. There's only 3 people working most days, sometimes two, maximum of four.

[CursedFireDean]

Maybe since you have to wrap the string around yourself it's emphasizing your waist?
-Dean