We’ve all had mornings where we just throw on whatever’s closest. Maybe sweatpants for a coffee run. Maybe pajamas for school drop-off. But one British mom took it to the next level—jumping behind the wheel in nothing but her dressing gown. No problem, right? That is, until she blew a tire and had to call a tow truck. Suddenly, roadside assistance became a race against time—to find a spare outfit before the mechanic arrived. A right sticky wicket, indeed.

A fashion disaster waiting to happen

Driving in pajamas is always a gamble. Most of the time, you make it home undetected. But sometimes, fate decides to humble you harder than a scorned British headmistress. That’s exactly what happened to Zoey, who shared her dressing gown disaster on a website with the most British-sounding name ever: We Are Marmalade.

“I was taking my other half to work and as he started early morning, I didn’t see the point of getting dressed so just slung on my dressing gown,” she admitted. A proper cheeky decision. “As I was driving back home my tyre blew.”

Cue the panic. The poor woman was in a full-on faff. “I had to call the my mechanic who said he would come to me and tow me to the tyre centre,” she said. And that’s when the real horror set in. “It was then that I remembered I was only wearing my dressing gown!”

For those unfamiliar with the term, Encyclopedia Britannica defines a dressing gown as “a loose piece of clothing that is worn indoors while relaxing, getting ready for bed, etc.” In the UK, it’s an acceptable form of loungewear. In the US, we’d call it a bathrobe—or, in this case, a high-stakes wardrobe malfunction. Perfect for sipping tea. Not so perfect for standing on the side of the road while a mechanic changes your tire or loads your car on the flatbed.

Fastest wardrobe change ever

With a tow truck on the way, Zoey did what any mum in a proper pickle would do—she called in reinforcements. “I managed to call my teenage daughter who rode her bike to me and bought me some clothes,” she said. A proper hero’s journey, but on two wheels.

The girl deserves a medal. She made it just in time. “Luckily, she arrived before the mechanic did!” And not a moment too soon—because the only thing more awkward than a tire change is doing it while wrapped in a glorified bath towel.

Lesson learned? Dressing gowns are great for lounging, but maybe not for high-stakes roadside emergencies. Keep calm, carry on, and for heaven’s sake—wear some proper trousers next time.