My wife and I were having the usual musings on current society over dinner last night. We were barbecuing and she still had on her iconic McIlhenny Company Tabasco Sauce apron at the table.

Somehow the conversation turned to the smocks we had used in art class as fourth graders. These were the brown, excessively thick vinyl ones that were festooned with others’ clay frustrations and misguided painting experiments.

As I pondered this, of course my mind wandered to how this could fit into a business opportunity. The thought of mega retail in America came to mind, and the image of the stereotypical subculture of the unmentionable Walmart shopper we all know and shun — those who still find Zubaz a viable fashion statement and forgot to not sleep in their Crocs last night.

That’s it! Smocs! (Say it whilst tilting the head slightly and gurgling like a 1940’s radio character.) It could be the next huge retail trend — and not just a short-lived fad, but addressing a real need to promote the lifestyle shall we say by averting those unnecessary food droppings that mark up clothing, etc., and allowing a whole generation to sleep in their clothes for weeks on end.

Rubberized industrial Smocs in bright colors for any occasion could make for an excellent business opportunity. Might even globally increase the sale of pressure washers as well.