A woman is going viral after sharing her story of getting” reprimanded” for what she wore to a family’s history moment at her local library.
Hilary Filipowicz says she was excited to choose her dress for her April 3 account hr at the Cleveland, Ohio-area library, where she frequently brings her 3-year-old and 1-year-old daughters.
” Postpartum is a strange time — you always know what to wear, what fits”, the 38- year- ancient stay- at- home mom tells Many entirely. ” My bedroom has three distinct clothing size. Getting dressed is a fraught position”.
So when she reached for a pair of high- waisted Topshop jeans ( pants purchased, she says, in her” cool- girl, New York City era” ) and realized they fit, she was thrilled.
” Those clothes are over a century aged”, she says with a chuckle. ” I was excited to meet into them”.
Paired with a simple tee and a long- hooded sweatshirt that strikes at the top of the jeans, Filipowicz looked, she thought, like any Millennial mother.
Until, that is, a librarian approached her and asked,” Are you a mom or a babysitter”?
When Filipowicz answered that she was a mom, the librarian told her,” You should know better” in what she described as a” judgey, tsk, tsk kind of tone”.
Filipowicz claims she “immediately began apologizing for my girls ‘ conduct” despite the fact that the teacher was referring to her children’s excessive loudness.
The teacher therefore interjected,” No, your outfit”, Filipowicz recalls.
Filipowicz claimed the library gestured to her shirt and trousers after the incident in a TikTok video that described the situation.
” And I realize it’s because]the shirt ] is a little bit cropped and when I carry my giant 1- year- ancient, it raises up and shows even one inch of my mommy belly…. And evidently that’s improper to show any midriff when you’re like edging into 40″, she says in the video. ( Reps for the Cleveland Public Library did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment right away. )
The video, which was shared shortly after she says she was “dress- coded” at the library, has since racked up more than 65, 000 views and ignited viral conversation.
Filipowicz says she is n’t interested in shameing the library or the librarian in question, despite her frustration with the situation.
She claims that we frequent the library frequently because we are so enamored. ” My preschooler is obsessed with books and, as a mom, it’s hard to find free activities”.
She continues:” This particular library is one we go to a lot. Given that I’m totally in my mother’s era, it’s odd to be criticized like a teenager at the age of 38. I’d never attempt to make anyone uncomfortable. My toddler is 30 pounds. I’m carrying her around, and I do n’t consider how my clothes are moving or how my body looks at those times.
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Filipowicz says she shared the story initially as a sort of “temperature check” —” I wanted to ensure, you know, can I still wear this”?
In hindsight, it’s also offered Filipowicz a segue into discussing body confidence with her daughters.
” I want to teach my girls that what someone’s body is shaped like is n’t the most interesting thing about them”, she tells PEOPLE. ” Before we leave the house, we now do a comfy check and a happy check — if you feel comfortable in what you’re wearing, that’s all that matters”.