AITAH for not letting my cousin borrow my dress for her graduation after what she said about me?

r/

So my cousin and I have always had a rocky relationship. We’re close in age, but she’s always kind of made little digs at me — nothing outright nasty, but enough to sting. A few weeks ago, at a family dinner, she made a comment like “Well, you’re not really the stylish one in the family anyway” when we were talking about clothes. I just laughed it off in the moment, but it bugged me.

Now her graduation is coming up and she texted asking if she could borrow this dress I wore to a wedding — the same dress she rolled her eyes at when I first got it, btw. I told her no and said I wasn’t comfortable lending it out.

She got super passive aggressive and told our aunt I was being “selfish over a stupid piece of fabric.” My aunt called me saying it’s “just a dress” and that I’m “holding a grudge over nothing.”

But I feel like if someone constantly belittles me, they don’t get to ask for favors. Am I being petty here? AITAH

Comments

  1. Klutzy-Contest-1640 Avatar

    NTA but I would be tempted to say “I wouldn’t want to lend one of my substandard dresses to someone as stylish as you” 

  2. toss_this_account_38 Avatar

    NTA: “No” is a complete sentence.
    The Mean Girl had no problem slagging the outfit – she doesn’t get to wear it. I also wouldn’t put it past her to “accidentally” ruin it before returning it to you (if she does so, that is).

    Also, the aunt is an enabling moron. She doesn’t get to dictate what you should hold a grudge over.

  3. lace_nox Avatar

    NTA. If she’s throwing shade, she can find her own damn outfit. No dress, no drama

  4. Beneficial-Sort4795 Avatar

    NTA. “Aunt, cousin ridiculed me for getting the dress in the first place, now she wants to borrow it? No. She’s made constant comments about how she hates my style, she never says anything about your clothes, you lend her a dress.” Click.

  5. TopAd7154 Avatar

    “No. Don’t text me again.”
    Block. 
    Cousin or not, you’re not obligated to be in touch with her. 

  6. Morrigan-71 Avatar

    NTA. If you would lend it to her, you probably would never get it back because “she wears it better.”.

  7. stiggley Avatar

    NTA If the dress is so important to them then let cousin and aunt know where you got the dress so they can buy it themselves.

    If they don’t buy it, then you know it was just about freeloading and abusing family ties.

  8. CryptographerPure301 Avatar

    Oooh but that dress can simply not be stylish enough for her, and you dont want her to be embarrassed wearing it.

    (The above content may contain irony/sarcasm)

  9. Satori2025 Avatar

    Oh, hell no. I lent a top once to a friend. It was trashed and stretched when I got it back. Never again. Besides, she belittles your style to make her feel better and yet, obviously likes your style enough to demand a specific dress

  10. BrokenWeeble Avatar

    NTA. Tell them you donated it to a charity shop after she said it wasn’t stylish

  11. Dranask Avatar

    If she didn’t like it why would she want it?

    Aunt is OFC enabling her protege entitled Karen of a daughter. Apples or rolling far from the tree. NTA

  12. GroovyYaYa Avatar

    Wait.. they know the reason you said no? Including your aunt?

  13. Anxious-Routine-5526 Avatar

    NTA.

    Aunty can get her another, “stylish” dress. Problem solved.

  14. The_ImplicationII Avatar

    NTA, Aunty is trying to get out of a purchase

  15. OjibwaGirl Avatar

    NTA and yes you are being petty AS YOU SHOULD BE 😁😁

    Cousin wants to keep channeling her inner “mean girl”? You double down on the petty! That witch deserves to go to grad in a paper bag!

    And remember, you are never obligated to lend out your clothes, or anything else, to anyone; no one is entitled to your belongings except you!

  16. Great-Squirrel5837 Avatar

    Hilarious she called your aunt to go into bat for her 🤣🤣 Now you get to tell them both NO without trying to laugh too much 🤗❤️All good things come to those who go and get their own things 🤩