If you remember your grandmother or great grandmother, you probably recall her wearing a kitchen apron whilst she was home and dressed. Kitchen aprons began as a very simple but essential part of a woman’s wardrobe and date back before your grandma.

Women of the middle class did all their own work and in order to keep their clothes clean, they wore their kitchen aprons all day long. Lower class women may have owned only two dresses and keeping one as clean as possible was very important as well as having one as a backup. Women who had servants did not ever wear aprons. They didn’t have a need, but the servants wore aprons.

The first aprons were made of feed sacks and were not very stylish. They were decorated with simple rick rack and buttons if those items were available and either tied at the back or buttoned down the back. The aprons showed just a few inches of hemline in the’20s and’30’s. Wasting was not a practice during these hard times so kitchen aprons were made from any fabrics available.

By the time the ’50s rolled around, almost all the magazine ads were showing the everyday woman wearing some apron during the day while they made their own fashion statement. In the ’50s women were wearing cinched waist aprons and you would never arrive at a home dinner party without seeing your hostess donning a half apron. Some of these aprons were very beautifully embroidered and sheer. Some vintage catalogs and Ebay as well as flea markets and antique shops often house dozens of these aprons.

The full length apron of the 60’s started displaying the cute little sayings about your cook. Always great gifts by now, some messages were just the right words for the intended recipient. Homemade aprons were great gifts for grandma and mom and sometimes even for dad as the barbecue on Sundays became more and more popular and dad took the kitchen apron into the backyard.

Technicians, nurses, old time doctors, nuns, school children and carpenters have had their turn with aprons. Some will continue, but some will not, the cook at home or in the professional kitchen will still find that the kitchen apron serves a useful purpose.

You may have made aprons in the past. Patterns are still available, but your first project at home was a simple cutout and a chance to use your mom’s sewing machine. Vintage patterns are available. Do they still teach sewing in home economics? Learning to make a kitchen apron is a simple project that can incorporate a few sewing techniques for the beginner.

As nostalgic as they are, they are still the most practical item around. Kitchen aprons can keep the nice clothes clean. No spaghetti sauce on that cute white tee shirt. You may prefer the bib type kitchen apron for preparation and then put on the fancy, frilly apron for serving your guests. Have fun wearing a very old fashion statement!

Kitchen Aprons in the UK at Best Kitchen Aprons and Retro Best Kitchen Aprons

Tags: , ,