By Jacquie Foote Aprons, as we have seen, are ……
By Jacquie Foote Aprons, as we have seen, are ... and were ... worn for a variety or reasons. At a time when people had…
By Jacquie Foote
Aprons, as we have seen, are … and were … worn for a variety or reasons. At a time when people had a limited supply of clothing and when keeping said clothing clean was a time consuming and sometimes arduous undertaking, the apron was there to protect clothes from wear and tear.
It was less a loss when an apron wore out or was ruined. It took less time and less cloth to make a replacement than it would take to replace the clothing it protected. For this reason, the apron became part of the uniform of several work categories, including waitresses, nurses and domestic workers. And, of course, the apron became an important part of women’s attire in the home.
Was it the cook’s apron that became the pattern for the homemaker’s apron? Some say so. This apron serves as the cook’s first line of defense against messes. It serves as a shield, deflecting hot liquids and sharp edges.
The cooks or chef’s apron was traditionally made in one piece with a straight “skirt” and bib. It goes over the head and ties in back with ties. It is sometimes called a butcher apron. It was usually white. When the housewife’s apron came to be, the style was that of a cook’s apron with a slightly fuller skirt and a patterned material.
The housewife’s apron was, from the first, slightly shorter than the dress and could serve as a convenient carry-all when gathered up, perfect for bringing in vegetables from the garden, eggs from the henhouse or firewood from the woodpile. The iconic image of a woman in an apron standing at the fire or oven started in the19th century. By the middle of the 20th century, the apron had become closely associated with a homemaker.
If we follow the development of the apron from the 1850s until their heyday in the 1950s, we would find the following styles:
The pinafore (sometimes called a pinny in Great Britain … Originally a “bib” style apron that covered the chest and fastened with pins, hence its name. The name is also commonly associated with a ruffled apron in the 1900s that little girls wore. It was also popular in the 1940s.
The hostess apron (also called a cocktail apron or party apron) … A 1950s term for a half apron. Usually of a daintier fabric, such as organdy, lace, satin, silk or cotton lawn. It is an apron that was made for “show” and not for actual work.
The bib apron … The top portion of an apron that covers the chest, usually a simple square.
The half apron An apron that ties around the waist with no bib. Usually gathered or pleated into a waistband.
The full apron … An apron that covers the whole front.
The princess apron … A full apron with bib and skirt cut in one with no waist seam. Very popular in the 1920s and 1930s.
The smock … More like a dress, than an apron. Can have sleeves. Popular in the 1930s for painting and gardening.
The cobbler apron … This is an apron that covers the front and the back, usually straight with ties or buttons at the sides. Usually not as long as the dress. Popular in the late 1950s and 1960s.
The chef’s apron … This is a kind of full apron.
Next time … aprons then and now.
For information on the events at the Geauga County Historical Society’s Burton Century Village Museum, call 440-834-1492 or visit www.geauga
historical.org.
