Aprons on Parade: From the Rabbit Hole to the Kitchen

My father, born in 1909, talked about how his sisters, when they were all growing up in western PA, had only two dresses each, one for weekdays and one for Sundays. The weekday dress was topped by an "ampern" as he pronounced it,( a as in cake), a lot like the Alice apron. He indulged in this memory when our requests for new clothes in the fifties threatened to strain the budget.

Saw a Photo of Jamie Oliver wearing a Search and Rescue Demin Apron. They are most definitely the crème de la crème of Aprons. They actually are a high end style statement that reflects the quality of wearers business. It is the ultimate gift that I have both received and have given. The quality of the materials is top end and the craftsmanship is remarkable. I am so excited to see the that S&R Denim also has a line of Fashion Jackets as well. I am for sure getting one for myself.

I have a number of aprons hanging on a hook on my kitchen wall. They are necessary when I bake because it tends to get messy. They are all bib aprons, solids and stripes, but I have a favourite. It belonged to my late father who was a master baker. It is part of the white uniform - pants, shirt/tee, apron- he wore all the years he worked. If I did not hitch the waist up it would be ankle length on me, and I am tall. It is plain white heavy cotton canvas with twill ties and every time I put it on, I feel that I am getting a hug from my father.

Have some of the commenting readers not noticed that professional chefs always wear aprons--which tie in the front and have pockets for thermometer, pen or pencil, etc.? The purpose of the apron is to keep your clothing clean and separate the food you are preparing from the office and subway you wore home on your street clothing. Those with a lot of time on their hands and the need for a research topic can write their dissertations on how aprons represent the oppression of women.

But what style of apron do I wear with my monocle? Rimless, of course.

I, personally, have three aprons, all utilitarian. One for woodworking, one for blacksmithing and one for the kitchen.

An entire book could written about the apron as one of the key signifiers of the sort of submissive womanhood nearly absent from many of today's young women who live and work in the power corridor extending from Washington, DC to Boston, as well as in the Hollywood culture of southern California. It isn't that submissive feminine attitudes have entirely disappeared, but one has to look to stereotyped S & M pornography images to find this original significance of the apron still in force. In the American flyover country, the traditional apron and its use for housework still has some currency. The clothing lines shown in the article's photos are neutered and dreadful compared to Alice's pinafore style.

Quite frankly, I never understood the necessity of an apron until I finally started wearing one a few years ago (when I bought the Sarah apron from the Marcy Butler collection, which actually looks like a pretty boatneck dress -- I love it so much that I've purchased 3 other aprons as gifts for women in my family). It certainly depends on the style, but I wear my apron all of the time. It was great when I was pregnant always spilling things on my belly, and now, even better, since I have an infant who loves to make messes.

That said, of course, aprons must be useful and user-friendly. For instance, I agree with the other reader's comments about being able to tie in the front -- I wear mine this way and it is essential. But once that bar is met, why shouldn't they look chic, too? I love that my MB apron is comfortable enough for long wear, but elegant enough to stay on while entertaining, hosting or running out for a quick errand.

Particularly in this current time where fashion and food mix, it doesn't hurt to look and feel like a domestic goddess, especially if you're playing the part.

Aprons? Pinafores?!? Seriously? Why not focus on the emerging trends of cravats, petticoats, beauty marks, tights for men, hat pins, or hand fans?

Actually, I'd like to see short white cotton gloves for women in the summer come back. Not those oven mitts that Mrs. Clooney famously wore (although they would match an apron), but cool white gloves for summer. Too bad Alice didn't tumble down her rabbit hole in cute cotton gloves.

I can't recall ever wearing an apron, and the idea of spending $195 for one strikes me as ludicrous. I guess my mother taught me how to be neat in the kitchen, even when wielding knives and carving things up.

I love cooking with a really great apron that protects clothing from water but especially from grease. The biggest problem is that those who design these things evidently don't cook because they have no understanding of the need and usefulness of ties that are long enough to wrap around and tie in front, thus providing a great place to drape that dish towel for hands and for a quick grab of that hot pot handle. Fashion that really works is the essence of the Apron.

I admire aprons in which one can "gyre and gimble in the wabe". As a matter of general design, they lack pockets suitable for safely storing knives and flasks with fortifying liquids that some cooks (mostly male) may need for sustenance during their work.