Friday, October 2, 2009

Article #74 Aprons a Necessity

Aprons were part of the official uniform for homemakers when I was growing up. Every housewife had several which included the plain everyday serviceable cover-up to wear while doing housework and cooking to the fancy aprons for special occasions, complete with intricate needlework and trim which could include lace or rick rack in different widths and designs. My grandmother loved to make her own aprons on her treadle sewing machine. She had some of the most unusual aprons in town. If she was having a holiday dinner or a special occasion like a bridge club party, a fancy apron was called for as well as decorated tablecloths (see photo on left) with matching napkins. There were no paper plates, paper napkins or plastic tablecloths in those days. Society was more proper.

An apron was a useful piece of clothing: you could gather eggs and apples or produce from the garden, wrap the baby up to carry him or her and wipe away the tears of an injured child. It could also be used as a fan or cloth to wipe away a sweaty brow, hide a shy child, signal the workers from the porch that supper was ready or as a hot pad in taking pans directly from the oven to the table. A pocket was helpful for all sorts of things like holding the baby’s bottle or pinky.

Styles varied, some were as long as the current style of dresses usually they tied in the back in a bow or they could button down the back. Later there were half aprons (see photo above right) and even shorter briefer party aprons (photo on left) that were more decorative than useful like crocheted or knitted mini aprons. There were smock, butcher or baker’s styles with straps around the neck and ties in back, or half aprons with no tops or bibs. The skirt part could be straight, pleaded or gathered.

Nowadays moms don’t wear aprons or dresses except for special occasions. Their everyday uniform is usually jeans and a t-shirt. Who needs to cover than with an apron? Besides in our modern times, its no job at all to throw a load of clothes in the automatic washer while you are cooking or doing other household chores. In my grandma’s time she owned fewer changes of clothing, only washed once a week and it was an all day task. Aprons were a necessary item as she labored daily.

11 comments:

  1. Lin, I was just thinking about aprons and writing about them the other day --- and here you are doing it!

    My grandmother always had a big white apron on throughout the day.

    By the time I arrived on the scene, she was already a widow and older, so she wasn't doing much in the way of cooking, canning, and such anymore.

    But the apron was as much a part of her as her generous heart when we asked her for cookies or a treat.

    Thanks for the memory jog!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Loved this trip down memory lane! How I wished I had some of those aprons now. They were beautiful. I still remember my mom using a wringer washer and hanging clothes on the line to dry. How fortunate we are today.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think aprons are enjoying a little bit of a comeback, at least with some of the young mothers. I used to get a kick out of my grandmother when we'd visit her in the nursing home. She still put on an apron each day, even though she was no longer working in a kitchen. It was as much a part of her attire as a dress was. Oh, and I never once saw her wear slacks.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I never really gave it much thought, about having fewer changes of clothes = the necessity of aprons. Interesting to ponder.

    ReplyDelete
  5. These aprons are gorgeous. Really beautiful. My mom had a few that I loved. The closest I have come to aprons are the craft store variety that I have pained with my daughter.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I find a woman in an apron somewhat comforting. I guess it's because of all the bakers I grew up around. I love them but don't wear them anymore either. Shame. (Of course, I don't cook much anymore either. Ha!)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I haven't even thought about my apons. I still have a few but I never use them. I think my aprons were prettier than what I usually wear so I wouldn't want the aprons to get dirty. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  8. My mother had aprons but she stopped using them long ago. I made a point of having aprons when I first got married. I thought it was a wife thing. I don't know where they are now and can't remember when I stopped wearing them. But, they do have a lot of uses, I may have to go back to wearing one. It would have sure come in handy this past summer when I was picking tomatoes in the garden.

    ReplyDelete
  9. As a kid i always saw my mom using beautiful aprons while cooking...it became a habit for us too ,i always use one and i have a good collection of Aprons...my friends very often gift me Aprons knowing my love for them...now i make my daughter and son wear one whenever we bake a cake together.I loved the red one shown here...oh !what a wonderful post.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What an interesting post with the history and reasoning. I guess you would have needed something to protect your clothing when it was a day's work to wash it... I enjoyed this post Lin...

    ReplyDelete
  11. I cook almost every night, my mother cooked every night but never ware an apron, I have never had the need to have one. the little ladies that are depicted on cartoons as house wives always had a negative tone. Funny how we have different out look on different things. I passionately love cooking but, being the woman of my kitchen but, aprons, naah, can live without them.

    ReplyDelete