By Adela Beasley
Aprons are garments that are most often used to cover the front of people's bodies. They protect outfits while the wearers could possibly soil or damage them. Sometimes they are included in uniforms, such as in service businesses like restaurants, hospitals, and cleaning. Fashion aprons are resurfacing, and are enjoyed by many who like to be creative and trendy.
Various materials and fabrics may be used to manufacture cover-up garments. They may be light, medium, or heavy. The weight will depend on the desired utility for the garment. From basic to fancy, they can be altered to fit the occasion. In the days of Ozzie and Harriet, TV shows portrayed wives as domestic creatures who did their household chores in stockings, spike-heeled shoes, dresses, and starched, white aprons. Of course, they never broke a sweat, or mussed a curl in their perfect coiffures.
Country wives often wore homemade garments sewn from recycled feed sacks. They also made their aprons of the same materials. It was all about caring for their limited wardrobe. These women might have only a few outfits, and laundering them was done manually, on washboards. Since that type of labor was very difficult and time-consuming, it was very important to keep their clothing as clean as possible for as long as possible.
City life offered more sophisticated avenues for dressing. Fancier and more fashionable wardrobes required dressier cover-up designs. They were often fashioned to complement the clothing they protected. For special occasions, such as Sunday dinner or holiday events, decorations such as bows, lace, and ruffles were added to liven up the look.
When automatic washers and dryers became more common in mid-60's households, it was easier to care for women's clothing. Due to that change, it was not as necessary to keep clothing so protected while doing work in the house. New fabrics that were permanently pressed made it easier to launder outfits, so cover-ups were used less frequently.
Although in the past, aprons were worn by mostly females, it is also common today for men to use them when doing household chores. Men now boast about their kitchen prowess, in addition to their roles as homemakers. Some of the garments that men use have slogans, cartoons, and sports team logos.
Not only outdoor cooking, but even gourmet recipes and techniques are topics of conversation among many men at social functions. They use cover-up designs of various materials, including camouflage, burlap, terrycloth, and even burlap. They are more inclined today to take pride in their ability to succeed in previously female household roles.
Unlike the old styles of sack-cloth dress, the new designs are now popular. Some women's aprons are as fancy as their cocktail dresses. A popular look is to wear a floral, satin apron over a sleek, black dress. That is sure to wow the guests at the door. There are lots of ways to create a desired impression when wearing a fashion aprons. Some ideas are to add rickrack, netting, rhinestones, or ruffles. A fancy or flirtatious design can add charm and cheer. Some ladies love to use aprons as costuming, such as in the French maid style. Aprons are certainly gaining in popularity again, but are still not so prevalent as in the 1950's.
Various materials and fabrics may be used to manufacture cover-up garments. They may be light, medium, or heavy. The weight will depend on the desired utility for the garment. From basic to fancy, they can be altered to fit the occasion. In the days of Ozzie and Harriet, TV shows portrayed wives as domestic creatures who did their household chores in stockings, spike-heeled shoes, dresses, and starched, white aprons. Of course, they never broke a sweat, or mussed a curl in their perfect coiffures.
Country wives often wore homemade garments sewn from recycled feed sacks. They also made their aprons of the same materials. It was all about caring for their limited wardrobe. These women might have only a few outfits, and laundering them was done manually, on washboards. Since that type of labor was very difficult and time-consuming, it was very important to keep their clothing as clean as possible for as long as possible.
City life offered more sophisticated avenues for dressing. Fancier and more fashionable wardrobes required dressier cover-up designs. They were often fashioned to complement the clothing they protected. For special occasions, such as Sunday dinner or holiday events, decorations such as bows, lace, and ruffles were added to liven up the look.
When automatic washers and dryers became more common in mid-60's households, it was easier to care for women's clothing. Due to that change, it was not as necessary to keep clothing so protected while doing work in the house. New fabrics that were permanently pressed made it easier to launder outfits, so cover-ups were used less frequently.
Although in the past, aprons were worn by mostly females, it is also common today for men to use them when doing household chores. Men now boast about their kitchen prowess, in addition to their roles as homemakers. Some of the garments that men use have slogans, cartoons, and sports team logos.
Not only outdoor cooking, but even gourmet recipes and techniques are topics of conversation among many men at social functions. They use cover-up designs of various materials, including camouflage, burlap, terrycloth, and even burlap. They are more inclined today to take pride in their ability to succeed in previously female household roles.
Unlike the old styles of sack-cloth dress, the new designs are now popular. Some women's aprons are as fancy as their cocktail dresses. A popular look is to wear a floral, satin apron over a sleek, black dress. That is sure to wow the guests at the door. There are lots of ways to create a desired impression when wearing a fashion aprons. Some ideas are to add rickrack, netting, rhinestones, or ruffles. A fancy or flirtatious design can add charm and cheer. Some ladies love to use aprons as costuming, such as in the French maid style. Aprons are certainly gaining in popularity again, but are still not so prevalent as in the 1950's.