Apron a symbol of repression

[LadyJaneGreyspen]

Or just a useful bit of clothing?

I only have ones with big pockets .,,,.

I only have ones with big pockets

If aprons are symbols of female oppression, how come the Freemasons wear an embellished form as part of their lodge regalia? (And a far less embellished form when serving up chips and hotdogs to the masses at the Durham Miners' Gala.)

I essentially live in my pyjamas/yoga-type clothes, which are very comfortable but tend to leave me putzing around the house with no pockets. Unacceptable! So I have a couple aprons which I use mainly as detachable pockets. The fact that they also protect my clothing from cooking splatters and garden soil and whatnot is a bonus.

My favorite is one I rescued from the thrift store - you should have seen its sad little puppy eyes, peering out at me from where it had been smooshed between the unmatched pillowcases. I had never bought an apron before, and certainly would not have gone looking for an apron with frills and bright, obnoxious fabric, but by god is it the best thing ever. Pockets you could stow a couple of Corgis in.

Anyway, I imagine the fact that we have washing machines and many more changes of clothing than people did in the past probably affects apron use. Still lots of usefulness to be found in them, though.

Clutching at straws with this thread. Wow! What can we bitch about next! HAHA!!!!!

I've got a lovely William Morris print plastic apron, which I wear whenever I'm using flour. Flour is my nemesis, I get it everywhere.

Form follows function. The function of large aprons is to protect the wearer from sparks and splashes.
The function of tiny frilly aprons is to signal low status.

"The function of tiny frilly aprons is to signal low status."

Can you explain this a bit more? I honestly have never seen anyone wearing a tiny frilly apron, whether in their own home or at work.

Maybe at a party, if someone decides to be Sexy French Maid for Halloween or something similar.

(I have seen frills on large aprons, to be clear, but those silly little half aprons which seem to be purely for decoration are something I have not seen on anything other than a costume)

Your question contains the answer. Maid is low sex class status, is it not? Tiny frilly aprons were part of the male designers post world war II backlash against women. The fifties were full of promotions useless bits of fluff designed not to protect restrictive clothing women were sold. Fashion is at the forefront of signaling women's status.

I take your point, I guess I just don't see it come up very often in the media I consume.

They have gone out of fashion except as sexualized costumes, I think.
They were everywhere in my childhood. My grandma would take off her useful one to put on her fancy one for parties so everyone would know who the server was.

Definitely not out of fashion!

I wear an apron when cooking, as does DH (except when he forgets and then plaintively asks how to get grease stains out of cotton - by this stage I tell him to work it out himself, as he should have worn an apron).

I have a lovely checked one from habitat, and few ironic frilly ones which I love. TKMaxx do nice frilly aprons.

Can you explain this a bit more? I honestly have never seen anyone wearing a tiny frilly apron, whether in their own home or at work

I worked in a very formal hotel in the 70s. The waitresses wore black skirts and blouses and white waist aprons. I assume it was because if you are serving or carrying food spillage is more likely to go down the front of your skirt than cooking splashes which are more likely to be at chest level so the apron was there to protect the skirt.

Why would it be seen as strange to walk round the supermarket in your kitchen apron rather than a catering apron.........

Why would you wear either of those when you're walking around a supermarket?

Well quite.

I ruined a cotton top last week, trying to top up the bottle of bleach the top flicked up and splashed. I did not notice until later by then the top was ruined. I have an apron with two pockets so I can carry phone or bits of lego etc I find in odd places. I am short with big boobs so find them a godsend especially when cleaning the stupidly large D bath we have. Family buy me nice ones. My favourite are from Dexam

dexam.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/index/?material=118&q=apron

Am I correctly remembering that butchers used to wear white cotton(?) sleeves over their shirts? Covered wrist to elbow with elastic at both ends to protect from vitals and the like I presume. They could be useful day to day.

I have three aprons that I love in theory but don't like in reality so never wear. Maybe I need to buy a nicer one to cut down on washing.

Butchers did wear them, I remember the bacon section they wore them as well. They were sent to the laundry and came back starched. They smelt lovely when clean.

I'm so old that my first needlework lesson at school was to make an apron for my first cooking lesson - baked apple, if you must know - which took place the following term. Our sewing machines were the old manual ones with the hand crank.

Go, girls grammars! Not.

(Don't wear aprons now. Just get food splatter on my t-shirt, then change it.)

I'll take your needlework apron and up you a hand sewn bikini, at age 10. It was hideous. No hint of stretch.

I do still have my needle case with my initials on, but it's been I not constant use for forty years (omfg!) and might not last the distance.

This thread is making me want one of those linen crossover ones that Instagram florists wear. With proper string in the pocket.

DP loves cooking, and often wears a butcher’s style apron. He looks very masculine when he’s got his apron on, sleeves rolled up, sharpening his knives like a pro and about to tackle jointing a chicken or boning out a leg of lamb.

I do still have my needle case with my initials on, but it's been I not constant use for forty years (omfg!) and might not last the distance.

OMG. We had to make one of those as well. Mine was blue and white crimplene on the outside and peach felt on the inside!

I would like a "Mrs Overall" wrap over overall. They have better coverage than an apron.