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The apron came
about because of practical necessity. In years gone by, people didn't have
the luxury of owning a large wardrobe. Washing and drying clothing was not
done on a frequent basis. So aprons served a practical purpose of covering
up the dress underneath to project it from soiling. This made washing much
easier. The apron would be washed every couple of days but the dress or
clothing underneath did not have to be washed as much, perhaps maybe once
a week. Later they began serving as decorative purpose also. Not just
housewives wore aprons; school teachers, children, shop-keepers, and
secretaries wore different styles of aprons over their clothing every day.
In the 1920's
and '30's aprons followed the silhouette of the dress - long, with no
waist line. By the 1940's, aprons gained a cinched waistline, and were
often gaily trimmed with rick-rack, buttons, and pockets of contrasting
color. Many aprons were made from feed cloth. Feed cloth was a heavier
fabric and was used as a sack to put seed or four in that farmers used.
There was no wasting back then, when the sacks were empty,. the feedsack
fabric was used for quilts and aprons. In fact, when the apron had "seen
its day" and was ready to be tossed, the best parts were cut out and used
for quilts.
The 1950's
brought out the half-aprons of highly starched cotton, feedsack, and
sheer ( a see- through fabric) trimmed with lace for special occasions.
Also two- piece aprons and short smocks of bright cotton prints for every
day use were popular.
At one point,
Aprons were a serious fashion element, not just an afterthought cover-up!
Today the more rugged utilitarian aprons are still in use. The
old-fashioned pretty cotton ones are hard to find. The modern aprons are
available in both printed and hand stitched designs in a bouquet of
appealing color.
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