What Is an Apron?

Where does the apron come from?

Nobody knows who first tied a cloth over the front of their clothes; the documented history starts with the word, which English records as “napron” by about 1300 and as “apron” by the mid-15th century. The V&A holds an English apron made between 1580 and 1600.

From “a napron” to “an apron”

Napron came from Old French naperon, a small tablecloth, a diminutive of nappe, “cloth”, which goes back to Latin mappa, “napkin”. Speakers heard “a napron” as “an apron”, and the n slid across to the article. The Online Etymology Dictionary calls this a faulty separation and notes the same slip produced “adder” and “umpire”. Merriam-Webster traces the same misdivision through the Anglo-French form naperoun.

Aprons for show, 1580–1720

Not every early apron was for work. That linen apron is pierced with cutwork in a lozenge pattern. The museum’s record says such aprons were “never intended as protective accessories”; they signalled an accomplished and capable wife. Paintings of the late 16th and early 17th centuries show finely worked linen aprons as common accessories, yet few survive, because the cloth was fragile and could be recut into smaller garments or accessories.

A century later the split between show and work is plain. The V&A’s record for an English apron of ivory silk taffeta, made between 1700 and 1720 and worked in coloured silks and silver-gilt thread, notes that embroidered silk aprons were a fashionable part of aristocratic and gentry women’s informal dress. Servants, the same record notes, wore plain linen aprons for housework. Embroidered aprons symbolised a gentlewoman’s skill in supervising a large household, and the horn of plenty, a sign of that domestic skill, was a popular motif on them.

Pinafores and regional dress

The word “pinafore” appears in 1782 for a sleeveless apron worn by children, named because it was pinned to the front of a dress to protect it. By about 1900 it also named a fashion garment for women. Aprons belong to regional dress too: the V&A holds a Breton bib apron of blue silk moiré edged with silver lace, made around 1820 and worn as part of a bride’s wedding outfit in the district between Quimperlé and Pont-Aven, in Finistère. The museum records its Breton name as tavanchère.

What makes an apron an apron?

An apron is a separate layer that covers the front of the body and is tied or strapped on over other clothes, so it can be taken off without undressing. Merriam-Webster describes it as usually made of cloth, plastic or leather, typically tied around the waist, and worn either to protect clothing or to decorate an outfit.

• Front coverage. The panel covers the front of the wearer rather than wrapping the whole body.
• Ties or straps. The 16th-century V&A apron is gathered at the waist and bound with linen tape that runs out at each side into ties; the Breton bib apron ties with two tapes at its corners.
• Worn over, not instead. An apron is worn on top of another garment. That is the clearest line between an apron and the garments it is confused with.

What are the main types of apron?

The main types are the waist apron, which ties at the waist and covers the lower front; the bib apron, which adds a panel over the chest; the pinafore; and protective work aprons in materials such as leather or plastic.

How do you tell a well-made apron?

A well-made work apron is cut from firm, smooth, easily laundered cloth, is big enough to protect what you are wearing, and has nothing that can snag: no oversized ties, bows or pockets. Those are the points New Mexico State University’s extension guide to judging clothing sets for aprons.

Fabric and trims

• Rub it. Take a fold of the panel between finger and thumb. For a kitchen or workshop apron you want a firm, smooth surface, for example a close twill or plain-woven cotton, rather than a soft, open cloth.
• Read the care label. A work apron should go in the wash. If the label asks for hand-washing or dry cleaning, treat it as a party apron, which the NMSU guide allows to be less practical.
• Look at the trims. The guide asks for simple, easy-to-launder trimmings. Lace, beading or a metallic ribbon on a cooking apron is a red flag.

Size and coverage

• Hold it against you. A work apron should be large enough to give ample protection. The panel should reach round to your sides and cover the clothes you most need to keep clean.

Pockets and ties

• Size the pockets. Pockets are useful, but a patch pocket large enough to catch on a drawer handle or tool rack is a hazard.
• Check the ties. The NMSU guide warns against large ties and bows, because they can catch on objects.
• Tug the corners. Pull gently where the ties and pocket corners join the panel. Corners under strain should be reinforced with shortened stitches, and every line of stitching should be secured at its ends.

Edges and seams

• Turn it over. Hems should be an even width, and edges should be finished to suit the cloth so they do not fray. The 16th-century V&A apron uses the woven selvedge of the linen at both sides; on a modern apron look for a neat double-turned hem or a binding of bias tape.
• Follow the stitching. Any topstitching should run straight and evenly, with no skipped or loose stitches.

Red flags

• Raw or fraying edges inside hems
• Ties stitched on with a single line that has not been secured
• Delicate trims on an apron sold for cooking or crafts
• A panel too narrow to cover the front of the clothes underneath

How do you wear an apron?

Choose the apron for the job, tie a waist apron at your natural waist, and set a bib apron’s neck strap so the bib sits flat across your chest without pulling. Then keep the knot small and tucked away so nothing hangs loose.

• Cooking and cleaning. A washable cotton or linen bib apron covers most of the front and can go in the wash after each use.
• Workshops and studios. Heavier cloth such as canvas or waxed canvas, or leather, stands up better to rough work. Keep pockets modest so they do not snag.
• Over a dress. A light, embroidered waist apron worn as a decorative layer echoes the decorative aprons of 16th- to 18th-century England rather than kitchen wear. Treat it as part of the outfit: it is not built to take stains.
• Old aprons. If you buy a vintage apron, check the stitching where the ties join the panel before wearing it for work.