Monday, October 5, 2009

Bringing Back the Old Standards - Aprons

By Jeremy Starkle

When one thinks of aprons, generally a vision of a housewife from the 1950's will pop into mind, due in no small part to the efforts of advertisers of the era trying to promote the apron as a fashionable addition to any woman's wardrobe. They were available in all sorts of styles, but the most popular were the frilly, with plenty of ruffles combined with a cute ribbon tie in the back. More than just a fashion statement, however, aprons were invented for functional purposes.

An apron is pretty much a piece of cloth that you can wear in the front of your body, tying in the back and normally looping around the neck. Not only used to shield your clothes, aprons can also be vital for hygienic reasons in the case of hospital workers or those who work in messy environments. Nurses and people who work with children may also consider the use of an apron. The apron can be seen as just an adult version of a bib.

Aprons can be created in a variety of different fabrics. The standard kitchen aprons are normally cloth with touches of lace, but in some industrial environments, Aprons can be made of stronger materials such as rubber or vinyl. Some household varieties are designed to be waterproof, and coated with PVC or constructed from oilcloth. They can cover only the lower half of the body or the entire front.

Traditionally associated with women and the need for protecting delicate clothing, the traditional barriers of apron-wearers have broken down over the decades. These days, aprons are worn by both men and women alike, and are even enjoying a fashion renaissance. With vintage looks on the rise, there has been a high demand for vintage aprons, with entire stores opening up to sell them, and high sales rates in online retailers such as EBay.

With so many different styles and fabrics, there is an apron design for everyone. Whether one just wants to wear aprons as a fashion statement, or if you have a messy job to do, they are easy to locate in any kitchen store. Usually employers will provide the apron for their employees, like restaurant workers or people who work in fish canneries. One additional function that has arisen in recent years is the use of the apron as a background for corporate logos or slogans, for professional chefs to advertise their sponsors much in the same way that athletes carry logos on their clothes.

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