The History of Aprons

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

kruizer

Master of the Pit
Original poster
Sep 7, 2015
2,694
1,385
Central Minnesota
The History of 'APRONS'
I don't think most kids today know what an apron is. The principle use of Mom's or Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.
It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids..
And when the weather was cold, she wrapped it around her arms.
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.
In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
When dinner was ready, she walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.
Send this to those who would know (and love) the story about aprons.
REMEMBER:
Mom's and Grandma's used to set hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.
They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.
I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - but love
 
So much truth in that. Especially the part about the germs. God knows by todays standards none of us should have made it out childhood.

Jim
 
  • Like
Reactions: kruizer
That was Beautiful. Brought back memories of Grandma.
Regarding Bacteria...That Apron and playing outside in the dirt and creeks is how Boomers developed a strong Immune System. If your body never gets exposure to Anything, then Everything makes you sick! Currently the most bacteria laden common item in your home, after the Toilet, is your TV REMOTE. There is truth to the old saying, " What don't Kill you, makes you Stronger..."...JJ
 
My wife is always trying to "remind" me to wear one of the 2-3 the family has given me as presents for whichever holidays.
I hate to say it... But most of them just don't fit like they used too, I think they shrunk.
That and I want the strings to come all the way back around my increasingly prodigious girth and tie in the front and not the back.
Or maybe magnets in the back, throw it over my shoulders and toss the ends around back magnetically meet and close? There's a marketing idea.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for sharing that Kruizer ! I especially like the part of grandma walking out on the porch ( not the deck ) waving her apron and letting the guys know it was time to come in. We live in the house my dad grew up in... remodeled after sitting empty for about 25 years, we made the porch bigger. Dad said they spent alot of time as a family on the porch... too darn hot inside yet!

Ryan
 
  • Like
Reactions: kruizer
Boy, that sure brought back a flood of memories. If she was at home, my gradma ALWAYS had an apron on. And she used it for everything you mentioned. Don't think I've seen a woman in an apron since she passed. Kids nowadays don't know what they missed.
Thank you!!
Gary
 
I can't remember a time that grandma wasn't wearing an apron. She had checkered and floral ones, and wore them from morning until bed time. She usually had a pin stuck in the front in case she needed to sew something.
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Hot Threads

Clicky