The Appeal of Collecting Vintage Aprons
Funky Kitchen Wearables from the Past to the Present
Jul 30, 2009
Women have been wearing aprons for centuries. These pretty kitchen linens always had function and purpose, but today, women collect and wear vintage aprons proudly. Aprons represent women's history and their lot in life. The attraction of vintage aprons is in the history itself – the nostalgia of a life less hurried when everyone in the family knew what was expected of them. Dinner was on the table promptly at six and the family sat down together when the father came home.
Victorian and Edwardian Aprons
The Victorian and Edwardian aprons were nearly always made of white lawn, batiste or heavy cotton. They were both functional and pretty, often ruffled or with lace inserts. Some were full aprons like pinafores and made to cover both the bodice and full-length skirt.
These aprons are very collectible, but most collectors also have an interest in Victorian underclothes of the period as well as Edwardian whites which were pretty white tea dresses for the most part.
Aprons in the Depression Years
Aprons from the 1920s up to the 1930s were often made of feedsack, and these aprons are highly sought after. Aprons were designed to suit the dress style of the period – straight and shapeless.
Sadly, many are being used to restore vintage quilts of the period, but others do find their way to the hook on the pantry door.
Feedsack
Farm wives of the Victorian Era saved the feedsacks. Nothing was wasted, and the feedsack cloth was used to make other things. By the 1920s, the manufacturers of feedsacks began printing florals and graphics on the material to please the women of the farm. Throughout the depression years, printed feedsack was cleaned and pressed for use in making quilts, aprons, cloth bags and other items.
Aprons of the War Years
By the 1940s, aprons were given a waistline. They were full aprons and designed to fit the dress including the wide shoulders which was then the style. They were made with attention to detail and embellishments which included pockets and rick-rack trim. Advertising in women's magazines nearly always pictured a women wearing an apron.
1950s Aprons
Half aprons became popular and they were often shorter in length and the design was simplified. Hostess aprons became fashionable. They were over-the-top pretty, made of sheer fabric and very ruffled.
Funky Plastic and Vinyl Aprons
The plastic and vinyl apron appeared in the mid-century and collectors seek them out. The most popular are those trimmed with pink rose fabric. These aprons can fetch a few hundred dollars when sold at online auction sites. They are very rare.
The Cold Apron Years
Aprons went out of favor for young women growing up in the '60s. They no longer hung on every pantry door. They were old-fashioned and not thought necessary. Liberation took women out of the homes and into the corner offices. Homemaking was secondary to a career. And like bras, aprons now represented the oppression of women.
The textile industry had changed in the '60s also. Polyester was easily washable. Dry cleaning bills dropped substantially because this new fabric could be thrown in the dryer and never needed ironing. The occasional splash of spaghetti sauce on a skirt was not the expensive accident it was in the past.
Where to Find Vintage Aprons
Nearly every thrift shop in North America and elsewhere will offer at least one vintage apron in their linen section. Country auctions are also good places to seek out aprons. Online auctions offer a huge assortment from every period. Seek them out at tag sales, garage sales and church bazaars.
Thrift shop prices range from $1 to $5. At country auctions expect to purchase them in a job lot with other linens. Prices vary depending on what else is in the box. Online purchases can be expensive, but those auctions have the best selection. Garage sales and church bazaars usually offer them for less than $1.
Aprons in the 21st Century
Vintage aprons are now being worn over dresses and jeans as fashion statements. Those pretty full bib aprons are cute over a little tee and a pair of jeans. And they are being collected as pieces from the past, honoring the women who wore them.
Resources
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