Whatever happened to Aprons?

Remember back in the June Cleaver days when all the housewives wore aprons? They were full-length ensembles, some so sophisticated, they might as well have been the actual housedress. Some were frilly,
some were practical, but no matter what the style, they were as much a part of the woman's stay-at-home garb a hat and gloves were when she stepped out.
Times are simpler now, and women spend less time in the home. Meals are no longer the sumptuous feasts they once were (assuming the family even eats at home). And while women may not slave over their culinary creations as in times past, it still makes one wonder--why don't women protect their clothing anymore?
Understandably, a woman who is rarely in the kitchen won't need as much coverage as women of lore who slaved and strained over hot greasy platters of food. Still it does seem advantageous for women to wear some sort of minimalistic protection in today's modern kitchen.
For years I pondered the disappearance of the apron. And then, one day, the revelation came.
Here's what I discovered: When I was newly pregnant, I found that dresses were the most comfortable way to go. And here's what happened...one day, as I was shredding carrots into the waste basket, I found that my dress actually stopped some of the peelings from hitting the trash can. I was standing upright, however the slight flare of the dress was just enough to stop the peelings from falling straight down. And so it was with many other tasks, as I wore my dresses. Blue jeans never presented this problem, hence articles of debris never caught themselves on trousers--only on dresses.
It wasn't just the flair of my dress that caused this; as my preborn baby expanded my midriff, the need for an apron intensified.
And here we find the reason for them;
Woman of old did hard heavy work, wore dresses, and had babies.
And that's why they wore aprons.