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.

Why I like June

What’s so bad about June? I’ve always liked her; at least until I had a family to clean up after.
Let me explain; in my youth, I remember watching re-runs of June and Ward. Ah, June, the dutiful wife of the perfectly respectful husband, and connected father. Her children rose up and called her blessed…just think about how they’d always kiss mom on the cheek. And her husband praised her.
It's hard not to envy her.
And maybe that's why we tease her so much (along with her counterpart Martha).
Wouldn't it be better if we tried her secret to success?
She celebrated housework. And don't tell me she didn't. No one wears pearls to mop the floor unless they love it.
I don't think we are really jealous of her sparkling clean kitchen.
I think that we are taken aback with her great attitude.
So today, I challenge all of you to put a smile on your face, a string of pearls around your neck and let me know if it helps.

What matters most

The Good Samaritan had to have this world's goods in order to help the man out of the ditch. But when is a good thing too much of a good thing?

What's the difference between a pinafore and an apron?

As I discussed in my previous post on half-aprons, a pinafore typically covers the bodice of a dress, and most of the skirt of the dress. Often it has ruffled straps that criss cross in the back, and attatch to the sides and top of the pinafore front. Pinafores were usually on the dressy side, and often served more as a protection for a dress, even a nice dress, whereas aprons were specifically designed to collect dirt. Pinafores were generally constructed of lighter weight material than aprons, and even well to do girls would wear them to protect their dresses from slight smudges. It was essential that elite girls look fresh at all times and pinafores enabled this. They could be whisked of at a moment's notice, and replaced. Frugal mother's kept a fresh supply on hand at all times.