Linen Aprons for Comfort and Style
Let's talk about aprons. These age-old garments have beeb protecting clothes from wear and tear for centuries. Whether we're working in the kitchen, firing up the barbecue or doing some gardening, an apron is an indispensable item. Linen aprons are durable, comfortable and easy-to-care-for. In fact, they are so quietly useful it's easy to overlook them. So here's a post in praise of the humble apron, and a look at how they've been used through history.
Wearing an apron as a separate garment has its roots in the middle ages. As doing laundry was very difficult then, an apron was designed to protect a dress from any stains.
Aprons were mainly worn by girls and women going about their everyday routine – going to the market, attending church or doing chores around the house. The usual style in those days was a pinafore apron, that covers most of the skirt and chest. Later, when cheaper clothes were available thanks to mass production, aprons lost their essential status and instead found their way into the kitchen.
Today aprons come in different styles:
These cover most of the body and tie with a string around the sides and have an over-the-head strap.
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Bistro or cafe aprons
These smaller aprons tie around the waist and hit just at knee length.
Like the bistro aprons, chefs aprons fasten around the waist, but are a bit longer, coming just down to below the knee or mid-calf.
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Cobbler aprons
Cobbler aprons fit over the head, tie at the sides and stop at the waist. Modelled on old musketeer over-garments, they are widely used in kitchens and other professions where clothes need protecting.
This style is popular at the moment. It has a Japanese aesthetic, with simple cross-back straps that can be slipped over the head.
Aprons can be made from a variety of easy-care fabrics, like cotton, linen and polyester. Linen aprons though have many advantages. Linen fabric is natural and allows air to flow, regulating your body temperature and keeping you comfortable. Linen aprons absorb moisture instantly and dry in a minute, which is useful if you're working with different kinds of liquids (which are plentiful in every kitchen and restaurant). Taking care of your linen apron is easy – it can be washed in a washing machine using low temperatures and tumble dried. If you don't want to embrace linen's natural creases you should iron your linen apron when still damp.
With modern dying technologies there is a huge array of linen fabric colours to choose from for your apron. This means it becomes not only a functional garment but also adds style to the kitchen or barbecue party (perfect for summer time).
Linen tea towels have all the qualities of linen aprons that are mentioned above, making them another must-have in your kitchen.
To read more about washing kitchen linens try this post, and for tips on how to host a successful gathering go here.
