Necessity is the mother of invention or so they say and so it is that the apron came about, saviour of women’s (and some men’s) clothing as they’ve cooked and cleaned their way through the decades.

Some youngsters would be shocked to hear it but, in times gone by, we didn’t have wardrobes bulging with clothes and accessories and a shopping centre down the road just itching to sell us even more. Washing and drying clothing was done infrequently; front loaders and high speed dryers were yet to be invented. The apron was the practical solution, it covered one’s dress from the detritus of domestic duties.

The apron, lighter and less complicated than the dress, could be washed more frequently. Of course it wasn’t just homebodies who wore aprons. School teachers, children, shop-keepers and secretaries wore different styles of aprons over their clothing every day. The item evolved to meet the task. Tanners wore long leather aprons and men in trades such as blacksmithing, carpentry and baking all had their versions.

Aprons in the 1920s and 30s followed the fashion silhouettes of the time - long, with no waist line. By the 1940s, aprons were featuring a cinched waistline and were often brightly trimmed with rick-rack, buttons and pockets of contrasting colour. Many aprons were made from feed cloth. Sometimes, when an apron was on its last legs, the best parts were cut out and used for quilts.

Half-aprons appeared in the 50s and most of us can bring to mind vintage advertising images from that era where a woman with perfectly ‘set’ hair stands in a shining kitchen dressed in her highly starched creation. Half-aprons were often embellished with rickrack, ruffles, buttons and appliqués and, believe it or not, women often changed from their cooking aprons into serving aprons, which matched tablecloths or place mats. Two- piece aprons and short smocks of bright cotton prints for every day use were popular.

These days the apron is making a comeback, influencing fashion and homemaking alike. Beautiful vintage ones are not even being worn, they’re being hung! You see them hanging on hooks or pegs as decoration or pinned against a wall on a faux clothesline, even sewn up to make a plastic bag holder.

Vintage aprons should be hand washed in mild soap and hung to dry away from direct sunlight. Stains can be rubbed with a little lemon juice and then the apron left in the sun to dry. Rinse well and wash as suggested.

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