Tie one on
Get a domestic look without diminishing your dignity
By Meghan Murphy Gill
Published: June 26th, 2008 | 9:10am
"Long live the apron!" Nathalie Mornu writes enthusiastically in her new book, A Is for Apron: 25 Fresh & Flirty Designs. "It's been emancipated from drudgery." In her mini compendium of patterns, history, and photographs, Mornu shares her love for an old look, reclaimed for its functionality and femininity, and presents it as re-interpreted by a group of modern designers. These new patterns aren't meant to meet the outdated needs of women who once donned aprons every morning before beginning a day of cooking, cleaning, and caring for children. Rather, they serve a variety of uses: they are stylish additions to outfits, an attractive way to keep tools at hand for a day in the garden, and a way to protect children's clothes from finger paint. Plenty of the patterns do, however, function as dainty ways to protect your jeans from a pot splattering tomato sauce and a place to wipe cookie dough-covered hands before answering your cell phone.
Mornu pays homage to the apron's more retro uses. "History, photos, letters and fiction tell us that nineteenth-century mothers, aunties, grandmas and homekeepers dried hands, wiped children's faces, dodged spattering fat, carried clothespins, pickled apples, shooed cats, and fed chickens using aprons," she writes in the section titled, "Aprons – A Short and Lively History." Three two-page spreads featuring a slew of vintage aprons made of fabric both familiar and surprising are entertaining, if not inspirational. These pages include shots of aprons made of terry cloth and handkerchiefs, an Asian feed sack and tea towels, and organza and plain old cotton. The examples cover the gamut of apron styles as well, featuring a multiplicity of waistbands (heart-shaped, tall, short, yoked and cummerbund), adornments (pockets, ruffles, rick rack, and ribbons), and lengths.
Chances are, not every style presented in the book will appeal to you, but with 25 different patterns, you're guaranteed to love at least a handful. Mornu presents styles that range from a flowery and frilly apron that ties around the neck and waist to a smock you could wear out running errands to a clean-lined cover up made of oil cloth – perfect for washing a car, a pet, or a wriggly toddler.
While all of the patterns require a fairly basic knowledge of sewing techniques, DIYers might be turned off by the fact that all of the pattern pieces are found in the back of the book, ready to be enlarged as much as 400%. Without a copy machine readily available, its easy to get deterred from ever starting one of these patterns. Mornu suggests going to a place that offers large-format copying or reprographic services. It's a hump to get over, undoubtedly, but if you have both the money and patience to take care of this crucial step, the reward is a clever and cute addition to your wardrobe.
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ABOUT THE BOOK
A Is for Apron: 25 Fresh & Flirty Designs (Lark Books)
by Nathalie Mornu
144 pages
$17.95
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