History of Apron

The apron as a symbol has appeared in many cultures and sects throughout history. Its appear in ancient Egyptian imagery as well as Greek, Roman and Palestinian, depictions and in the Jewish religious sect of Essenes for the second century BC.

Back in the fourteenth century, the outer garment that cooks wore to shield their clothes from spatters an dribbles was called a ‘napron’.

Further back in history, the original ‘napron’ was derived from the French name for clothing, ‘napron’, which in turn is a diminutive form of the French word ‘nape’, meaning tablecloth; both the old ‘napron’ and the modern ‘apron’, therefore, literally mean little cloth.

‘Napron’ was used in 14th century and first half of the 15th century, subsequently ‘apron’ was used.

The apron has symbolized truth, pride, honor, preference and in the case of royalty, it signified authority.

From the American frontier days to the humble era, aprons indicated the woman at work, whether plucking fowl in the Appalachian hills, fanning a campfire along the Oregon trail or crimping fruit pies for the master in the plantation bakehouse.

During World War 1 women designed the Hooverette, a wrap around body covering whose name honored Herbert Hoover, at the time national Food Administrator.
History of Apron