I have had aprons on my wishlist for many years. But they are just one of those things that don't seem like a necessity - until I slop tomato sauce on a favorite shirt. Because I don't spend as much time in the kitchen as some people do, aprons definitely felt like a splurge. Now that I own two aprons, I'm not sure why I waited so long! I did need them. I chose two different styles and I am very pleased with both.
Old Fashioned CrossOver Apron by TheFortiesRevisited
The Apron: I have wanted a crossover apron for years. I prefer to slip something on and off over my head as opposed to messing with ties. The aprons in this shop caught my eye because of the retro style (I think it was the edging that made me think of older style aprons) and the beautiful choices in prints. The word calico always makes me happy.
The apron I chose was a cute, light colored, calico floral print with contrasting edging. I chose the style with the sections edged, giving the apron a somewhat geometric shape. The shop offers styles without so much edging. But the contrast on the apron I chose caught my eye.
The online description is:
"This old fashioned Grandma full apron has subtle coral and blue flowers on a pale yellow background that has a tiny dot. It's trimmed in a dark green bias. The apron design is an 1940's vintage style to complete the look."
The apron is handmade. The material is cotton. It is machine washable.
The Shop: Sally Hill is listed as the owner of TheFortiesRevisited. The shop is located in Worthington, Ohio, US.
The store lists a variety of items including: full aprons, half aprons, clothes pin bags, smocks/cobbler aprons, children's aprons, and mother/daughter matching aprons. There is a large selection of premade items but if you don't see what you want special orders are accepted. Do you remember rick rack? She even offers aprons with rick rack! She also offers a wide variety of holiday prints. I had a hard time choosing which print I wanted because there were so many I liked.
The Mexican Apron by Orozocosshop
The Apron: While I went to Etsy to shop for a long, crossover apron, these Mexican aprons took me back in time to a neighborhood I lived in years ago. Many of the older Mexican women wore aprons in this style. I remember one abuela in particular who wore similar aprons every day. In fact, I'm not sure if I ever saw her without her apron.
I purchased the black and white check pattern apron because it was more my style than some of the floral embroidered styles offered on Etsy. Honestly, since it reminded me of that sweet woman it was an emotional purchase rather than a purchase with a plan of using the apron regularly. But, I now wear this apron daily!
The online description is:
"A Mexican style two pocket apron made of lightweight check fabric poly/cotton with bias decoration, opened at the bottom back. Four pleats in front and four at the back. 30 inches long from the shoulder."
The apron is handmade. The material is cotton. I did not see that it is listed as machine washable but I am sure it is. However, I will hand-wash it because the material is a bit more thin and I already hand-wash many items.
The Shop: Gabriela is listed as the owner of the Ozorocosshop. The shop is located in Chicago, IL, US.
Comparing the Two Aprons
These aprons are different and I like each for different reasons. The crossover apron is a thicker material so it will likely last longer. The Mexican apron is made from thinner cotton and will likely wear out sooner. BUT it will be more comfortable in the summer months. The Mexican apron is more full coverage around my torso and protects my entire shirt while the crossover apron is longer and protects most of my jeans.
Frankly, the aprons have more similarities than you might expect. Both aprons have generous pockets (I've collected the chicken eggs using those pockets!). And both aprons are very easy to get on and off by slipping them over my head; the crossover with it's straps and wide open backside and the Mexican apron with the very long slit in the back (I apologize that I could not get a good photo of the backside of that apron but if you look closely you can see the slit in the photo).
Now I know when I drop things with liquids, splash, or cook and splatter that my clothes are protected. Both aprons make me very happy and I'm pleased with these two purchases.
