When the concept of an apron was first dreamt up at the dawn of civilisation, the role of an apron was to stop a person’s clothes from getting dirty during laborious tasks. As the association between hard work and aprons grew stronger, the apron transformed into a symbol of care, duty and tradesmanship. This was the birth of its second purpose: an aesthetic one. One of the earliest depictions of an apron is on a Minoan statue of a fertility goddess. They also formed a part of an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh’s garments.
Here’s a statue of the Minoan Snake Goddess of Fertility from the palace at Knossos, c. 1600 B.C.E.
A slightly taste in fashion to modern day short-waist apron wearers. Imagine your bartenders and servers wearing this uniform!
(Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, photo: Zde, CC BY-SA 4.0)
The Leather apron, specifically, has followed this same trend. Originally, the first leather aprons would be used because of the sturdiness of the material. Naturally cut resistant and heat-proof, leather aprons were the perfect apparel for blacksmiths and cobblers in medieval times. As its use spread across the different trades it took on a more ceremonial role. The Pioneer Sergeant of the British Grenadier Guards and the 1st regiment of the French Foreign Legion still sport aprons as a salute to their roles as sappers, handling explosives. Similarly, the freemasons also sport leather and fabric decorative aprons in homage to their origins.
In the modern age, a combination of the practicality of the material and the popularity of leather in contemporary fashion has led to leather aprons spreading across a multitude of professions: jewellers, chefs, baristas, barbers, gardeners, and artists are but a few examples of professions that sport the iconic look. They also have a growing fanbase of consumers: often for use in cooking, whether in the kitchen or for barbecue, but also in gardening or arts and crafts.
As has always been the case, the leather apron is the best friend of any craft that involves metal or wood. The heat-proof nature and rustic, traditional look makes a leather apron indispensable to any blacksmith, jeweller, woodworker, or shoemaker worth their salt. For a Jeweller, the lemel (or filings) of precious metals can be collected using a leather skin, or pocket attached to the front of a leather apron, saving a lot of money in the production process.
The use of leather aprons in restaurants is a relatively new trend that has been adopted by two separate restaurant types. The rustic style of some a more traditional leather apron fits rather well with the raw aesthetic of steak houses, or BBQ restaurants. There is also a growing interest from fine dining restaurants who opt for more high-quality full-grain leather aprons – the same leather used to make high-end shoes and handbags. These are sported by cocktail makers, front-of-house and chefs alike. Both benefit, not only from the unique style, but also from the low washing costs and durability of leather aprons, which, if anything, get better with age as they develop a unique patina.
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Please note that the free samples are only available to customers in the United Kingdom and you will have to pay £3.99 for shipping.
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Want to see our quality leathers before you buy? Request a free sample. Please note that the free samples are only available to customers in the United Kingdom, and you will have to pay £3.99 for shipping.
