5 Apron Fabric Options: The Best Fabric for Making Aprons
People love to cook. Unfortunately, not all people who cook are very neat when they make their prized dish. They need to be covered and covered well. Thin cotton one size fits all aprons are not the solution to this issue. You need to customize the apron to make sure your chef has the coverage they need.
There are many fabric options you can choose from to make a great apron for when your spouse wants to bar-b-q the afternoon away. But two stand out the most because they look good and are very durable. Denim and linen may be your top choices.
To get the inside information on which fabrics are great for aprons, just continue to read our article. It contains the information you want so you can make long-lasting aprons for the person who spends a lot of time in the kitchen.
What kind of Fabric is Good for Aprons?
Some companies hand out thin cotton aprons when you buy their linen tablecloths and other restaurant supplies. The bad news is those restaurant supply companies do not send them out in different sizes.
They make a one size fits all type of apron and that is not good enough when the chef is larger than average. But this situation does not mean that cotton is a bad fabric to use on aprons. The heavier weighted cotton will still be a good fabric to use.
Other fabrics you can use will depend on all the duties your chef has to perform. Rubber or nylon materials are good if there is a lot of water being sprayed in the kitchen or the sauces splash up and get on the cook.
For other duties, you can use leather as this fabric lasts a long time and blocks the heat from getting to the body. It is also a good protective layer when sparks are flying around.
Cotton and muslin are the most popular fabrics to use but they do not resist water so that limits the apron’s use. Two other choices would be denim and linen. They seem to have properties the other fabrics do not have making them a perfect choice for when you are in the kitchen or in front of the bar-b-q.
Apron Fabric Material Requirements
One of the requirements for making a good apron out of top apron fabric is the thread count, The more threads per square inch, the better the apron will last. There are cotton materials that have a higher thread count than duck cloth and last a lot longer as well.
Another requirement would be that the material matches the duties of the person wearing the apron. If the person is doing a lot of washing dishes or washing the floor, then they should have an apron made from a rubber or nylon.
Both materials are waterproof and help keep the user nice and dry throughout the evening. Then size matters. You do not want to have an apron designed for a large person on someone who weighs 90 pounds soaking weight. Then you do not want a small apron on a large person.
The fabric you use should be flexible and can be made to any size you need without causing you any grief. After that, if the person is working around a lot of sparks or flames, then fire retardant material or properties would come in handy.
Choose your fabric according to the size of the person wearing it and the duties they have to perform.
What is The Best Fabric for Making Aprons?
This will depend a lot on the duties you have to perform while wearing the apron. But usually, cotton or muslin stands out when one is baking, or working with a lot of dry materials. Cotton is okay in the home kitchen as well because there is less mess to deal with and cooking doesn’t last for 8 to 10 hours every time one makes a meal.
When working around flames or materials that spark a lot you may want to consider having a leather apron as a backup. Cotton does not protect you against either cooking hazard nor is it any good when the heat gets too high.
Again, you can swap out the cotton and switch to denim or linen fabric. Not only do you get some extra heat protection, but you also get an apron that lasts you for years. Both denim and linen are tough fabrics to use and they may not be as popular as cotton but they certainly are better.
But those two fabrics will only be of some limited use when it comes to working with a lot of liquids. Splashes occur and while the two fabrics can absorb a lot of moisture it is better to go with a nylon apron when working with wet ingredients.
Cotton Fabric for Aprons
This is usually the fabric everyone thinks of when someone talks about aprons and which fabric they should use when making one. Cotton is lightweight for the most part and easier to sew.
Plus, it may remind you of your mother or grandmother when they spent some time making meals for their families. Cotton has a down-home type feel that usually makes people feel good when they reflect on their growing up years.
The good [part about cotton is that it does come in different weights which means you are not limited to making those frilly laced filled aprons that look good n a housewife. You have options and that choice is always a good thing when you prefer the feel of cotton over the feel of other fabrics.
The only drawback to using cotton as a material for aprons is that it isn't water-resistant or waterproof. Other than that the sky is the limit when you want to use this fabric to create some beautiful sewing projects.
Best Fabric for Chef Aprons
The best fabric may not be one with a familiar name to it, like cotton, leather, nylon, rubber, or denim, but with the properties the fabric has. If the fabric meets the following criteria then it may be considered the best fabric for a chef’s apron:
- The fabric should weigh about 240 grams. This weight seems to offer the best protection against spills.
- You want a high poly content when using a polyester cotton blend fabric. The 65 35% split with poly being the greater fabric offers the best protection.
- A fabric that doesn’t stain very well. Cotton is comfortable but it stains too easily so you want a fabric that is easy to wash and you can get the stains out.
- Strength is a criterion and one way to get that is to have a fabric where you can sew in some ties to boost the strength level.
- Reinforced seams - this property is important as the chef moves a lot and bends in some of the most awkward positions at times. You want a fabric where you can reinforce the seams to protect against splits and tears.
If you find a fabric that meets all of those properties then you probably have the best fabric to use for a chef’s apron. Chefs do work around flames and heat but leather may not be flexible enough to move when the chef moves and cause them some inconvenience.
Best Fabric for a Shop Apron
This will depend on the type of shop you or your loved one is working in. Not all shops use the same type of apron and but one common element is that they should be made of comfortable material. The reason for that is the user wears the apron for long periods.
For woodworking leather tops canvas in all departments. It is comfortable, resists splinters and doesn’t stain. Leather offers more protection than canvas or other fabrics in this shop.
For bike or other repair shops yo may want to go with denim. It is also comfortable fabric but it wears well and can handle the rigors of light maintenance with ease. Then if you are working in a shop that handles iron and other heavy materials that require welding a wax-covered duck cloth apron would handle the workload.
Then if you are working in a fish shop or some marine related shops a good oil-finished apron would come in handy. Make sure the fabric is water-resistant and does not get cut too easily.
A little research will get you to the best fabric that works well for the shop environment you or your loved one is employed. The right tools for the job statement include getting the right apron fabric as well.
Best Fabric for Waitress Aprons
Waitresses often have to work with a dress code and the apron, depending on its size should not violate that code. For cocktail waitresses, the apron usually only covers from your hips down so the apron should be stylish and work well with the top you have on.
The only spillage the cocktail waitress has to worry about is beer and liquor so the fabric should have some resistance to those items. Other than that, the fabric should be durable as well as comfortable since the waitress will be wearing their apron for hours on end.
Cotton, denim, linen are all perfectly acceptable fabrics you can use but the type of fabric will depend on what kind of restaurant the waitress is working in. A bistro waitress may only need a light cotton apron while a waitress in an expensive restaurant needs a fabric that matches the decor and cost of the restaurant.
Pick the fabric according to the type of job the waitress is employed in and the duties they will have to perform.
Types of Aprons
When creating your apron it is good to know what types of designs are available. Not everyone is interested in wearing a light cotton kitchen apron that looks like it came from the 1950s.
Here are some restaurant apron types to give you an idea of the different styles you can make in your next sewing project:
- bib apron - this one is usually worn by kitchen staff and it covers the whole body.
- tuxedo apron - very stylish, offers upper body protection and looks so good it can be worn by both front and back restaurant employees.
- cobbler aprons - you only get upper body protection with this style of apron. It does cover both the front and the back of your body.
- 4-way aprons - used by chefs because this style of apron doesn’t need to be changed as often as other styles. It comes with 4 clean surfaces and is worn around the waist.
- bistro aprons - probably offer the least protection and come with pockets to hold pens and order pads. They are also worn around the waist.
- For non -restaurant workers here are 3 styles that you can make out of the many styles this group of employees wears daily
- half apron - reaches from the waist to the thigh and ties around the waist for a little protection
- full bib - ties around the back of the body and covers the user’s chest area
- pinafore - covers the front and the back while offering you full protection. It goes over the neck and may come with some decorative touches.
Some Final Words
Getting the right fabric for your apron depends on following some simple guidelines. One the place of employment. Two, the duties to be performed and three, the special circumstances involved like fire, sparks, water and so on.
There is no one size fits all apron style as people come in all sizes and every one's duties are not the same.
