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I fantasize about a fashion trend that will involve one nearly extinct piece of clothing-the apron! I long for a time when wearing aprons is actually considered fashionable. Aprons were typically worn by women one or two generations ago when performing many domestic duties. Aprons were worn for practical reasons. People generally had less clothing, and washing clothes was a much more labor-intensive process than it is now in the modern era of efficient washing machines. An apron provided practical value to the extent that it enabled the wearer to clean a house and perform other domestic duties that might result in dust or damage to one's clothing. An apron could be worn while cleaning, and upon finishing the chores, a housewife could sit down to tea and cookies with relatively clean clothes. Aprons were also worn when preparing meals and were almost always removed for welcoming guests at the door. Aprons could be worn in the comfort of one's home but were not intended to be visible to guests or other visitors.

The practical value of aprons would make them handy clothing items for modern day "domestic engineers." Aprons that contain pockets could serve various functions of storing needed items for the day's cleaning routines. Apron use at home became almost obsolete when women reentered the workforce and began outsourcing domestic duties to hired help. Even in the households that perform all domestic duties without relying on a maid service, aprons are rarely worn.

I envision, though, a new fashion trend of aprons without any practical use involved. I can visualize a short silk apron embellished with embroidery or even diamonds and worn over jeans. It would certainly generate many comments from observers. I don't expect such a fashion trend to last for any prolonged period of time and certainly not as long as fashion constants such as denim. Wearing aprons, though, would be similar to wearing scarves. An apron would not be a fashion item itself but rather an eccentric, possibly even glamorous, accessory. The aprons would not resemble waitress attire at all. They would not be reminiscent of a maid's uniform. The aprons I envision would be high fashion items with expensive embellishments.

I plan to navigate the unchartered territory of apron wearing in public by actually wearing aprons myself. First, I plan to wear aprons on a regular basis at home to get used to the idea of wearing them. These aprons will likely be of the practical variety and be used during cooking or cleaning. Of course, the aprons I wear for both of these duties won't be the same; I will have separate aprons for cooking and separate aprons for cleaning. Then, after I get familiar with wearing aprons, I plan to design and craft several fashionable aprons that I will wear as accessories in public! I need to update my sewing skills first, but with the assistance of a veteran sewer, I am confident I can easily make three or four fashionable aprons. My aprons will be chic and worn over expensive designer jeans or pants. One apron will definitely be black and silk. It would be a waist length apron. I will also make a full body apron. I would have to carefully determine what outfit would accompany such an apron. I'm confident, though, that I could create a stunning result. I visualize also needing to wear high shoes, either boots or heels, in order to offset the minimizing effect on my height that wearing an apron would have. I would love for the fashion trend to take off and gain popularity. Perhaps, if A-list celebrities wore aprons, they would become fashionable, and more people would be willing to wear them. I would probably also have a cotton apron with some type of printed design. Cotton equals comfort.

I haven't quite figured out how I plan to handle any negative feedback yet. Perhaps, I will comment that I'm enrolled in a fashion design course, and I'm doing it as part of a class project. I don't expect widespread enthusiasm at first, but I do eagerly anticipate apron wearing to gain national popularity. Perhaps, you could convince a few of your friends to start wearing aprons too.