Pinafore

By Deane Barker tags: definition
Updates
This content has been updated 1 time since it was first published. The last update happened .

Definition: a sleeveless garmet worn as an apron to protect what’s underneath

(Credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

This is usually a sleeveless dress worn over another dress or shirt. It can be considered a “wearable apron.” In some cases, they are open at the back, like a hospital gown.

It traditionally didn’t have buttons, and was “pinned” to the “fore” (front) of other clothes, hence the name.

Why I Looked It Up

I vaguely recognized the term, but thought it had a maritime/naval context. This is likely becuause of a 19th century play called H.M.S. Pinafore where the name of a traditional female garment is applied to a warship in the name of comedy.

Then, in The Imagineering Story, I came across this:

Alice (from the children’s story) was in her pinafore with a toy White Rabbit.

Update

Added on

From Broadway:

Broadway’s fourth mile in the 1890s meant endless streaming crowds of…nannies minding chuildren dressed in sailor suits and pinafores.

Links from this – The Imagineering Story: The Official Biography of Walt Disney Imagineering July 3, 2024
This is a magisterial history of the Imagineering department at the Walt Disney company. These are the people who create the theme parks – they come up with the ideas, they decorate the themes, they figure out the rides, etc. The book was development along with a six-episode documentary series on...
Links from this – Broadway: A History of New York City in Thirteen Miles July 25, 2024
This is a lovely history of New York City, focused down to a single street. It follows Broadway north from the southern tip of Manhattan, mile by mile, and talks about the history of the city as the street moved northward. Along the way, it has random vignettes of things that happened on the...