Indie Outfit: What to Wear “Cooking”

This post has tongue firmly in cheek. Yesterday I viewed an astounding array of aprons on Anthropologie’s website. I’m a little disturbed that they sell aprons and dishcloths (like the one to the right) - it’s just not what I had pictured about them. But to be fair, my mental picture of them is derived entirely from a conversation I overheard on a New York subway car, and the expense and frippery exposed thereof made me think, “ugh.” Perhaps I was wrong?

So I’m looking at these frilly, silly little things and it made me wonder what sort of “cooking outfits” I could scare up on Etsy. Now I cook lots, and I wear (1) an apron ’cause I’m a mess, (2) comfy slippers and (3) lots of hotpads ’cause I burn myself quite a bit too. But that’s not what I’m talking about.

Mostly, it’s not very glamorous, and I have a weird, ironic sense of humor and an urge to search Etsy for odd things, so here’s somebody else’s idealized cooking outfit. Well, really, more entertaining in the fifties. I call it the June Cleaver, although Mrs. Smith (from the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith, of course) could probably serve up her catered meals in it just fine. Also, can I just say that I continue to be totally amazed by what can be found on Etsy?

(Side note: Did you know that aprons & this whole retro look are really becoming a Big Thing? No kidding. Check out the stuff here, here, here, here and here and oh, here if you don’t believe me. And there’s more where that comes from!)

(1) Cinderella earrings from Nature Autumn.

These delicate earrings are made of rhinestones and 4mm purple Swarovski crystals, hanging 1 1/4″ on silver wires. I think they’re a lovely little nod to the quintessential fairytale princess-cook/drudge.

(2) Red dress with a circle skirt. This lovely dress is an actual dress from the 50s/60s, never worn and from an estate sale. Not altered, original condition. The belt and flower don’t come with it (nice touch, though). The dress is a size small (approx 6/7 today) with a (ridiculous) 26″ waist.

This outfit is from vintage purveyors Good Eye. They have an old lace nightgown on there that was amazing, too. Did people really make and wear those?
(3) I have just the necklace, too, because I think you have to have a choker for this dress and to be June Cleaver. Then again, this bracelet is quite beautiful regardless of the other stuff I’ve picked out here.

It’s handmade of Labradorite beads and Swarovski crystals with sterling spacers.This bracelet comes to you courtesy Broken TeePee Designs, which makes a lot of other really great stuff, too.

[Update: the lovely designer of this piece has nicely NOT pointed out two things to me in my comments: (1) my ignorance of the mineral Labradorite and (2) the fact that this is a bracelet, not a necklace at all. So sorry! In my defense, I confess that my only thought when looking at it was simple: “this is really pretty.” After looking at this bracelet, I kept coming back to her stuff trying to find what would match my dress! )

(4) I can guarantee to you that no one ever wore this apron to cook in. But isn’t it just gorgeous? Not like you’d wear the dress to cook, either. But you can safely look great and just as if you just spent 2 hours cooking without looking mussed or dirty, right?

This apron is true vintage - made in Germany in the 1940s of cotton/lawn. It has a wide waistband and long ties in back. It has two tucks plus three bands of 1″ wide lace sewn in.

Being sold by Unfinished Business, who is apparently “clearing out” the closets. I wish I had stuff like this in my closets!