Pinafore
A pinafore /ˈpɪnəfɔːr/ (colloquially a pinny /ˈpɪni/ in British English) is a sleeveless garment worn as an apron.[1]
Pinafores may be worn as a decorative garment or as a
The name reflects the pinafore having formerly pinned (pin) to the front (afore) of a dress. The pinafore had no buttons and was simply "pinned on the front".[2]
Differentiations
Pinafores are often confused with
A pinafore is a full apron with two holes for the arms that is tied or buttoned in the back, usually just below the neck. Pinafores have complete front shaped over shoulder while aprons usually have no bib, or only a smaller one. A child's garment to wear at school or for play would be a pinafore. More recently, other types of full or dress-like aprons are also occasionally referred to as pinafores. In particular, this is the case for an apron with a full skirt, bib and criss-cross shoulder straps.
Further confusion results from some foreign languages, which, unlike English, do not have a distinctive term for the pinafore. In German, for example, there is no precise term for "pinafore". Schürze means "apron" and thus Kinderschürze is used to describe a child's apron or pinafore (in contrast to the German word "Kittelschürze", which refers to an adult garment, typically worn by older women for housework tasks and cleaning).
In 19th century England the pinafore was considered an appropriate garment for girls but on reaching womanhood they were expected to wear aprons. The young narrator of
In modern times, the term "pinny" or "pinnie" has taken another meaning in
History
The pinafore was a type of apron that was pinned over the dress and easily removed for washing. Buttons were frequently damaged by lye soap, which was one reason why dresses were not laundered very often.[citation needed]
In popular culture
- Gilbert and Sullivan, uses the word in its title as a comical name for a warship.
- The Observatory Pinafore, a Harvard Observatory, inspired by the H.M.S. Pinafore, written in 1879 and performed in 1879 (see Transcript).
- At the Lowood School in Jane Eyre, the students are forced to make and wear their uniform which includes a pinafore.
- Alice, the eponymous heroine of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, wore a white pinafore over a dress (color unspecified) in John Tenniel's illustrations.
- A song and album title by the English Pinafore Days.
- Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, known for the Pippi Longstocking series, created a character, Madicken, who is often portrayed wearing a pinafore.
- Granville, the errand boy of the British TV series Open All Hours, frequently complains about his having to wear a pinny and his being unable to acquire a modern look because of the pinny.
- British television programme Sugar Rushdescribes one of the main characters, Nathan, as "Half man, Half pinny."
- The song "Emmy Lou", by U.S. Acoustic Americana band The Gravy Boys contains the lyrics, "Emmy Lou, I've been watching you, with your pinafore and custom shade".
See also
References
- ^ Pinafore, definition in the Merriam Webster dictionary.
- ^ "Pinafore - definition of pinafore by The Free Dictionary". TheFreeDictionary.com.
- ^ Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell Cousin Phillis(1864) Parts I and II. The book describes a girl's transition to adolescence and experience of a first, acutely unhappy, love affair. Her teenage cousin easily perceives her suffering and its cause but her parents, to whom she is still a much-loved child, do not.