I was influenced to get a cross-back apron by the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen staffers — here's why you should get one, too
- Hot take: Aprons are cool and useful and everyone should wear them while cooking.
- My favorite is this $54 cross-back pinafore apron from MagicLinen.
- It has pockets in the front and slips on easily, but most importantly, it keeps me from ruining my clothes.
I've been watching way too many Bon Appétit videos on YouTube lately. In them, the effortlessly cool Test Kitchen staff all wear one of two apron styles: the classic tie-waist Hedley & Bennet (known by its ampersand logo), or the tie-free, pinafore-style cross-back aprons made from smoothly draped linen.
After working in professional kitchens where I wore standard-issue, crappy polyester aprons, I swore off wearing any kind of apron at home. I didn't want cooking dinner for my partner to make me feel like I was at work.
But when I saw the BA staff strutting around the test kitchen in these beautiful linen aprons, I had a change of heart (I also no longer work in kitchens, so that helps). Claire Saffitz, Sohla El-Waylly, and Molly Baz just looked so happy and comfortable and clean. So, I went searching for the ones they use.
Unsurprisingly, I found out the ones they wear are quite expensive, some of them running over $100. But after a quick search, I landed on a $54 alternative from my favorite linen homewares brand, MagicLinen.
The flax-linen material is lightweight but substantial enough to protect my clothes, and it's easy to wash and hang-dry (the brand's sheets are amazing, too). MagicLinen also has tons of beautiful colors and patterns to choose from, and you can select from a few sizes — something most other brands don't offer.
Now, let's get one thing out of the way. Is $54 cheap for an apron? No! But how many sauce-stained, $18 white T-shirts have I had to replace due to my own stubbornness and stupidity? Exactly three, at a grand total of $54. So, yes, the cost was justifiable.
Why cross-back aprons are better than tie-waist aprons
It's a hot take to make this claim, I know. But here we are.
Cross-back aprons are the best because they slip right on (no ties to keep track of or continually tighten), they feel nice to wear, and they protect your clothing from splatters and stains all the same. I'm genuinely excited to put mine on every evening when I make dinner, and I never worry about the tie at my waist coming undone or loosening up while my hands are messy. This was a major annoyance when working in a kitchen — ties come undone all the time, always when your hands are covered in dough and you can't do anything about it.
I do need to acknowledge a few things, though.
First, cross-back aprons could be considered a bit feminine aesthetically speaking, but with gender being an illusion and all, no one should ever really be concerned with how masculine they do or don't look while cooking dinner.
Second, some may argue that tie-waist aprons are more practical because you can loop a kitchen towel over the tie to have it nearby at all times. This is not necessary for home cooks! Drape your kitchen towel over your shoulder, set it next to you on the counter, or leave it looped over your oven handlebar like the rest of us.
The bottom line
Do I need an apron in order to cook? Absolutely not. But does wearing one keep me from ruining my clothes? Absolutely yes. It's not that I need this particular shape of apron in order to survive, it's just that having something you can easily throw on and feel good in while you cook is a Really Nice Thing. And right now, we could all use more of those.