A lot of female folk costumes in Ukraine included an apron. It was a festive piece of clothing, a handy garment that protected the skirt and could be easily washed, an item used for extra warmth in winter – a very multifunctional article of clothes. And every woman tried to make her aprons unique and beautiful – they adorned aprons with embroidery, openwork, prints, woven patterns, etc, and used costly fabrics, like silk and gold-cloth, to make them. Each Ukrainian folk apron is gorgeous, and, luckily, many of them survived to this day. Here are a few examples of authentic aprons from museum collections.
Woven apron from Northern Ukraine, the late 19th century. It is made from hemp cloth and has red woven stripes at the bottom as decoration
Delicate linen apron from North-Western Ukraine. It is pleated and decorated with pretty needlework and openwork at the bottom
Modern replica of a striking authentic apron from North-Eastern Ukraine. It is adorned with lovely embroidered design
Hand-woven apron made in carpet-weaving technique from Northern Ukraine. It is very warm and helps to keep the cold away even during the coldest winters. By the way, there are actually two aprons in this outfit – the more layers of clothes a person had, the warmer it was
Simple apron of an older woman, North-Western Ukraine. It has whitework and openwork patterns at the bottom
Pleated woven apron from Northern Ukraine. This apron is called “zapaska”. It is bright red and embellished with a striped pattern. But the most charming feature of it are pleats
Ornate apron made from brocade fabric, Northern Ukraine. It is pleated and sparkles beautifully in the sun
Simple cotton apron from Western Ukraine, the early 20th century. It is decorated with embroidery and handmade lace border
Magnificent linen apron from North-Western Ukraine. It is embellished with bright-red embroidery and lace border
Traditional apron of a matchmaker at wedding, Northern Ukraine, the late 19th – early 20th century. It is decorated with applique instead of embroidery because several women wore the same outfits and they had to be made quickly and easily
Bright woven apron from Northern Ukraine, the end of the 19th – the beginning of the 20th century. The apron is rather narrow but beautiful and colorful, made in carpet-weaving technique
Multicolored woven apron from Western Ukraine. It sits tightly around the body and is richly adorned with woven patterns
Festive apron from Western Ukraine. It has lovely floral embroidery patterns on it
Women’s apron from central Ukraine, the late 19th century. It is decorated with floral embroidery and handmade lace
Bright-yellow woven apron from Northern Ukraine, the late 19th century. It is embellished with a simple but cute pattern
