Pinafore
Encyclopedia
A pinafore ˈpɪnəfɔər (colloquially a pinny ˈpɪni in British English
) is a sleeveless garment worn as an apron
.
Pinafores may be worn by girls as a decorative garment and by both girls and women as a protective apron. A related term is pinafore dress, which is British English for what in American English
is known as a jumper dress
, i.e. a sleeveless dress intended to be worn over a top or blouse
. A key difference between a pinafore and a jumper dress is that the pinafore is open in the back. In informal British usage however, a pinafore dress is sometimes referred to as simply a pinafore, which can lead to confusion.
The name reflects that the pinafore was formerly pinned (pin) to the front (afore) of a dress. The pinafore had no buttons, was simply "pinned on the front" which led to the term "pinafore."
. Smocks have both sleeves and a full bodice, both front and back.
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.
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 modern times, the term "pinny" or "pinnie" has taken another meaning in sportswear
, namely a double-sided short apron, often made of mesh, used to differentiate teams. This usage is chiefly British
, with some usage in Canada
and the United States
. This type of pinny is also known as a scrimmage vest
.
cleaning products, which was one reason why dresses were not laundered very often.
, a comic opera
by Gilbert and Sullivan
, uses the word in its title as a comical name for a warship.
Alice, the eponymous heroine of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
, wore a pinafore over her dress in John Tenniel
's illustrations.
A song and album title by the English art rock
group Stackridge
is called Pinafore Days
.
Swedish author Astrid Lindgren
, known for the Pippi Longstocking
series, created a character, Madicken
, who is often portrayed as 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.
United Kingdom television programme Sugar Rush describes one of the main characters Nathan, as "Half man, Half pinny."
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
) is a sleeveless garment worn as an apron
Apron
An apron is an outer protective garment that covers primarily the front of the body. It may be worn for hygienic reasons as well as in order to protect clothes from wear and tear. The apron is commonly part of the uniform of several work categories, including waitresses, nurses, and domestic...
.
Pinafores may be worn by girls as a decorative garment and by both girls and women as a protective apron. A related term is pinafore dress, which is British English for what in American English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
is known as a jumper dress
Jumper dress
A jumper , pinafore dress or pinafore is a sleeveless, collarless dress intended to be worn over a blouse, shirt or sweater.In British English, the term jumper describes a sweater...
, i.e. a sleeveless dress intended to be worn over a top or blouse
Blouse
A blouse is a loose-fitting upper garment that was formerly worn by workmen, peasants, artists, women and children. It is typically gathered at the waist so that it hangs loosely over the wearer's body. Today, the word most commonly refers to a woman's shirt but can also refer to a man's shirt if...
. A key difference between a pinafore and a jumper dress is that the pinafore is open in the back. In informal British usage however, a pinafore dress is sometimes referred to as simply a pinafore, which can lead to confusion.
The name reflects that the pinafore was formerly pinned (pin) to the front (afore) of a dress. The pinafore had no buttons, was simply "pinned on the front" which led to the term "pinafore."
Differentiations
Pinafores are often confused with smocks. Some languages do not differentiate between these different garments. The pinafore differs from a smock in that it does not have sleeves and there is no back to the bodiceBodice
A bodice, historically, is an article of clothing for women, covering the body from the neck to the waist. In modern usage it typically refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the 18th century, or to the upper portion of a modern dress to distinguish it from...
. Smocks have both sleeves and a full bodice, both front and back.
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
Bib (garment)
A bib is a garment worn hanging from the neck on the chest to protect clothing from spilling.The word, reported in English since 1580, stems from a verb bibben "to drink" , from Latin bibere, either because it was worn while drinking or because it "soaked up" spills.Bibs are frequently used by...
, or only a smaller one. A child's garment to wear at school or for play would be a pinafore.
Further confusion results from some foreign languages, which, unlike English, do not have a distinctive term for the pinafore. In German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, 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 modern times, the term "pinny" or "pinnie" has taken another meaning in sportswear
Sportswear
Sportswear or activewear is clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons....
, namely a double-sided short apron, often made of mesh, used to differentiate teams. This usage is chiefly British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, with some usage in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. This type of pinny is also known as a scrimmage vest
Scrimmage vest
A scrimmage vest, sometimes referred to as a pinnie is a piece of clothing or sportswear , often made of mesh, used in practices as a substitute for a sports team's usual uniform or to differentiate temporary teams in informal scrimmages...
.
History
The pinafore was a type of apron that was pinned over the dress and easily removed for washing. Buttons were frequently damaged with lyeLye
Lye is a corrosive alkaline substance, commonly sodium hydroxide or historically potassium hydroxide . Previously, lye was among the many different alkalis leached from hardwood ashes...
cleaning products, which was one reason why dresses were not laundered very often.
Pinafores in popular culture
H.M.S. PinaforeH.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, England, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which was the second-longest run of any musical...
, a comic opera
Comic opera
Comic opera denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending.Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a new operatic genre, opera buffa, emerged as an alternative to opera seria...
by Gilbert and Sullivan
Arthur Sullivan
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO was an English composer of Irish and Italian ancestry. He is best known for his series of 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including such enduring works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado...
, uses the word in its title as a comical name for a warship.
Alice, the eponymous heroine of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
, wore a pinafore over her dress in John Tenniel
John Tenniel
Sir John Tenniel was a British illustrator, graphic humorist and political cartoonist whose work was prominent during the second half of England’s 19th century. Tenniel is considered important to the study of that period’s social, literary, and art histories...
's illustrations.
A song and album title by the English art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
group Stackridge
Stackridge
Stackridge are a British folk, pop and progressive rock group who were at the height of their success during the early 1970s. The band's output is characterized by quirky humour and rhythmic catchy sing-along tunes....
is called Pinafore Days
The Man in the Bowler Hat (album)
The Man In The Bowler Hat is the third album by the British rock group Stackridge. The album was produced by George Martin at AIR Studios, London and released in the UK by MCA Records. This was their highest charting album, peaking at number 23 in the UK Albums Chart.A different version of the...
.
Swedish author Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren , 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish author and screenwriter who is the world's 25th most translated author and has sold roughly 145 million copies worldwide...
, known for the Pippi Longstocking
Pippi Longstocking
Pippi Longstocking is a fictional character in a series of children's books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, and adapted into multiple films and television series...
series, created a character, Madicken
Madicken
Madicken is a fictional character created by the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren . Madicken appeared in six books, two movies, - Du är inte klok, Madicken Madicken is a fictional character created by the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren (1907 – 2002). Madicken appeared in six books, two movies, -...
, who is often portrayed as wearing a pinafore.
Granville, the errand boy of the British TV series Open All Hours
Open All Hours
Open All Hours is a BBC sitcom written by Roy Clarke which ran for four series a first run in 1976, a second run in 1981, third in 1982 and finally with a fourth run in 1985, with a pilot episode from the Seven of One series in 1973...
, frequently complains about his having to wear a pinny and his being unable to acquire a modern look because of the pinny.
United Kingdom television programme Sugar Rush describes one of the main characters Nathan, as "Half man, Half pinny."