Ms Avis Smith
Avis' interest in clothing started during my career as a hospital pharmacist when she travelled with the Royal Flying Doctor Service to remote rural Australian communities. People's responses often depended on the white coat or nurse's apron that one wore or did not wear. Her interest in communicating via an apron was thus aroused. During a later Masters degree, she researched aprons and found an amazing variety of messages that many women conveyed via their aprons. Currently she is undertaking PhD research on china painting, as the best apron and the best china were often used
Making a Statement with an Apron.
My paper will examine how aprons were used in constructing the culture of the 1960-80s during the second wave of Feminism in Australia, with particular reference to aprons made and worn in South Australia. In particular, the Adelaide apron-manufacturing firm of 'Taniwha' perceived the coming change of culture and produced a range of aprons for rebellious young women of the 1970s. During this period many well-educated women had two concurrent jobs; paid employment outside the home and unpaid employment inside the home, with minimum help from the males of the household. Many a rebellious woman found her Taniwha text apron worn at the appropriate male viewing time made a pithy statement, either within the home or during a street march. Nevertheless, many older women had no desire to be militantly vocal and wear sexist aprons. Instead, they desired elegant, hostess, afternoon tea aprons. My research revealed the diversity and charm of many hand-made hostess aprons and also Taniwha's fashionable range. By the 1980s South Australian cultural attitudes became more sexually permissive and my paper will identify how this too, reflected male/female relationships in apron fashions, imagery and use. Relevant aprons or slides are used during the paper presentation.
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