This is an apron made of yellow satin. The fabric is embroidered with images of flowers and leaves in white thread. There is a pocket on the left side of the apron. The apron is pleated and there is a seam separating the upper and lower portions. There is a thin, white, ribbon-like fabric with a blue or gray boarder sewn across the seam. In the middle of this white ribbon is a flower mad of pink fabric with a green center. At the end of the white ribbon, two green bows are sewn to the apron. The bows have sequins on them. From each ribbon, there is a another strip of white fabric going up towards the top of the apron. There is another pink and green flower in the middle of each of these. The white ribbon on the right goes all the way to the top of the apron. The ribbon on the left splits in two after the flower an the two ribbons frame the pocket. There is another piece of white ribbon coming down from the top of the apron to the top of the pocket. The sides and bottom of the apron are edged with lace. The ties are made of the same material as the rest of the apron. The lining of the fabric is woven in a pattern of brown, black, and cream-colored stripes. Some areas of the apron are worn and frayed, especially at the top and along the ties. Some of the ribbon is torn and the green ribbons are missing sequins. There is some spotting and staining on parts of the apron and much of the fabric is faded. There are loose threads on the lining.

This apron was donated by Helen Adinolfi as part of a traditional Greek costume. The costume was worn by Adinolfi's mother, Fotini, at her wedding to Stylianos Dedes in January 1929 in Epirus, Greece. Traditional costumes like this are based on clothing historically worn in Greece. The costumes vary depending on the region of origin. They are generally worn for special occasions and celebrations.This outer apron would have been worn over the skirt and the outer apron.
Photos of Helen Adinolfi wearing the costume are included in the donor file.

The content on this site is made available for research and education purposes only. The use of these materials may be restricted by law or the donor.

Any other use, such as exhibition, publication, or commercial use, is not allowed except by written permission in accordance with the NHM Image Rights and Reproduction Policy.

For questions on image rights and reproduction, please contact nhmcollections@hellenicmuseum.org