The Absolute Joy of Owning a Great Apron

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links. Here’s how we test products and why you should trust us.Florence Sullivan4 min readShop $86, hedleyandbennett.com or amazon.comWelcome to the Esquire Endorsement. Heavily researched. Thoroughly vetted. These picks are the best way to spend your hard-earned cash.You step into the kitchen, already exhausted from a full day of work. You’re taking it easy tonight, whipping up something quick, but there’s the chance that any small kitchen occurrence can make any bad day boil over. The most common ones for me? An oil splatter ruining my shirt. And what’s the most infuriating one, you ask? Wiping my hands on my clean slacks, a bad bit of muscle memory that turns into perfectly fine behavior as long as I’m wearing my apron. On a weeknight, this could be solved by changing into trash clothes before, sure. But what about if people come over for dinner? Are you going to cook in gym shorts and a tee from high school? Hopefully not. All of these issues are solved by a good kitchen apron. Mine is one of the most handy things I own, and it’s saved me countless pairs of shirts and pants.If you’ve ever seen Top Chef or any of the countless cooking competition shows on Food Network, there’s only one apron brand you’ll see. Anyone familiar with Hedley & Bennett knows the trademark ampersand patch affixed to the apron’s front chest pocket. If not, well, now you’re going to start seeing it everywhere. And nine times out of ten, the competing chef is wearing this very apron.The Hedley & Bennett Essential Apron is loved by professionals and home cooks everywhere. It’s loved by me and other journalists and product reviewers I talk to who cook. The one thing we all share is a love of cooking and having the best tools in the kitchen. This apron is on the top of that list.Florence SullivanEverything Is Exactly Where It Should BeEssentially, the Hedley & Bennett apron does everything you need an apron to do. It covers your full body, has sturdy ties for the waistline, and an adjustable neck strap, all working in tandem to make this a one-size-fits-all deal. And it has three perfectly pockets. That’s more pockets than you really need, really, but they might get full use if you’re running around in an indoor cooking sides and outdoor grilling situation..That’s the first best part of the Essential Apron; there’s no fussing with size. No matter who you are, it’s the perfect length. Tall enough for the tall men among us, but even on short guys like me the apron won’t be dragging on the ground—it just gives full coverage. No matter how tall you are, you will be able to wipe your hands without getting your pants dirty. And really that’s half of what an apron is for. The other half is being made out of high-quality materials that are going to last you for years, nay decades, to come. For both of these reasons, Hedley & Bennett always comes out on top.Shop $86, hedleyandbennett.com or amazon.comFlorence SullivanCare for it, and it will care for you.Machine wash cold. In those three life-changing words, a garment goes from something you never want to take off its kitchen hook to an essential. Naturally, the Essential Apron is machine washable. You can even put it in the drying machine to tumble dry on low heat. If you ever accidentally overdo it on the drying, you may need to pull out the old iron to get out those wrinkles in a matter of minutes. The occasional wash, dry, and iron will have your apron looking brand new again. Follow these easy steps and you will have a kitchen companion that will last you well into the next two apartments, and maybe even graduate to that first house.Shop $86, hedleyandbennett.com or amazon.comFlorence SulivanMake it your ownThe last best thing about the Essential Apron is how you’ll never find the same one in any two houses. There are more than twenty different color variants of the canvas apron, ranging from the classic Julia Child–style French blue we are showing here, to mixes and matches of shades of black or gray with white or tan stripes. You can also choose from one of four colors in a more twill cotton material. Adding personalized embroidery, perfect for a last-minute gift, is as easy as clicking through and adding your text or monogram before adding to cart.Or shop from the list of the many collabs the brand is constantly adding to. From Batman and One Piece to any NFL or MLB team in the league, whatever your fandom is, you can have it subtly repped on your everyday kitchen apron. The options aren’t endless, but with frequent new drops they can feel that way. If I ever need one to replace mine, I know exactly where to look.Shop $86, hedleyandbennett.com or amazon.comPhotographs by Florence Sullivan