Uniform...

September.....already! How did that happen? It's been an incredibly busy summer here at Sugar Moon  ...brownies parcels flying all over the country plus lots of wholesale orders to cope with the school holiday rush. We've enjoyed every minute - and managed to grab a few days away too, which you can read about soon on my personal blog. 

As most of the UK schools went back today (I know that Scottish ones have been back for a while already), I thought that it might be fun to reflect on my uniform. 

Now, I must confess that in the unit kitchen my outfit is strictly practical and neither fun nor photogenic! It consists of an all encompassing white coat and closed toe heavy duty clogs. Nothing to see there!

But as I do a lot of cooking and recipe testing and experimenting at home, I thought I'd show you what I wear there. I'm quite fussy about aprons. I really don't like cutesy, fussy ones with frills and furbelows. I like a nice functional shape with a big deep pocket - or pockets- at the front. And it has to look good, because I spend so much time in it, as well as being hard wearing and easy to wash at high temperatures. In short, it has to withstand a bit of bashing!

 If you have been to our website, you may recognise this apron. Unfortunately, I think it's been discontinued in this form. It's from Simon Johnson in Sydney - a fab small chain of high-end delicatessen and kitchen supply shops. I've always loved it as it's more like a pinafore dress...

 ...with really easy ways to adjust the waist and shoulders. They do sell another colourway (dark grey & pink) on their website, but it's hard to see from the photos whether the fastenings are the same as these ones. The next one is my absolute favourite apron of the moment!

 It's handmade by Victoria Whitfield of Field & Found. I think this denim version was a special edition for the Hay Festival (Field & Found has a retail outlet at The Old Electric Company in the town of Hay-on-Wye), but she has some beautiful similar ones on her website.

 They aren't cheap - but they are handmade and quality utilitarian garments. This one washes brilliantly too and is easily adjustable - the pocket at the front is perfect for tucking recipes or tea towels into. I wear it so often and love the heaviness of the gorgeous denim. If you wear aprons a lot, I'd really recommend having a look at the site.

 This one is an indulgence, pure and simple. But I adore it. It's by Toast and comes in several colours...I have almost bought the orange one too, but I'm trying to be good! It's more like a dress really - made from heavy linen, and it feels luxurious and special.

 I must confess that I don't wear it that much though - it looks fabulous, but I'm a bit scared of making it dirty and greasy! When I cook, I cook. And I'm just nervous to really let go in this apron! So I really reserve it for presentation and finishing off.

 This one is bearing a few marks I'm afraid, as I wore it all weekend and it's just about to go into the wash. But I probably wear it as often as the Field & Found one, I alternate them really. It's just a normal 'butcher's apron' from a catering supplier. Nothing special about it BUT there's a reason that these are so ubiquitous. So practical - plenty of material to wrap around, plenty of tie to secure the waist, plenty of length to cover.

 Not particularly pretty, but it WORKS!
And talking of pretty - there's this...

 You can see that I favour the cross-back apron. I think it's because they are so easy to take on and off without using hands - I also love the look of them (influenced too, I think, by my love of Ma in the '70s tv show 'Little House on the Prairie' who always seemed to wear one!)

 This one is lovely, although more lightweight - good for summer days. It's pure cotton and made by Ulster Weavers who carry a huge range of home and kitchen textiles. I bought it at the wonderful Foodie Bugle shop in Bath. They are currently situated in Margarets Buildings, right by the Royal Crescent but will be moving next week further into the centre of the city, right near the Abbey (Abbey Green to be exact!)

 This is how the shop looks now from outside...

...and I'm sure that the new one will be equally, if not more, beautiful! Full of treasures, vintage and new - and a great place to stop for coffee or a pot of tea together with a slice of cake or a light lunch.

So...a brief look into my working wardrobe. And now, back into that un-beautiful white coat!!

Hope you all had a brilliant summer...I love the warmer months, but I must admit that I think there's something very special about the autumn. Excitement and new beginnings - anything and everything is possible!

Brownie love from Sugar Moon and me! x