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How to wear the masonic apron?

How should we wear the apron?

  • On-top of the coat/jacket

    Votes: 148 85.1%
  • Underneth the coat/jacket

    Votes: 12 6.9%
  • It does not matter!

    Votes: 14 8.0%

  • Total voters
    174

Ben Rodriguez

Registered User
Texas dress code for lodge are somewhat, laid back. Such as slacks and a dress shirt or jeans and a polo. Opposed to other jurisdictions (I had the chance to meet brothers from Vegas 32 in las Vegas and Indian Springs 48 for a FC degree a couple of weeks ago while I was in NV, these brothers were wearing suits with a tie and tuxedos!) But as laid back as TX is, I have always seen the apron worn over the jacket, when a brother is wearing one, such as a sports coat.
 

barryguitar

Registered User
In every masonic portrait of George Washington, he is wearing a jacket over his apron, unbuttoned. Thanks for making me aware of this potential gaffe. I am one of the few members of my lodge who wears a jacket, and have thus far hung it on a hook outside the lodge.
 

PeterLT

Premium Member
In my district the ruling has been that Lodge officers must wear it outside along with collars, cuffs and gloves. Members have the option of outside or inside. Personally, I think it should be worn outside for all to see.
 
H

Huw

Guest
Here in England, the rule is outside (and is enforced).

However, when a visitor comes from another jurisdiction, we expect him to dress according to his own rules, not our rules. Therefore when we get visitors from Scotland wearing their own regalia, they wear their apron inside the coat in an English Lodge because that's the way it's worn in their own jurisdiction. (Although if a Scottish Brother turned up without his own regalia and borrowed one of our aprons, then we'd expect him to wear it our way.)

Also, we don't have anyone here avoiding the issue by not wearing any sort of coat: everyone wears a suit in Lodge. But of course it's not so warm here as in Texas!

T & F,

Huw
 

cambridgemason

Premium Member
Premium Member
Here in the state of Mass. it was always worn on the inside, that is because of the dress at the time, wearing a vest made the overcoat to be worn open, this was the style for many years in most jurisdictions, look over some old pre 1910 photographs. Today in my jurisdiction one must wear the apron over the jacket. Even is one wears a sash, today it is worn on the outside of the jacket, the only difference to this is some degree teams such as one of the Scottish teams because of the dress can wear the apron on the inside, this is up to the GM to make that call.
 

Beathard

Premium Member
Had an interesting conversation with a Grand Lodge officer from England this week while visiting a lodge in Antigua. Here is what he said. If you wear your apron outside your jacket you trace your Masonic heritage back to England. If you wear it inside you trace it back to Scotland. I have no idea if he is correct, but it sounded good.
 

tom268

Registered User
I'm not sure, if it is so straight, but it sound reasonable. But it is also a question of common fashion-traditions and on how much the GL in question rely on the work mason traditions. If you have a strong work mason stream in your jurisdition, wearing the apron under the jacket makes no sense, because the apron protects the clothes.
 

jwhoff

Premium Member
We had a brother from the Grand Lodge of Ireland visiting lodges in the Houston area the past couple of months. In Ireland the apron is worn below the coat, much to the displeasure of English brethren, whether visiting or hosting. The Irish tradition is based on the follow. "Irish brethren are prepared to take their coats of and go to work for masonry at any time."

So there are different answers to the posed question based solely on location, location, location.

I suppose, unless there is a shall clause somewhere in the GLoTx law book, one could go by the old common law: When in Rome, Roam.
 

jwhoff

Premium Member
Yeah ... I know what you're thinking there Brother Bill. Might come in handy to have a few more brothers out there with their coats over their aprons.:14:
 

jwhoff

Premium Member
Strings usually too short in Texas.

Endeavoring to preserver.


Any brother out there who can shed light on how Scottish brethren wear their aprons? If we have Scottish brethren, give us a little light on how the lodge goes over there. Curious as always.
 
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Timothy Fleischer

Registered User
THis is great information.
The pamphlet that was given to me when I was raised was clear on the matter: outside the coat!
We stopped giving out that pamphlet in Texas some time ago. I wish we would bring it back.
 

Mac

Moderator
Premium Member
And yet what do you do if you're wearing a coat besides the regular suit/sport coat? I have a tail coat that does not go down far below the hem of the apron, so I can wear the apron "above" it when I'm standing, but as soon as I sit down, the jacket slips out from below the apron, and I have to adjust it upon standing back up. The question came up in lodge recently when I wore it. Seems like an arbitrary, but old, rule, that should be a little flexible.
 

tom268

Registered User
I never saw a brother in tail coat, wearing the apron above the coat. Exactly for the reasons you wrote. The lodge is no catwalk, but some basic dress rules should still aply, and tail should be worn not only with apron under the coat but also with dignity.
 
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