How to design your apron
- Choose the cut — bistro apron (short, waist), bib apron (with chest bib), waist apron (long, no bib), children's apron (junior sizes)
- Choose material — 65/35 blend for hospitality (boil-proof), 100% cotton for promo/market, polyester canvas for workshop and garden
- Specify quantity — 1 to 1,000 pieces, volume discount applied automatically in configurator
- Upload logo or design text — chest, waist or bib area. Preview in configurator.
- Choose technique — embroidery (hospitality standard), screen printing (large runs, advertising logos), DTF (detailed or multi-colour designs)
- Order and have it finished — file check, print release, production. 7–9 working days standard, expedited shipping on request.
Which apron cut for which use?
The right choice depends on the use case. Here's an overview of common cuts and recommendations:
- Bistro apron (short, waist) — standard for service, bar, breakfast service. Knee-length. Best choice for café and restaurant service.
- Bib apron (chest + waist) — for kitchen crews, bakery, butcher, barber, catering service. Chest protection too, ideal for high-spatter work.
- Waist apron (long, no bib) — calf-length, classic in brasserie. For service and hotel breakfast.
- Forge/workshop apron — heavy canvas quality, for woodworking, forges, breweries, manufactories. Often in cognac, black or indigo.
- Children's apron (junior) — small sizes for kindergarten crafts, children's cooking courses, school baking days. Often 100% cotton.
- Disposable aprons for hygiene areas we do not offer — all our aprons are durable and industrially washable.
For the fully coordinated hospitality look (aprons combined with polos, chef jackets and shirts), see our hospitality vertical — we calculate across models with the volume discount tier. For care aprons (e.g. clinic catering, rehab breakfast room), see Medical and Care.
Which finishing technique for which apron?
- Embroidery — first recommendation for hospitality aprons. Boil-proof to 90 °C, premium, durable. Madeira yarn survives industrial washing and iron pressing. Recommended position: chest upper left 7 × 5 cm, or bib centre for larger logos.
- Screen printing — economical for large advertising aprons with big logo and slogan (brewery tasting, market promo, cocktail bar). Worth it from 50 pieces. Plastisol print with food-friendly pigments.
- DTF printing — first choice for multi-colour or detailed logos on dark aprons (e.g. black bistro apron with photo print bar logo). Withstands 60 °C industrial washing.
- Transfer printing — for name lettering and function prints ("Chef de Service", "Housekeeping") that are person-specific and can be removable on request.
Embroidery is also the only technique consistently accepted as visually premium in upmarket hospitality and fine dining — an embroidered logo on an apron looks markedly more elegant than a print.
Recommended brands and models
- Karlowsky bistro / bib / waist aprons — classic for restaurants, cafés, bars; many cuts and colours (black, anthracite, indigo, burgundy, khaki). Boil-proof 90 °C.
- Westford Mill W007 bib apron — solid cotton canvas bib for workshop, forge, garden. Heavy-duty quality.
- Westford Mill W120 bistro apron — affordable 100% cotton bistro for promo, market stand, tasting events.
- B&C BA710 organic apron — organic cotton apron (Inspire line), GOTS-aligned. For sustainability-focused cafés and vegan restaurants.
- Premier PR150 Hospitality — solid blended apron (65/35), boil-proof, many colours for restaurant service.
- Beechfield/Westford junior apron — children's sizes for kindergarten and school activities.
- Forge bib apron canvas — heavy heavy-duty quality for woodworking and manufactories.
For apron material we recommend 65/35 blend (polyester/cotton) for hospitality — boil-proof, dimensionally stable, less crease formation. Pure cotton is ideal for promo and market aprons (single use, fewer washes). Canvas polyester is standard for workshop aprons (tear-resistant, grease-repellent). Organic cotton (B&C BA710) for sustainability-focused hospitality concepts.
Volume discount and pricing
Apron orders vary widely: a café with 6 aprons, a restaurant with 25, a brewery tasting promo with 200. We calculate transparently and apply the volume discount across model boundaries.
| Quantity | Discount | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| from 3 pieces | 3% | Mini crew, pilot, single café |
| from 20 pieces | 10% | Restaurant, mid-size café, workshop team |
| from 50 pieces | 15% | Larger restaurant, small hotel, brewery event |
| from 100 pieces | 25% | Hotel with multiple departments, restaurant chain |
| from 200 pieces | 30% | Restaurant group, large promo campaign |
| from 500 pieces | 32% | Bulk order, festival concession, group rollout |
Aprons are counted together with other models (polos, T-shirts, chef jackets) in one order quantity — you don't need to reach the minimum per apron type. Example: 15 bistro aprons + 10 bib aprons + 12 service polos = 37 pieces with 10% discount.
Real-world example orders
- Café opening promo — 18 Karlowsky bistro aprons in black with embroidery (café logo). DTF print combined for name lettering. 9 working days.
- Brewery tasting event — 250 Westford W007 bib aprons in indigo with large screen-print logo chest. Plastisol print for outdoor tasting. Volume discount 30%.
- Wood workshop manufactory — 12 heavy canvas forge aprons in cognac with embroidered workshop brand. Plus 8 junior aprons for visitor days. Multiple models in one order, 10% volume discount.
- Barber salon opening — 6 B&C BA710 organic cotton bib aprons in anthracite with embroidery chest (salon logo) and DTF print waist area (barber first name). Original order plus data storage for reorder.
- Catering bulk order — 80 bistro aprons for three locations with multi-address shipping and packing list per location. Embroidery left chest, plus separately removable transfer right chest for event-specific lettering.
How reordering works
Aprons are consumables — they wear out faster than polos or shirts, especially in hospitality with daily sauce stains and industrial washing. We therefore have a simple reorder process:
- You signal need with quantity, cut, colour (Pantone reference already stored)
- We access stored data — model, colour, logo position, embroidery file
- Shipping in 5 working days for standard colours and standard models; expedited on request for special colours or rare cuts
- Invoice with reference to original order — no new punching, no new mock-up
What makes ShirtStore different
- Cut variety in stock — bistro, bib, waist, forge, junior available as stock standards
- Cross-model volume discount tier — aprons + polos + chef jackets combined
- Pantone colour reference stored for colour-consistent reorders
- Embroidery boil-proof 90 °C with Madeira-yarn guarantee
- Multi-address shipping for restaurant chains and catering orders
- Fast reordering in 5 working days without new mock-up
Ready for your aprons with logo?
Open configurator → · Request bulk order →
ShirtStore is your partner for aprons with logo embroidery and printing in Germany. We embroider and print bistro aprons, bib aprons, waist aprons, forge aprons and junior aprons for cafés, restaurants, bars, hotels, catering operations, breweries, market stands, barber salons, wood workshops, landscaping businesses, bakeries, butchers and kindergarten activities. Our embroidery is boil-proof to 90 °C and survives industrial washing with commercial detergents for years. Fabrics are certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100. We carry Karlowsky aprons (blend, boil-proof), Westford Mill bib aprons (heavy-duty canvas), Premier Workwear aprons and B&C organic aprons (Inspire line, GOTS). Embroidery from 1 piece, screen printing economical from 50 pieces, DTF printing for detailed designs from 1 piece. Volume discounts start at 3 pieces with 3%, scaling to 15% from 50 pieces, 25% from 100 pieces and 32% from 500 pieces — staggered across models. Delivery in 7–9 working days after print release, expedited shipping possible, multi-address shipping for restaurant chains standard.