Founder Cassidy Blenke wearing her Classic Grace Apron design
Once upon a time, I found myself on the clock, pumping milk while eating lunch in a bathroom stall at my client’s office. Time froze, and I asked myself, “What am I doing?”
Navigating Life as a Modern Woman
Navigating the demands of a career, motherhood, childcare costs, and my general well-being was exhausting, specifically after experiencing that time-stopping moment of working, pumping milk, and eating lunch in a bathroom stall. The stress was just too much. I was done.
I left the workforce after having my second daughter. That's when the plates began to shift – catapulting me into a new life as a full-time caregiver, house manager, repair person, family scheduler, and transportation expert. I was expected to take on everything and anything that only a woman can truly handle and embrace.
“In between all these intense, dirty, difficult, sometimes very isolating moments of motherhood with very small children, I missed me.”
In the next two and a half years, I birthed two more children. At one time, I had four children ages four and under. Gone were the days of business casual and pearls. My daily uniform became old clothes, a chef's apron from Amazon, and rubber gloves, depending on the severity of the mess (poop, puke, paint, etc.).
In between all these intense, dirty, difficult, sometimes very isolating moments of motherhood with very small children, I missed me. The me who loved to feel good in what she was wearing. The me who would dress up in full glam.The me who didn’t have to worry about wearing nice yoga pants because of the destructive, beautiful, (sometimes) soul-draining children around her.
Why Can’t I Find a Comfortable, Functional, and Stylish Apron?
As it turns out, my daily uniform as a caregiver—a simple chef apron—didn't do a good job of protecting my clothes from all those messes. I couldn't stay clean during the day!
So I tried to find a full-coverage apron that…
- is easily adjustable
- has different-sized pockets
- has a stylish design
- is easy to wash
It didn't exist.
I had two options: (1) Keep trying to make the ill-fitting chef apron work or (2) Make a better apron for me and for women everywhere. Spoiler Alert: I went with Option #2.
“That inspired me to design something that would empower women to embrace their femininity, style, and personality.”
Timeless Grace began with nothing more than a sketch and countless conversations. Conversations with women, friends, mothers, and workers, who needed something beautiful and practical to carry them through their daily hustle. I listened to baristas, gardeners, artists, and stay-at-home parents. They told me about the garments they wore, and had to creatively modify to protect their clothes while they worked.
After talking to other moms with small kids, they encouraged me to design my own. Like me, they wanted to feel confident in an apron's durability and versatility. That inspired me to design something that would empower women to embrace their femininity, style, and personality.
Designing an Apron I Actually Want to Wear
The options for utility wear in the women’s fashion market are extremely limited.
Utility wear for women is either trade-specific or couture and designer, something you can’t just throw in the wash. There is no happy medium for people who are not working in a skilled trade or a client of high-end couture. But there are plenty of women (like me) who still do these types of jobs and desire high-quality, fashionable, and feminine utility wear to protect their clothing in and around the home.
I knew that there were millions of women doing physically & emotionally challenging jobs that needed full coverage to protect what they were wearing underneath. I knew this would work. I began designing an apron that I would want to wear.
1. Versatility: Meeting the Unique Needs of Women
When I began designing the Classic Grace Apron, I made the conscious decision to build something that truly centers women’s needs, how we move, live, and the roles we embody in a single day. The modern woman does it all, and the pieces we wear should rise to meet us, not work against us.
Whether it’s cooking, crafting, gardening, caregiving, or hosting a fun & elegant dinner party with girl friends, I wanted this to be the only apron that supports you through it all. My goal was to create a thoughtful, beautiful staple that you can reach for every day, to simplify your routine and elevate the moments that matter.
2. Functionality: How it Makes Your Life Easier
In women’s fashion, we’re so often asked to choose: beauty or utility. I never believed we should have to. So when I designed this apron, every feature had to work and feel beautiful because women deserve both.
- Easily adjustable and thoughtfully shaped to honor a woman’s body.
- Multiple pockets (plural!) so your hands stay free and everything you need is right where you want it.
- Flexible enough to slip over whatever you’re wearing: yoga pants, a silk dress, or your favorite sweater, and stay comfortable through every task.
- And because life is full enough already, you can toss it straight in the washer and dryer with the rest of the laundry.
I’ve felt the same everyday pressures and frustrations that so many women, mothers, and caretakers carry. And once I finally landed on a solution that actually made my days a little easier, I knew I had to share it with as many women as I could, because life is difficult enough without getting pasta sauce, baby spit-up, or anything else on your favorite (dry-clean-only) dress.
3. Quality: You Deserve Better Than “Just OK”
Do a quick online search for “aprons for women” and you’ll find thousands of results. But most are made with flimsy fabrics, loose seams, or shapes that don’t really fit a woman’s life. I refused to accept “good enough.”
So I chose fabrics that combine durability with elegance. I built in thoughtful details: reinforced stitching, hardware like snaps and zippers, design lines made to hold up to your busiest days. At Timeless Grace, integrity is everything. Meaning your garment won’t just look beautiful once, it’s made to last.
4. Make it Fashion
I wanted the Classic Grace Apron to look just as graceful as it performs.
The fit is flexible and flattering on real women’s bodies: every shape, every season of life. And the prints and solid colors were chosen with intention based on my real-life inspirations. Whether it’s a floral toile or a rich jewel tone, each one is designed to complement your style.
I wasn’t interested in creating a basic, utilitarian cover-up. This is a fashion piece, a statement that says:
I can do all the work, and look good doing it.
Cassidy wearing the Eden Peony print, named after her daughter
It’s Worth it to Center Women in Design, Even if it’s Challenging
Did you know that product designers use a “one-size-fits-all” approach to everything from pianos to cell phones to voice recognition software, when in fact this approach is designed to fit men? Even when women are the focus of design, their actual needs are still sometimes ignored.
Not this time.
Finding the right manufacturer felt like a test of character. I was intentional about choosing a team who shared strong standards around craftsmanship and corporate responsibility. Add in the uncertainty of tariffs and the usual rollercoaster of building something from scratch… there were plenty of moments that stretched me.
But there is finally light at the end of the tunnel. Our first-edition aprons are officially ready to ship, a limited drop available November 15th. Pre-orders are already coming in, and I’m genuinely honored by the trust this community has shown during every twist and turn.
Now comes the final stretch: getting these aprons into your hands.
This has been a triumph we built together — inspired by strong women, supported by the women in my life, and shared with all of you
I Did This for Me, for You… for All of Us
As I continue to build this brand, I think of the women I spoke to and the women who came before me. The women warriors with the mental fortitude to survive–in a society that encouraged them to shrink into the shadows–and continue their mission for femininity. I channel their magic into the vision for Timeless Grace and its purpose to provide women with functional garments.
Cassidy's great-grandmother
From the first women of the Native communities who harvested and cultivated the land I live on, to my Great Grandmother who lied on her birth certificate to get a job and help support her family, to the women who fought for the well-being of their children, and to those I've come to know and love here in St. Louis, this apron is for them. To all these women, I dedicate this brand's success.
In a world that can be brutally fierce, dirty, and unpredictable, I imagine them wearing this practical garment in action. Timeless Grace honors their strength and prowess with a full-coverage, functional, feminine, and luxurious apron that celebrates the beauty of their daily grind. Your identity as a strong, confident, capable woman cannot be stained, and most importantly, remember this… You are loved.
