The apron knot was an indication of the marital status of the wearer.

• Left bow: single: tying your apron on the left shows that you are single.
• Right bow: If you wear the knot on the right, that means that you are either married, engaged to be married, or in a relationship.
• Front bow: An apron knotted squarely in the middle shows that the wearer is a virgin.
• Back bow: tying the apron at the back says that you are widowed or working as a waitress.

The signals sent by the bow either encourages or discourages flirting. Either way, it is essential to aim for a big bow that is tightly knotted at the waistband.