The minute my Mum got up she put on an apron when we were small.
She still uses one for cooking but it's now not on her 24/7.
She always wore a full apron as she spilt stuff on her while working. I have full aprons but don't wear them much as I don't get that dirty.
When the DD's were at school we did a fund raiser with full aprons made of blackout curtain material as these are great for BBQ and fat cooking.
My DH loves his as it keeps his clothes protected and it's OK to wear an apron while using the BBQ