Protective clothing is worn to protect either the wearer's body or other items of clothing. Conversely, special clothes may protect the working environment from pollution and/or infection from the worker, for example in a microchip[?] factory. The protection may also be important both ways, as with the use latex gloves[?] by surgeons and dentists[?].
Examples:
apron protects the body and other clothing (also used as distinction by waiters[?])
... 1979 Hank Snow
1980 Paul Anka
1981 Joni Mitchell
1982 Neil Young
1983 Glenn Gould
1986 Gordon Lightfoot
1987 The Guess Who[?]
1989 The Band
1990 Maureen ...