To make it quick and easy to put my shop apron on and take it off, I use shop-made magnetic connectors, like the ones shown here. They’re easy to make and eliminate having to tie knots.
The connectors are short pieces of 3⁄4" dowel counterbored on one end to hold a 1⁄2"-dia. rare earth magnet. The magnet is epoxied into the counterbore. It should sit proud of the dowel end to ensure solid contact with the mating magnet. The dowel is also cross-drilled for the end of the apron cord. To fasten the connectors to the apron cords, I run the cord through the connector. Then I use adjustable, spring-loaded double-cord stops from the local fabric shop to adjust the length of the string. After adjusting the length of cord, it’s ready to go.