Figure 1.--The smock in Italy seems to have been primarily a school garment. We do notice, however, a few images of younger boys wearing smocks at home, although not after the early 1950s. We believe this family snap shot was taken in the late 1940s. |
Smocks were also commonly worn by Italian school children.
The colors varied some what, but the style usually included a large
white collar and colorful bow. Quite a number of Italian schoolchildren, boys and girls still wear them. Many schools have different colors or styles for the boys and girls. Other schools have boys and girls in identical colors and styles. Smocks with wide white collars and floppy bows were especially popular in Italy. Often the girls continue to wear back buttoning smocks while boys wear front buttoning ones. Some schools, however, continue to have both boys and girls wear the back buttoning ones. Virtually all Italian children once wore school smocks, but their popularity has declined in recent years.
Smocks appear to have been very popular in Italy, at least as a school garment. Until the 1970s virtually all Italian children wore them to school and many children wore them after school. We have less information as to how commonly they were worn at home. We do notice, however, a few images of younger boys wearing smocks at home, although not after the early 1950s. We believe this family snap shot was taken in the late 1940s (figure 1).
In Italian "smock" translates as "grembiule". A "school smock" would be "grembiule della scuola".
One of the most popular styles for school smocks for boys was a blue smock with a large white collar and colorful bow. Somocks were mostly back-buttoning, but front buttoning smocks for school have become more common in recent years.
Italian children have worn a wide varity of colored smocks. Blue was particularly common for boys' school smocks.
HBC at this time has no information on the chronology of Italian smocks. The coming of the Third Republic had a major impact on smocks in France when they were required as schoolwear in the 1870s. HBC does not know if there was any similar event in Italy. Italian unification was made possible by the same event that brought the French Third Republic to power, the Franco-German War of 1870. Reverses in the War forced the French to withdraw their forces from Papal territory, enabling the unification of Italy under King Victor Emanuel I in 1871. HBC does not, however, if Government action mandated school smocks as was the case in FrRance.
HBC does not know how commony Italian boys wore smocks other than at school.
Smocks were also commonly worn by Italian school children. Quite a number of Italian schoolchildren, boys and girls still wear them. Many schools have different colors or styles for the boys and girls. Other schools have boys and girls in identical colors and styles. Smocks with wide white collars and floppy bows were especially popular in Italy. Often the girls continue to wear back buttoning smocks while boys wear front buttoning ones. Some schools, however, continue to have both boys and girls wear the back buttoning ones. Virtually all Italian children once wore school smocks, but their popularity has declined in recent years.
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