Figure 1.--"Vrouw en Huis" in 1952 offered two styles of pleated school smocks. The third girl on the left appears to be wearing the same smock as the younger girl, but turned around so that the back of the smock can be seen. The caption in the magaine read, "Een schortje met korte mouwen, rugzijde en voorzijde, en het eigenlijke model, met lange mouwen."

HBC has noted that school smocks were widely worn in Belgium and generally followed French styles. HBC has wondered if school smocks were more worn by French than Dutch speaking Flemish boys. We note that the Dutch-language fashion magazine Vrouw en Huis carried patterns for school smocks in the French style. This suggests that smocks were worn in Flanders (Dutch speaking area) as well as Walonia (French speaking area).

Magazine

The Belgian magazine Vrouw en Huis ("Woman and Home") was an important source of fashion information for Belgian and Dutch mothers. We have some issues from the early 1950s. It was a weekly magazine and as it was in Dutch for Flemish readers, was also sold in the Netherlands. I'm not sure how popular it was among French readers.

Magazine Text

The Vrouw en Huis magazine text for these garments refers to "schort/schortjes". This is also the Dutch word for "apron". The title on the page reads, "'t Is verlof, maar ... 't wordt weer schooltijd ... Steeds kunnen uw kinderen een schortje gebruiken Maak er een ... met ons Gratis patroon."

A box under the title reads, "Of u een voorschoot verlangt voor uw kleintje in de kindertuin, of voor de groteren, die reeds in de hogere klassen zitten van het lager onderwijs, of het model bestemd is voor zus of voor broer, voor uitvoering met lange of met korte mouwen, doet niets ter zake: aan de hand van het GRATIS patroon kunt udeze practische kledingstukken zeker zelf maken."

Het Model

Nr 7915 -- Voonschoot met lange mouwen. Vierkant platstuk. Lijfje met plaite plooten, doorlopend in die rok, en vastgehouden onder een opgestikte lendenband. Opgestikt zakje.

Stofberekening

De hoeveelheid stof is als volgt te meten: driemaal de hoogte (+ de zomen) en eenmaal van 0.80 m. Dit voor het uitwerken van het geheel in rechtedraadrichting. Schuindraad zie verder.

Knippen

Zie hiertoe het bijgevoegde knipschema, dat duidelijk aantoont hoe de verschillende patroondelen op het weefsel moeten gelegd worden. Zoals zichtbaar wordt de stof op de juiste breedte gevouwen voor het knippen van platstuk-voor, middenvoor-rok, en middenrug-rok. Daarna wordt uit enkel weefsel tweemaal de zak en tweemaal zij-rug-rok geknipt (doorstreept gedeelte). -- De mouwboordjes worden geknipt uit het gedeelte onder << platstuk->>-rug.

Afwerken

1. Plooien invouwen, tot in de lenden.
2. Platstukken opbrengen
3. Siuiting afwerken.
4. Zak afwerken en opstikken.
5. Lendenband op het voorstuk stikken.
6. Zijnaden en schoudernaden sluiten.
7. Zoom naaien en plooien verder invouwen.
8. Hals afbiezen.
9. Mouwen afwerken en instikken.
10. Lendenband-rug dubbelen en knoopsluiting aanbrengen.

Sluiting

Meisjes: Sluiten van rechts op links.

Jongens: Sluiten van links op rechts. Korte mouw

Het schetsje geeft duidelijk weer hoe de mouw kan verkort worden. De vloeite wordt gefronst in een aansluitend mouwboordje.

Schuindraadverwerking

Stofberekening voor platstuk, lendenband en zak in schuindraad: driemaal de hoogte (+ de zomen) + eenmaal de mouwhoogte + 40 cm.

Het Gratis-Patroon

Het patroon voo. dit model voor de leeftijd van 4-6-8-10-12 jaar wordt gratis ter beschikking gesteld van onze lezeressen, aan de volgende voorwaarden: (Vervolg blz. 42).

- Volledig en duidelijk invullen van het etiket en dubbel op biz. 60, met schrapping van het niet-gewenste.

- Bijvoeging van niet-afgestempelde postzegels ter waarde van 5,25 Fr (Nederland 65 Ct).

Inzenden van het etiket en dubbel vóór 5 Oogst 1952 aan het adres <> -- (Voor Nederland: E. Bobbe, Kikkerstraat 24, Den Haag).

Er blijft slechts één beperking bij de bestelling: Patronen op maat kunnen enkel geleverd worden aan de gewone voorwaarden van de Patronendienst (zie blz. 60 -- nr. 7915). Voor de leeftijden van 4-6-8-10-12 jaar is het patroon vollelig GRATIS. De patronen worden verzonden binnen de 10 dagen na ontvangst van de bestelling. LET WEL OP: enkel de bestellingen gedaan met het volledig (dubbel) ingevulde etiket van biz. 60 worden gratis uitgevoerd. Dit etiket geldt slechts voor het model uit dit nummer.

Doe het volgende wanneer u uw patroon ontvangt

- Schrijf op elk patroondeel het volgnummer, zodat er geen vergissingen mogelijk zijn.

Verstevig met kleurpotlood de merkaanduidingen de plaats der siernaden, knoopsgaten, knopen, vouwen, enz.

- Vergeet vooral niet vóór het knippen het patroon ineen te spelden en na te gaan of lle maten volledig passen aan de bestemmeling(e) zodat u eventueel nog een kleine wijziging kunt aanbrengen.

Figure 2.--The Belgian sewing and fashion magazine "Vrouw en Huis" ("Woman and Home") was an important source of fashion information for Belgian and Dutch mothers. This school smock appeared in a 1952 issue and was for both boys and girls and looks similar to school smocks being worn at the time in France at the time. Click on the image to see the actual pattern provided in the magazine. The pattern shows that a short waistband buttons in the back. Before the War, a longer waistband would have more likely tied in a bow at the back.

Usage

In Belgium, smocks were often used as smocks for school but also to wear at home. We do not know, however, how common this was in the 1950s.

Garments

Vrouw en Huis offered several different styles of school smocks for both boys and girls. Some could have been worn by both boys and girls while others had gender specific styling. Many are very similar but appear to include some features commonly found on girl's dresses or smocks like puffed sleeves and some features more common on boys' smocks like a buttoning wistband. HBC notes three different styles of pleated smocks.

Younger girl

The smocks illustrated here for both the older and younger girl are quite similar (figure 1). The are both neckless, pleated smocks in a light-colored material. The only major difference is that the younger girl's smock has short puffed slleves. Note that the waistband button's in back rather than tieing in a bow. Before World War II (1939-45), the back tieing bow wouls have been more common. Because of the puffed slleves, this style would have been worn by a girl, although a very young boy in nursery school might have worn it--especially if he had a younger sister. Young boys at the time did wear some garments with puffed sleeves, rompers and blouses, at least in France. We are not sure about Belgium, especially Dutch-speaking Flanders. We note that a little boy's fancy satin blouse, also pictured in "Vrouw en Huis", did not have puffed sleeves.

A French reader takes issue with the above description. He writes, "I draw your attention to the garment for the younger girl on this page. I do not believe that it os in fact a smock. I day that for two reasons. First, smocks always had long sleeves, never puffed sleeves. Second, the smock was always entirely open at the back. This illustration shouldn't be on a smock page as they appear to be girl's dresses. The older girl may be wearing a smock, but as the back is not shown, I am not sure. It is true in the 1950s many girls' smocks and dresses were not greatly different. The boys' smock did not really change in style from 1930s till 1950s. It was not the same concerning those for girl. I have to add, that back buttoning French girls' smocks almost always had a bow and were not with buton at the belt. [HBC note: As we do not have the as copy with these illustrations, we are not sure precisely how "Vrouw en Huis" described them. However the back of the younger girl's garment does indeed look like a dress rather than a smock.]

Older girl

The older girl appears to be wearing a light-colored gingham (vichy) smock (figure 1). The primary difference with the smock of the younger girl is the long sleeves. This smock could have also been worn by a boy. This smock is very similar to a smock also shown in a 1952 issue of Vrouw en Huis (figure 2). We note, however, that the wrist cuff is done differently than a boys' smock. The back of the older girl's smock is not shown, presumably because it is so similar to that of the younger boy.

Younger boy

Vrouw en Huis shows a younger boy wearing a pleated, collarless smock almost identical to that of the older girl (figure 1). The only difference we note is in the wrist cuffs. Click on figure 2 to see a pattern of the boy's smock. The boy's smock picture here does not have the vlouced effect pictured on the plder girl's smock. Other than this we do not note any significan difference between the two smocks. Each smock has only one small right pocket. Many smocks had two pockets. The boy's smock pictured here is cut shorter than the girls' smocks. We are not sure, however, is this was a general characteristic of Belgian boys' school smocks.

Dutch Terms

Readers might find some background on Dutch terms related to smocks helpful in assessing the fabrics shown here. While the same words are used in both the Netherlands and Flanders, there are differences in how commonly diufferent terms are used.

Belgian School Smocks

HBC has collected some basic information about Belgian school smocks. We know much less about smocks in Belgium, however, than is the case in France.

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Created: January 12, 2002
Last updated: February 9, 2002