Figure 1.--These French children model different styles of plaid school smocks in a 1938 French magazine. The article where these smocks were pictured was captioned "Gédéco rend gaie la rentrée des classes." Which means, "Gédéco (trade name) makes going back to school merry." Note that there are both back and front buttoning smocks as shown in the schimatic in the lower-right hand corner. I'm not sure what the attached article said, but the models suggests that the smocks were for primary-age boys and girls as somewhat older girls.

One company offered various styles of patterened school smocks. This company's image appeared in a 1938 French magazine. The article was captioned "Gédéco rend gaie la rentrée des classes." Which I think means, "Gédéco ( trade name) makes going back to school merry." Note that there are both back and front buttoning smocks as shown in the schimatic in the lower-right hand corner. I'm not sure what the attached article said, but the models suggests that the smocks were for primary-age boys and girls as wellmas teen-age girls.

Background

I am not sure if the French Third Republic regulations in the 1870s spelled out the color of the smocks to be worn. They may have as all the early images I have seen show dark colored smocks, presumably black or dark blue. Reports from French visitors to HBC suggest that French boys in the early 20th century mostly wore dark smocks, black, dark blue, or gray. he black smock began to disappear in the towns after 1930, especially for small small boys and girls. rench readers tell us that light colored smocks were mostly reserved for girls. The first French school smocks were black. Grey smocks subsequently appeared for boys. Pink and pale blue smocks appeared for girls. Plaid smocks also appeared. I'm not sure if boys commonly wore these, although some of the newspapers adds for smocks picture boys in some of the plaid ones and even other patterns such as gingam. Photographs show some boys wearing ginham smocks at school. I'm not sure about plaid, but it is suggested by magazine articles. Some smocks were basically solid colors, but with colored or patterned detailng such as ginham. As more diverse colored smocks appeared in the 1930s and became more common in the 1940s after World War II, many boys still appear to have most commonly worn the dark-colored, solid colored smocks.

Another important point is that at school, girls were taught sewing and knitting and learned to make garments there. It was economical for them to make a new garment from an old one. through a old

Source

These smocks were illustrated in Modes et travaux (Fashion and Home Sewing) n°449, September 1, 1938. This was the most popular French magazine providing patterns and knitting instructions. The pictured smocks are apparently not to be found in shops, but to be sewn at home.

Material

Gédéco was a material or fabric trade marked from Zéphyr. One reader writes, "Since the mother would sew these smocks at home, I presume the important thing is the pattern, not the actual type of fabric, although the company would clearly like mothers to chose their Gédéco fabric. The mother could chose in fact choose whatever fabric they wanted as well as the usual plain grey, blue, dark colors."

Ages

The accompaning texts indicate that the two boys' smocks are for boys 8 years old and an unidentified age. The age range is no further specified. The two girls are specified as 10-12 years of age. The choice of models suggests that these smocks were worn by older girls than boys, but the full range of sizes is not specified.

Gender

Note that while the boys and girls wear the same pattern that the smocks are styled differently. Our French source advises, "One must known that at French schools the girls were taught sewing and knitting and how to make clothes. It was economical for them to make a new garment through a old knit." This sentence "...a new garment thru an old knit" means that girls were not only learning sewing and knitting, but also using old garments to transform these into more fashionable models, achieving at the same time the economy of not having to buy new fabric or for the knitting new wool. HBC is unsure just to what extent the stock styling is gender specific. The two top smocks might have been worn by boys or girls, but the two bottom smocks are clearly for girls.

Colors

The first French school smocks were black. Grey smocks subsequently appeard for boys. I am not sure if the French Third Republic regulations in the 1870s spelled out the color of the smocks to be worn. They may have as all the early images I have seen show dark colored smocks, presumably black or dark blue. Reports from French visitors to HBC suggest that French boys through the 1930s primarily wore dark-colored smocks, although we have seen some light colrs as well. This began changing in the 1930s, and was especially notable after World War II (1939-45). Other colors became increasingly common, especially in urban areas and for younger boys. Boys in the 1950s wore black, dark blue, or gray smocks although younger boys were a greater variety. The lighter colored smocks were mostly worn by girls and younger boys, although therecwas no definitive rule on this. Pink smocks were primarily worn by girls. Pale blue smocks were also primarily for girls, although some boys also wore them.

Patterns

While most boys wore solid colored smocks, patterned smocks were also worn. While more common with girls, they werealso worn by boys. Perhaps the most common patterned smock were ginham, "vichy in French. Photographs show some boys wearing ginham smocks at school. These appaer, however, to have been much less common than the solid colored smocks. A variety of other patterns existed such as diamond patterns. I beloeve that plaid smocks existed. I'm not sure if boys commonly wore these, although some of the newspapers adds for smocks picture boys in some of the plaid ones. Perhaps a school adopted such smocks as a kind of uniform. Some smocks were basically solid colors, but with colored or patterned detailng such as ginham. As more diverse colored smocks appeared in the 1950s, boys still appear to have most commonly worn the dark-colored, solid colored smocks.

Styles

Four different style are picture here which are a range of both front and back buttoning smocks. The only common stylistic feature appears to be some kind of belting arrangement. We do not know how popular these specific patterns proved.

Smock 1

This collarless, back buttoning smock hasd a rounded neck opening or yoke. It appears to be a firly standard style. I do not see any destinctive features that would make this a boys' or girl's smock. There is a dark belt which appears indentical to the belt worn in the girl's smock below (smock three). There does not appear to be any pockets. One reader who wore smocks as a boy writes, "I was surprised by the missing pocket on boy's smock one. Where is that boy going to put all his tiny treasures? I assume the mother would add that pocket." The two possiobly leather belts on smock one and three are also somewhat unusual. The skirt part of the smock appears to have large pleats.

Smock 2

This is a much more destinctively styled smock. It appears to have styling similar to Russian blouse tunics that were popular in the early 20th century. Again it is a collarless smock, with a square yoke, similar to Russian blouse styling. HBC believes that these Russian-blouse styled smocks were primarily, but not exclusivly for boys. Some girls may have also worn them, but they were not one of the more popular syles for girls. Note that the smock is front buttoning, but the buttons are off-set to one side, in this case the boy's right side. The smock appears to have a self-belt made of the same fabric as the smock itself. This self-belt appears to button on to the smock.

Smock 3

Smock three is a back buttoning smock with the same dark belt worn wth the boy's smock (smock 1). This smock has a collar, in this case a Peter Pan collar in the same material as the smock. This collar is probably the aspect of the smock that makes it a girls' smock. The smock has two pockets.

Smock 4

Smock four is a front-buttoning smock, but the frilled yoke makes it clearly a girls' smock.

Article Text

The illustration pictured here was part of an article about Gédéco school smocks. HBC does not yet, however, have the accompanying article text.

Assessment

The smocks styles here are interesting because they represented such a difference in what boys in different countries wore. School boys in several European countries wore them (such as France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain). Boys in other European countries (England, Germany, and the Netherlands) did not. American boys also did not. One HBC reader writes, "I grew up in forties and fifties so I have an idea what boys were wearing at the time. I don't think an American boy at the time would have been caught dead in one of those smocks." This has all changed and there are now much less difference among European countries as to what boys wear to school. Some schools still require smocks, but it is now much less common. For the most part European boys might now move from country to country and not notice such sharp differences in schoolwear.