Figure 1.--Au Bon Marche in 1940 identified the garment on the left (IR-264) as a smock, but it looks somewhat like a dress to us. The model is a girl so we assume that this was a smock specifically for girls. There was also a matching boy's romper, although it is not illustrated. This of course would have been a coordinated brother-sister outfit. |
Au Bon Marche identified this garment as a smock, but it looks somewhat like a dress to us. The model is a girl so we assume that this was a smock specifically for girls. There was also a matching boy's romper, although it is not illustrated. This of course would have been a coordinated brother-sister outfit. The ad copy read, "TABLIER Zéphyr rayures multicolores 0m45 ... 25. Plus 2 par 0m05 jusqu'à 0m65. La BARBOTEUSE assortie 0m45 ... 29. Plus 2. par 0,05 jusqu'à 0m60." That translates as, "SMOCK Zéphir multi-colored striped material 0,45 meter ... 25 francs added 2 francs per 5 cm more untill 0,60 meter. The ROMPER suit 0.45 meter ... 25 francs added 2 francs per 5 cm more until 0.60 meter." This means that they were made in sizes beiginning about age 2-3 years through age 7 years. While only the smock is shown here. Au Bon Marche provides an illustration of another style of coordinated smock/romper cominations, style IR-262/263.
A French reader tells us, "This illustration here shows a girl wearing a smock and not a dress , why? It was only a question of buttoning.
This smock was entirely buttoned at the back, from the top to the bottom, like the smock for a little boy. The same model in dress would be buttoned only at the top. Of course one can't see that on this image, but French mothers at the time would have been aware of these conventions. About these smocks, they were very widely worn in the 1940s and 50s. Most city children wore these styles of smocks. They were somewhat less common in rural villages. When observing school photos, one should realize that some pupils took their smocks off for the portraits. In other cases mothers did not put on the smocks for photo day at school. That said, the French school portraits give a realistic view of how children were dressed for school. Mmothers didn't dress their children in Sunday clothe specialy for this day."
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