Figure 1.--This pattern was offered in the "Petit Echo de la Mode" April 1950 issue to make these different styles of school smocks. All the ones shown are for boys except the ine at the upper right. This pattern was for boys up to age 7, but the patterns were available in larger sized for older boys. The caption at the tops says, "The Practical Smock".

This pattern was offered in the "Petit Echo de la Mode" April 1950 issue to make these different styles of school smocks. All the ones shown are for boys except the ine at the upper right. This pattern was for boys up to age 7, but the patterns were available in larger sized for older boys. The caption at the tops says, "The Practical Smock".

Petit Echo de la Mode

HBC is just beginning its assesment of French fashion magazines. We do not yet have detailed information on these magazines, including L'écho de la mode. We know that the magazine was published in the 1930s, but do no know when it began. We know this December, 1949 article shows that it was published in the 1940s and presumably the 1950s. We have noted an item from Le petit écho de la mode advertising dressy romper patterns for "garçons modèles". The title of the magazine was changed after World War II. A French reader reports that Le petit écho de la mode was a very popular magazine read for the average French mother. It was not a high society fashion magazine. To day this magazine still exist with the title Echo de la mode. A HBC reader reports that as a child he and his brother were used as models for this and other French fashion magazines.

Orientation

The illustration stresses the utilitarian nature of smocks for school wear. It is captioned, "Les tabliers pratiques" or "The paractical smocks." There is no discussion of smocks, however, only details about each of the four styles.

Four Styles

The pattern illustration shown here could be used for four styles of school smocks. Three were for boys and two for girls. The same basic pattern could be used for these four different styles. Note at the far right of the drawing the widekly different lengths that could be fashioned from the same basic pattern. The general text read only, "Patrons-modèles aux âges indiqués. Chacun 40 fr Chacun 50 fr." This would translate as "Pattern model for the appropriate ages. Each 40 fr Each 50 fr."

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The ad copy reads, "Tablier en satinette. Devant et dos froncés dans un empiècement droit. Poches appliquées. (2 à 4 ans. 1 m.70 en 80.)" This would translate as, "Smock made in satinet. Both the front and back are smocked. Patch pockets. (2 to 4 years. 1 m.70 in 80.)" The smock is the ginham smock shown at the upper tight in the illustration (figure 1). It is the only for girls shown here.

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The ad copy reads, "Tablier en croisé orné de plis repassés, montés dans un empiècement droit. Boutonnage à droite (5 à 7 ans. 1 m. 40 en 130.)" This would translate as, "Smock decorated with cross style passed by again folds, assembled in a right buttoning yoke. (5 to 7 years. 1 Mr. 40 in 130.) This smock is the red one shown at the top left in the illustration (figure 1). It was a boys' style.

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The ad copy reads, "Tablier en toile. Des plis repassés partent de l'empiècement souligné d' un depassant. (5 à 7 ans. 1 m.95 en 90 . Garniture: 0m.15 en 80.)" This would translate as, "Smock made in a plain cotton cloth. ("Toile is sometimes translated as canvas, but that is not the meaning here.) Ironed pleats under the yoke [? d' un depassant]. (5 to 7 years. 1 m. 95 in 90. Accessories: 0 m.15 in 80.)" The smock is the blue one pictured in the illustration at the right. L'empiècement is the garment's yoke--the part of the garment e betweew the sleeves, joining the collar. The yoke of this smock has pleats. Other smocks had smocking work here. The is one of the most common styles worn by boys 2-8/10 years of age. A French reader describes it as a classic 1950s school smock. He also tell HBC that "toile" is rather a standard cloth. The more common cloth was "tissu Boussac". Note that "toile" sounds a bit uncorrect . "Toile" was rather used for sheets. [HBC note: this sounds rather like percale.] Our French reader tells us that many mothers, including his, usually said only "tissu," so one can translate it here as simply cloth. Another word now not commonly used is "dépassant". The more common word now is "bordé" or "edging" or "border" in English. Examples are: "bordé d'un liseré", "bordé de croquets", and "bordé de broderies". As you can see on the image "dépassant" concerns the yoke. The hem also had triming. Almost all French school smocks in the 1950s had this sort of trim. [HBC note: I may have misunderstood the comments from our French reader as I do not see any trim at the hem.]

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The ad copy reads, "Le devant à plis plats de ce tablier en Vichy se monte dans un empiècement droit . Col et bordures des poches en tissu foncé. (2 à 4 ans. 1m .70 en 80. Garniture: 0m.20 en 80.)" This would translate as, "The front of this smock has flat pleats. It is made in ginham and has a straight yoke. Collar and edges of pockets in dark fabric. (2 to 4 years. 1M. 70 in 80. Accessories: 0m.20 in 80.)" It is the striped smock shown at the bottom left in the illustration (figure 1). It is another classic style and was worn by boys 2 to 8 years old.

Home Sewing

A French reader tells us that magazines like Petit Echo de la Mode often showed garments in smaller sizes as they were more popular than the larger sizes. It was more difficult to make the larger sizes and as a result mothers were more likely to buy them readt made. His parents operated a small garment factory and he reports, "My Parents made a very huge of these models for boys from 2 to 10 years old. I was able to supervise the manufacturing, so I kown well how they were made."

Assessment

A French reader tells us, "Note on the image. The smock above in right is for only for girls. Tthers are for boys. It does not say this on the page, but this would have been instantly clear to us boys in the 1950s. Generaly the pattern were rather described for smaller size. It is much more easy and fast to make as the biger. So it's writing that the mother could demand the others sizes by mail and have to pay. These styles would have been worn by boys to about age 10 or 11 years in 1950."

Magazines

The writers in French fashion magazines often used strange or not commonly used words. Sometimes they used foreign words. A French reader tells us that this was done to make the fashion or garments being described as chic or more glamerous. Many of the words used were understandable to the mothers reading the magazines, but not commonly used by them.