Figure 1.--This class portrait was taken in 1916. It is difficult to tell, but a few of the boys seem to be wearing smoks. |
|
The first actual Government regulation was issued in 1914, actually authorizing the use of smocks but not mandating it (there was a former rule that said that no uniforms could be mandated). I have not found so far a regulation that mandates them for children. School portaits show a mixed situation during the 1910s. Smocks were mostly worn in Buenos Aires and some od the larger cities. Photographs from outlying provinces often show students in ragged clothes, without smocks. Other school portraits show a few boys wearing smocks. Another Argentine reader tells us a little different story. "The idea of school smock akso began in the 1910s and it was a movement that begun by the initiative of the teachers. Not by the government. The idea was to teach the children cleanness and pulchritude. Also it had a hidden agent of disguising social classes." The situation not be as clear cut as the two views suggested here. We suspect that both government official and teachers supported the idea.
Navigate the HBC School Section:
[About Us]
[Activities]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Debate]
[Economics]
[Garment]
[Gender]
[Hair]
[History]
[Home trends]
[Literary characters]
[School types]
[Significance]
[Transport and travel
[Uniform regulations]
[Year level]
[Other topics]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Return to the Historic Boys' School Home]
Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web chronological pages:
[The 1890s]
[The 1900s]
[The 1910s]
[The 1920s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web style pages:
[Return to the Main school school smock page]
[Return to the Main smocks page]
[Return to the Main Argentine school uniform page]
[Dresses]
[Bodice dresses]
[Kilts]
[Sailor suits]
[Sailor hats]
[Ring bearer/page costumes]
[Pinafores]
[Shortalls]
