School Smocks: Domestic Details


Figure 1.--

Boys wearing smocks to school every day, by necesity, would almost have to have more than one. Most boys had two smocks, just to allow washing/ironing of one when the other was actually being worn. The rotation was usually weekly as until the 1950s, wash was usually done weekly. Monday was often the was day in America and I think some European countries. The number of smocks a boy might have really depended of how whealthy the family was. Affluent families might have a rather extensive wardrobe of 5 or 6 smocks for a boy. That would mean 1 or 2 in the washing process, and the others for variously school, playing, sunday best clothing. Middle income families might have up to 3 smocks for a boy: 1 in washing, 1 in use, 1 as reserve or sunday best. Families with limited resources would mostly have 2 smocks for their boy: the first brand new for school, the second would be previous year smock now used for playing or as reserve. HBC also notes that in reference to these basic domestic details, economic factors were not the only variables. Other important factors were social class, nationality, and chronological trends. The mother's fashion sence might also be a factor here.

Practical Maters

Most boys had two smocks, just to allow washing/ironing of one when the other was actually being worn. The rotation was usually weekly as until the 1950s, wash was usually done weekly. Monday was often the was day in America and I think some European countries. Until after World War II, washing was a very labor intensive opertion, demanding a great deal of labor. It was often not possible for mothers to do laundry more than once a week. This may have been a factor in the popularity of smocks, in that they helped to keep clothes clean. Smocks for the most part were simple garments that were eaier to launder than many of the clothes they covered up. Smocks could also be used to cover over clothes that needed to be washed.

Economic Factors

One of the principal factors affecting how many smocks a boy might have was family income. The number of smocks a boy might have really depended of how whealthy the family was.

Affluent families

Affluent families might have a rather extensive wardrobe of 5 or 6 smocks for a boy. That would mean 1 or 2 in the washing process, and the others for variously school, playing, sunday best clothing. Affluent families obviously had the potential to purchase as many smocks as the mother desird to. Affluent families, hoever, would also have the gretest sophistication concerning fashion trends. Thus some may choose other styles, epecially after school.

Middle income fmilies

Middle income families might have up to 3 smocks for a boy: 1 in washing, 1 in use, 1 as reserve or special occasson. Many boys wore their school smocks after school. ome mothers apparntly insited ther ons chang into an after scholsmock. One French-Swiss reader reports that his mother had differently colored mocks for after school and black pleated smocks for chirch or visiting rlaives on Sunday. We do know how common such approahes were in Switzerland and Frnce or in other countries..

Modest income families

Families with limited resources would mostly have 2 smocks for their boy: the first brand new for school, the second would be previous year smock now used for playing or as reserve.

Social Class

Family income is of course associated with social class, but the two are not identical. Social class may have affected whether or not a boy wore smocks more than the number of smocks he might have. The smock before it was used for schoolwear was used by farm laborers, workmen, and shop girls to protect their clothing. Thus some upper and even middle class families may not have initially wanted to dress their children in smocks which were seemn as a lower-class garment. Of course such attitudes changed over time. It no doubt was affected by the French Third Republic Government in 1871 when they mandated school smocks. As smocks began to be worn by children in France and Italy they may have been seen a chic, fashionalble Continental dress and thus more acceptable to upper class mothers in America and Britain. Such trends, however, mostly affected smocks in general and not school smocks. They may have affected decissions by private schools in adopting smocks as school uniforms, but HBC at this time has little information on this.

Nationality

Natioanlity can have a major impact on the number of school smocks a boy might have a very substantial impact on the number of smocks, including school smocks, a boy might have. Trends in several European countries mat be similar, especially Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. School smocks in some countries have been very uniform. The smocks worn by Bolivian, Iranian, Palestinian, and Turkish children look very uniform, and more varied in other countries. In such countries there appear to be little reason to have more than 2-3 smocks. This was especially true if they were only worn to school as was the case in many countries. Early French school smocks also look very similar. French school smocks by the 1930s had become very diverse. Given the diversity that developed it seems more understandable that a boy might hgave more than 2-3 smocks. This was especially true in rance as boys might wear smocks after school and on non-school days. The same trend appears to be true of Italy, although HBC has less infpormation on Italy.

Chronological Trends

Changing trends over times in different countries may have affected the number of smocks a boy might own. Goverment mandated in countries like Turkey and France certainly required parents to buy school smocks. Home use of smocks over time certainly had an affect. Boys in France for example appear to have more commonly worn smocks at home before than after World War II, this presumably affected how manu smocks he miht own. Cjhanging regulations on smock styles may have had afect. French regulation in the 1870s appear to have mandated a certain style. Some schools in various countries appear to have required certain styles. At other times, the parents could decide the style and great variatuons developed i smock styles, colors, materials, and detailing. It seems probable that some boys may hve had more mocks s the differeces developed over time. Also changes over tme in how commonly smocks were worn must have affected the number of smock purchsed or a child.

Mother's Fashion Sence

The development of many different types and style of smocks as well as patterns and colors may have incouraged some mothers o but more than the bare minimum of smocks for their children. This would obviously only be true of countries and time periods for which the style of smock was not strictly limited. France in the 1930s developed many diifrent tles of smocks. We begin tosee more variy in Itlay in the 1960s. These ppear to be th major countrirs in hich there gret diversity in school smocks nd thus the mother might use her fashion sence in selecting smocks. The mother's fashion sence would also only be most important for periods in which it was common for children to commonly waer smocks to school and at home as well. Some mothers even had different colors or styles of smock for school and at home, although we do not at this time believe this was a widely followed convenion.

Demographic Differences

There might obviously have some differences between cities and actual small rural schools.







Christopher Wagner






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