Figure 1.--This deawing pictures French boys going to school in the late 1950s. Three boys wear smocks, one back buttoning. Another boy wears a jacket. They all wear short pants. Notice the satchels.
|
Figure 1.--This deawing pictures French boys going to school in the late 1950s. Three boys wear smocks, one back buttoning. Another boy wears a jacket. They all wear short pants. Notice the satchels. |
French boys still commonly wore school smocks after World War II (1939-45). Photographs from the 1940s and early 1950s still show many boys in smocks. The popularity of smocks, however, began to decline by the late 1950s. This custom began to become less common in the 1960s. I have little information on this period. One indicator is newspaper advertisements. By the mid-1950s smocks advertisments showed many diffent styles for girls, but only a few boys were pictured. Also by the 1960s, styles were changing. Smocks
for little boys were still pictured in the back buttoning style, but
increasingly the ones for older boys buttoned in front. Also almost all
smocks for older boys were dark blue. Only little boys and girls wore the lighter, brighter colors or patterns like plaids. You rarely see French boys wearing berets after the 1950s. French boys still did commonly wear short pants in the 1950s and 60s. Most boys wearing smocks to school generally wore shorts. This was especially
true in the 1950s, even in the winter months. Short pants began to decline in popularity during the 1960s, byt were still worn--especially during the early 1960s.
French boys still commonly wore school smocks after World War II (1939-45), but they were much less common than before the War. Photographs from the 1940s and early 1950s still show many boys in smocks. There appear to be, however, substantial variations. At some schools most boys seem to wear them, perhaps because of a school rule. At other schools very few boys appear to wear them. The popularity of smocks seems to decline by the late 1950s. They were worn into the 1960s, but were becoming less common than during the 1950s, except for younger boys. We still have only limited information on this period. Also by the 1960s, styles were changing, with back buttoning smocks becoming less common for boys.
Smocks varied in usage, in part depending oin the age of the boy. In nursery schools almost all the children worn smocks. Most boys wore smocks throygh the 1950s in primary school through age 10. This declined somewaht in the late 1950s and 60s. In primary schools smocks were especially common among the younger boys. Through the 1950s, priobably 80-90 percent of boys wore smocks, but there were variatuions dependeing on the refion or the demographic area suchbas rural, urban or suburban. After age 10, fewer boys wore smocks, although they continued ti be very common for girls. Praoably about 2/3s of 10 year old wore them. The percentage dropped for 11-12 year olds, perhaps 1/3 or 1/2. With the onset of secondary school after age 12 most boys stopped wearing smocks. Often their school were murher from home and the boys wannted to dress more maturely. Short pants were still commonly worn by boys up to about 14 years old, but they did not commonly wear smocks. but not there smock.
One indicator is newspaper advertisements. By the mid-1950s smocks advertisments showed many diffent styles for girls, but only a few boys were pictured.
Smocks were initially back buttoning garments through theearly 1950s. Front buttoning styles, mostly for boys appeared in the 1930s, but did not become widely worn until they began tone more popular in the late 1950s. By the 1960s they were the dominant style for boys. While there were a variety of different styles of smocks available, most boys did not want the various stylish versions. Most wanted the stanf\dard styles that most of the other boys were wearing. By the 1970s, only younger boys continued wearing the back buttoning style, although it continued to be popular for girls.
Almost all smocks for older boys were dark blue, although grey smocks were also worn by boys. Smocks appeared in a wider range of colors in the inter-war era, and this trend for "happy clothes" became even more pronounced during the post-war period. Boys didn't like the brigtly colored smocks. Only younger boys and girls, however, wore the lighter, brighter colors or patterns like plaids. One French reader reports that hgingham smocks in the 1940s and 50s were commonly for boys up to about 10 years and then they preferred the dark blue smocks.
A French reader reports that after the mid-1930s and more after 1945 the smocks were made in gingham for boys util about 10 years of age. Our French reader estimates that about 80 percent of these younger boys wore ginham smocks. Boys older than 10 years tended to wear solid, dark colored material. One French reader whose parents operated a clothing factory reports that they sold school smocks during 1945-60 and they were primarily gingham for both boys and girls utill age 10.
French boys in the post-war era wore the following clothes with smocks.
The beret once so commonly worn by French schoolboys was little seen in the post-war era. I'm not sure why the beret went out of style. Scouts began wearing berets, but other than for Scouting they were not commonly worn.
Many French boys wore suits to school in the inter-war era. Boys wearing suits did not normally wear smocks. School wear became much more casual after the war and suits were not commonly worn, especially by the 1950s.
Sweaters were very commonly worn by French school boy, especially during the winter. Many boys went to school with sweaters under their smocks.
Almost all French school boys in primary school wore short pants with smocks, even duing the winter. Boys continued to commonly wear short opants in the late 1940s and early 50s, although not always with smocks. By the 1960s boys began to more commonly wear long pants, usually in the winter. Boys in ling pants were less likely to wear smocks than boys wearing short pants. Some older boys still wore knickers in the 1940s, but rarely boys in smocks.
French boys in the inter-war mostly wore kneesocks with short pants and smocks. After the War, boys began wearing ankle socks more commonly. By the 1960s, kneesocks were mostly bring worn during the winter.
French boys wore a wide variety of shoes with smocks. Sandals of various types were common, especially during the warmer months through the early 1960s. Clunky book like shoes were popular in the inter-war period, but generally went out of sttle in the 1940s. Some boys also wore sneakers. Oxford-style leather shoes were the most common style.
A French reader tells HBC that younger boys might wear their smocks after school. But this was less common on thursday and rarely on sunday wich were day to wear the "L'habit du dimanche". A French picture of 1953 explain well this mentality. It is a classic French film and know to most French people--"Jeux interdits" with Brigitte Fosset and
Jean Claude Poujouli.
A French contributor to this site tells me that he wore smocks as an elementary schoolboy during the late 1950s and early 60s. He wore short pants with his smocks, but did not wear a beret. You rarely see French boys wearing berets after the 1950s. French boys still did commonly wear short pants in the 1950s and 60s. Most boys wearing smocks to school generally wore shorts. This was especially true in the 1950s, even in the winter months. Short pants began to decline in popularity during the 1960s, byt were still worn--especially during the early 1960s.
Some more detailed personal experiences include the following accounts. Unfortunately these are mostly general French school experiences. I have so far only limited personal details about school smocks .
