Figure 1.--These French children model different styles of plaid school smocks. This image appeared in a 1938 French magazine. The article where these smocks were pictured was captioned "Gédéco rend gaie la rentrée des classes." Which I think means, "Gédéco ( trade name) makes going back to school merry." Note that there are both back and front buttoning smocks as shown in the schimatic in the lower-right hand corner. I'm not sure what the attached article said, but the models suggests that the smocks were for primary-age boys and girls as wellmas teen-age girls.

I am not sure if the French Third Republic regulations in the 1870s spelled out the color of the smocks to be worn. They may have as all the early images I have seen show dark colored smocks, presumably black or dark blue. Reports from French visitors to HBC suggest that boys in the 1950s were still wearing dark smocks, black, dark blue, or gray. They tell me that light colored smocks were mostly reserved for girls. The first French school smocks were black. Grey smocks subsequently appeared for boys. Pink and pale blue smocks appeared for girls. Plaid smocks also appeared. I'm not sure if boys commonly wore these, although some of the newspapers adds for smocks picture boys in some of the plaid ones and even other patterns such as gingam. Photographs show some boys wearing ginham smocks at school. I'm not sure about plaid, but it is suggested by magazine articles. Some smocks were basically solid colors, but with colored or patterned detailng such as ginham. As more diverse colored smocks appeared in the 1950s, boys still appear to have most commonly worn the dark-colored, solid colored smocks.

Colors

The first French school smocks were black. Grey smocks subsequently appeard for boys. I am not sure if the French Third Republic regulations in the 1870s spelled out the color of the smocks to be worn. They may have as all the early images I have seen show dark colored smocks, presumably black or dark blue. Reports from French visitors to HBC suggest that French boys through the 1930s primarily wore dark-colored smocks, although we have seen some light colrs as well. This began changing in the 1940s, especially after World War II (1939-45). Other colors became increasingly common, especially in urban areas and for younger boys. Boys in the 1950s wore black, dark blue, or gray smocks although younger boys were a greater variety. The lighter colored smocks were mostly worn by girls and younger boys, although therecwas no definitive rule on this. Pink and pale blue smocks were primarily worn by girls.

Patterns

While most boys wore solid colored smocks, patterned smocks were also worn. While more common with girls, they werealso worn by boys. Perhaps the most common patterned smock were ginham, "vichy in French. Photographs show some boys wearing ginham smocks at school. These appaer, however, to have been much less common than the solid colored smocks. A variety of other patterns existed such as fiamond patterns. I beloeve that plaid smocks existed. I'm not sure if boys commonly wore these, although some of the newspapers adds for smocks picture boys in some of the plaid ones. Perhaps a school adopted such smocks as a kind of uniform. Some smocks were basically solid colors, but with colored or patterned detailng such as ginham. As more diverse colored smocks appeared in the 1950s, boys still appear to have most commonly worn the dark-colored, solid colored smocks.

Gender Connotations

There were also differences in the colors and patterns worn. This is difficult to develop. HBC has noted much more variation among colors and patterns than was the case for some of the stylistic variations. There has also been more variations over time. As HBC does not yet have extensive time-line information on Fench school smocks, we can not yet speak authoitatively on the gender connventions in colors and patterns. We believe, however that mothers adhered less strictly to these comventions that was the case for some of the stylistic convntions. Colors and paterns are indeed an important aspect of school smocks. HBC has, however, begun to collect some information on this topic and hopes to develop it in more detail as we acquire more information.

Assessment

The smocks styles here are interesting because they represented such a difference in what boys in different countries wore. School boys in several European countries wore them (such as France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain). Boys in other European countries (England, Germany, and the Netherlands) did not. American boys also did not. One HBC reader writes, "I grew up in forties and fifties so I have an idea what boys were wearing at the time. I don't think an American boy at the time would have been caught dead in one of those smocks." This has all changed and there are now much less difference among European countries as to what boys wears to school. Some schools still requite smocks, but it is now muich less common. For the most part Eiropean boys might now move from country to country and not notice suich sharp differences in schoolwear.