Figure 1.--Many French boys wore very plain styling without detailong. Note the boy has no detailing on his very plain smock. We are not positive about the color of this boy's smock in the 1950s, but it was probably light blue. |
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HBC has noted a variety of stylistic elements observed with French smocks. One of the most important is the color of smocks, but there are many different elements associated with French school smocks which come in many highy varied forms. Most smocks, except for gingham smocks were solid colors. A few had detailing of various forms. Usually the detailing was some kind of printed checked or gingam material across the front or around the collar to contrast with the solid colored smock. French boys do not appear to have commonly worn large white collars and bows like Itlalian boys. We have noted Belgian school boys with wide white Eton collars and floppy bows during the 1910s. We have not seen this style being commonly worn by French boys, but do not know for a fact that it was not. I have noted French school smocks in a wide variety of lengths. Some appear to be quite short, almost like a shirt others are quite long extending below the knees. There are many other lengths between these two extremes in images from French schools. Some smocks came with belts of the same material as the smock. In the early 20th century smocks were often worn with a leather belt. The belt had no real purpose than as a stylistic element. Wearing belts over smocks became less common in France after the 1920s.
Most smocks, except for gingham smocks were solid colors. A few had detailing of various forms. Usually the detailing was some kind of printed checked or gingam material across the front or around the collar to contrast with the solid colored smock. This was more common with the lighter colored than the darker colored smocks. Almost always these were the back buttoning tabliers that had detailing rather than the front buttoning lab coat style of smock. We have noted this detailing on smocks after Word War II, but are not sure when it forst appaered.
French boys do not appear to have commonly worn large white collars and bows like Itlalian boys. We have noted Belgian school boys with wide white Eton collars and floppy bows during the 1910s. We have not seen this style being commonly worn by French boys, but do not know for a fact that it was not. Most of these images we have seen of French boys wearing school smocks without wide white collars. We have noted a few images of French boys in the early 19th century wearing smocks with wide white collars and a few with floppy bows. Some of these images suggest that while smocks were required at some schools, the collar and bows were left up to the parents disgression. The most common style we have observed is smocks with out collars. In many cases boys wear the collar of their shirts outside their smocks.
French school smocks until the 1950s were mostly front buttoning smocks. Most smocks were very plain. Some smocks by the 1950s had detailong at the yoke. More common was smocking just below the yoke. Younger boys might have embroidery added to the smocking.
HBC is unsure about early FRencg school smocks. W o not know if they had pockets or what he arangemnts were. French school smocks by the 1950s normally had pockets. Two front pockets on each side was the most common style, but there were other arrangements. The sizes of the pockets varied.
We have noted French school smocks in a wide variety of lengths.We have noticed styles from the ankles up to some only a little below the waistline. Some seem like long dresses. Others appear to be quite short, almost like a shirt others are quite long extending below the knees. And the length of French school smocks has changed over time. There are many other lengths between these two extremes in images from French schools. I am not sure if these style lengths are stylistic, or simply mothers not yet buying a growing boy a new smock. Often images show boys wearing generally similar length smocks, so stylist factors may be involved. Originally the school smocks were quite long, often lengths below the knee. The smocks in the late 19th century were worn quite long. The length od the smocks seemned to have reflected the length of pants and skirts because the purpose was to protect the clothes. Boys in the late 19th century commonly weore kneepants. As the pants extended to the knee and sonewtimes below the knee, the smock had to be a relatively long garment. Smocks after World War I (1914-18) were generally wore with short pants. The length of shorts changed over time as did the length of the smocks. Worn with shorts, the smocks by the 1930s were were generally shorter than had been worn earlier with kneepants. A French reader writes, "Some explanations about the French school smock during the 1940s-60s. To be smart, the boys' smock might be cut to lengths well above the knee. The smock should cover thge short pants. The lenghth of a smock was often designed to be about half of the heighth of a boy. In reality, mothers often purchased a slightly lasrger size to allow for growth. Often sewed up th hem which could then be let out when the boy grew a little taller.
Some smocks came with belts of the same material as the smock. In the early 20th century smocks were often worn with a leather belt. The belt had no real purpose than as a stylistic element. Wearing belts over smocks became less common in France after the 1920s. HBC has also noticed boys wearing belts over their sweaters, but was most common with smocks. This style has also been noted in Germany, but rarely in America or Britain.
Some French school smocks had pleats. Most did not have pleats, but some did. We are not sure when smocks were first made with pleats. The first pleated smocks we have noted were in the 1930s, but there could have been introduced somewhat earlier. The limited information HBC has on early French school smocks providees no indication of pleating. We have noticed pleating on both boys' and girls' smocks in the 1930s. By the 1950s pleating was reportedly more common on boys' than girls' smocks. The pleating on boys' smocks tended to be very large pleats whilr girls' might have larger numbers of smaller pleats.
