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Schools smocks were still commonly worn by French boys after World War I (1914-18) in the 1920s, 1930s, and early 1940s during German occupation (1940-44). Many photographic images during this period show boys in smocks. Many images show a mix of attire. At some schools almost all the boys wear smocks while at others even in the 1920s only about half wear smocks. At most schools it seems optional and up to the parents. Americans are familiar with images from World War II. Many of those images exists swowing French boys in smocks. While smocks do not appear to be as common as before World War I, they still appear to have been quite popular during this period. We also see a greater variety of smocks with side buttoning smocks becoming common in the 1920s.There appear to have been quite a variety of styles available to French mothers during the inter-war period. Many of the smocks available in the 1930s were back button styles. Side buttoning styles were also popular. One side buttioning style was called the Russian blouse--referring to the Russian blouse tunics popular for boys at the turn of the Century. Front buttoning styles were worn during this period, but were not yet very common. I have no information on how commonly smocks were worn. Most photographs sho the boys wearing solid colored smocks, but reports suggest that some boys wore patteres smocks. Patterened smocks were being worn by the girls even in the early 20th century. Clothing ads in the 1930s suggest it was more common for girls to wear smocks, buy I have no real information. Most boys wore short pants with school smocks. I'm not sure about the winter months, but it is likely that most if not all boys wearing smocks to school wore shorts and knee socks even during the winter. Note that all the available adds and photographs show the boys wearing short pants.
French reader reports that smocks became increasingly varied after World War I (1914-18). Many of the only trends continued in the 1920s. Significant variations began in the 1930s. Principaly in rural areas boys wore the traditional black or blue smocks. Also older boys over 10 years old were more likely to wear black and blue smocks. In Paris and oher cities, lighter colored smocks were common for boys up to about 10-11 years. Both boys and girls wore smocks made from the same material and colors, except that mothers geberally avoided pink smocks for boys. The cut of boys and girls smocks were different.
There appear to have been quite a variety of styles available to French mothers during the inter-war period. Many of the smocks available in the 1930s were back buttoning styles. Side buttoning styles were also popular, especially buttons set to one side of the smock. One side buttioning style was called the Russian blouse--referring to the Rusian blouse tunics popular for boys at the turn of the Century. Front buttoning styles appeared during this period, but were not yet very common. Some of the front buttoning smocks had buttons that only went part of the way down the front. Unlike Italian boys, French boys did not commonly wear their school smocks with wide white collars or bows. Some French boys wore hite shirts with collars extended ober their mocks. This was not, however, a widely common practice.
Boys generally wore black or dark blue smocks. Other colors were available and some boys did wear lighter colored smocks. Girls more commonly wore the lighter colors. Boys with older sisters might wear the lighter-colored smocks handed down. After 1925 a fashion trend began to make what one French reader calls "happy clothes for both boys and girl. This became even more prevalent in the mid-1930s. One aspect of this was greater use of colors and patterns in childrens clothes and this trend affected the once rather austere school smock. This trens was most common in Paris and other major cities.
This was not so prevalent in rural areas. Farm families, which were still quite numerous in the inter-war era, were less affluent and more conserative. Many of these hard workimg families had quite limited incomes. Theuy were less likely to try new or what some might have considered to be frivilous styles.
Very significant changes in French school smocks ocurred during the inter-war period. Many of those changes took place in the 1930s.
Boys continued wearing many of the pre-World War I styles. Black continued to be the dominate color. Many smocks were back buttoning with a waistband that tied with a bow in the back. Both boys and girls might wear the same style. HBC also notices some front and side buttoning smocks for boys (figure 1). In the 1920s and early 1930s the back buttoning smocks were styled the same for both boys and girls. They had a waist band which was tied in a bow in the back. Thus many smocks were made to be worn by both boys and girls. We note newspaper ads that clearly specify smocks for girls. Some of these styles look reasonably new, but we are unsure to what extent there were such destinctive styles for girls in the 1910s.
A major change developed in smock styling during the 1930s. Boys' smocks began to be styled with a button in the waist band at he back. The back tieing bow continued to be used, but only for girls' smocks or very little boys still in nursery school. This convention was firmly estanlished by the mid-1030s and continued as long as boys commonly wore chool smocks in the early 1960s. While his was the most common smock styles for boys. There were also side buttoning smocks. Front buttoning smocks were also worn, but were not as popular. The development of increasing diversity in smocks was an interesting development given that one of the reasons schools smocks were introduced was to give all students, rich and poor, the same appearance at school.
France was defeated and occupied by the Germans in June of 1940. At first there wer not major changes in living conditions, except for French Jews. After the German reverses in Russia beginning in December 1941, economic conditions steadily deteriorated. Clothes and even fabric to make clothes became very scarse. Basically fashion in general was on hold. We do not know of any changes in smock trends. We still see schools where smocks were commnly worn, such as an unidentified Catholic primary school in 1941.
We are just beginning to develop information on how common school smocks were in the inter-Wars era. We are in fact a little confused. We see some schools such as the on here where most of the boys re wearing smocks (figure 1). We note another school, Ecole Talange, with a portrait taken about the same time. None of the boys are wearing smocks. We do no have enpugh information on regional, demographic, and social class trends as well as tyoes of schools at this time to understand why there was such differences between schools. These are all topics which need to be assessed to understand the variations among schools.
Clothing ads in the 1930s suggest it was more common for girls to wear smocks, but we see many boys wearing smocks as well.
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Most boys wore short pants with school smocks. I'm not sure about the winter months, but it is likely that most if not all boys wearing smocks to school wore shorts and knee socks even during the winter. Note that all the available adds and photographs show the boys wearing short pants. It is veryrare to see a French boy wearing knickers or long pants with smocks during this period.
A French reader reports that after the mid-1930s and even more after 1945 the
smocks were made in gingham (Vichy) for boys untill about 10 years, rather than the plain dark-colored smocks that were previously so common.
I am not sure what a French boy during this period did after school. Did he imediately take his chool smock off when he ot home? Did he put a play smock on? Some reports suggest that some mothers insisted their sons play in smocks after school. I'm not sure just how common this was. There were many boys during this period who did not wear smocks to school so presumably these boys did not wear smocks for play after school.
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