Figure 3.--Several of thee boys at this German school in the early 20th century wear smocks and bows. Notice the boy in long hair standing next to a boy in a sailor suit who has had his hair shaved.

German boys did no commonly wear school smocks nor did German schools reqwuire smocks. The school smock, however, was not unknown in Germany. Some individual boys in the late 19th and early 20th century did wear smocks to school. Generally these were younger boys. Presumably there were areas of Germany where smocks were more common. Presumably smocks may have been worn to some extent in Alsace-Loraine, the area of France sized by Germany in the Franco-Prussian War during 1870. This was, however, before smocks were required as schoolwear by the French Government and German authorities may have discouraged any fashion that suggested French cultural influence. By the same token after Germany's defeat in World War I (1914-18), fashions such as smocks which were assiciated with France probably would not have been popular.

Created: December 21, 2000
Last updated: December 21, 2000