Figure 1.-- Christopher Milne is seen in this photograph wearing the smocks and sandals his mother favored during the summer. He wore smocks until he went off to boarding school at about 8 years of age.

We have not found a lot of images of English boys wearing smocks in the 20th century. We have found some, but not very many. This leads us to believe that they were not very common. Our English archive is large enough to believe that if they were common that they would show up mopre premanently in the photographic record. Younger English boys still wore smocks in the early-20th Century. We believe they were common nursery wear, although the photographic record does not seem to support this contention. I believe this is in part due to the fact that the children were often dressed up in their best clothes to have their photographs taken. In H.G. Wells's novel about education, Joan and Peter, he describes the children going to one of the 'barefoot schools' supported by the artistically-inclined, 'progressive' middle class. It turns out from the text, however, that the children were not actually barefoot. They wore the liberated dress of the period: smocks and sandals as illustrated in the Shephard drawings of Christopher Robin a decade later. Smocks continued to decline in popularity in England during the early 20th Century, especially for boys. A few schools required them for younger children, but this was not common. Some parents, mostly affluent parents might dress their sons in smocks for summer wear, which were considered practical casual wear. Dressing boys in smocks at home and for playing outside was known in England as late as the 1920s and 30s. Boys until they reached 8 and were ready for their preparatory school might be dressed in smocks, especially during the summer for play. The best known English boy to wear smocks is of course Chistopher Milne. He served as his father's prototype for Christopher Robbin of Winnie the Poo fame, was dressed in gingham smocks until he had passed his 8th birthday. English boys are currently rarely seen in smocks. A few pre-schools use smocks, but this is not common and only few private pre-prep schools. Smocks are sometimes used for art or other activities in schools. Commonly the schools, however, will have the children use one of their fathers' old shirts. This appears to be a popular alternative to an actual smock, especially with the boys.

Early-20th Century (1900-20)

Younger English boys still wore smocks in the early-20th Century. We believe they were common nursery wear, although the photographic record does not seem to support this contention. I believe this is in part due to the fact that the children were often dressed up in their best clothes to have their photographs taken. In H.G. Wells's novel about education, Joan and Peter, he describes the children going to one of the 'barefoot schools' supported by the artistically-inclined, 'progressive' middle class. It turns out from the text, however, that the children were not actually barefoot. They wore the liberated dress of the period: smocks and sandals as illustrated in the Shephard drawings of Christopher Robin a decade later.

Mid-20th Century (1920-50)

Smocks continued to decline in popularity in England during the early 20th Century, especially for boys. A few schools required them for younger children, but this was not common. Some parents, mostly affluent parents might dress their sons in smocks for summer wear, which were considered practical casual wear. Dressing boys in smocks at home and for playing outside was known in England as late as the 1920s and 30s. Boys until they reached 8 and were ready for their preparatory school might be dressed in smocks, especially during the summer for play. The best known English boy to wear smocks is of course Chistopher Milne. He served as his father's prototype for Christopher Robbin of Winnie the Poo fame, was dressed in gingham smocks until he had passed his 8th birthday. This was, however, not common--but certainly not unheard of. The attitudes of the boys toward smocks can be seen when he went off to his boarding school. Unlike French boys who commonly wore them, English schoolboys clearly did not think that they were suitable boys wear. The other boys teased him for being Christopher Robin and wearing smocks as they had all read the Winnie the Poo books and seen the drawings. Some progressive schools in Britain appear to have used smocks and sandals as a school uniform.

Figure 2.--Some schools in England still use smocks for the younger children. I thought this image was English. An HBC contributor tells me that it may be French.

Late-20th Century (1950-2000)

English boys are currently rarely seen in smocks. A few pre-schools use smocks, but this is not common and only few private pre-prep schools. Smocks are sometimes used for art or other activities in schools. Commonly the schools, however, will have the children use one of their fathers' old shirts. This appears to be a popular alternative to an actual smock, especially with the boys.

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Created: 1:32 AM 1/10/20209
Last updated: 1:32 AM 1/10/2020