Figure 1.--This English cabinet card ha no studio infoemation. Rge chikdren are unidentifued, but look to be about 1-3 years old. The younger child wears a dress. The older boy wars what looks to us to be a smock, but it could be adress, it is a liitle difficult to tell. They are pictured with a pony trap. The portrait is undated, but the light-tan color of the mount suggests the 1900s decade to us.

I am not sure when English mothers began dressing English boys in smocks. A variety of images show, however, that smocks and pinafores were worn by boys during much of the 19th Century, but declined in popularity during the late 19th Century. The fact that smocks were generally associated with agricutural labor and workmen in the early and mid-19th century probably discouraged many middle-class mothers from using smocks for their children. This began to change after the French Government mandated smocks for school children in the early 1870s. The fact that the British Government never adopted smocks as schoolwear probably was a factor explaining why smocks were never commonly worn by school-age boys in Britain.

The 18th Century

We do not yet have any information on Englisgh smocks during the 18th century, but believe that this widely worn 19th century garment originated in the 18th century.

The 19th Century

Smocks were extensively worn by agricutural labor and workmen in the early 19th century. They probably originated in the 18th century, but HBC does not yet have any information on this. Smocks became strongly associated with the working class. Clothes were very expensive in real terms during the early 19th centurt and it was especially important for people of modest means to protect their clothing. In addition, a smock was a simplier garment to sew (and this less expensive) than shirts and trousers. The drugery inc\volved in laundey in the 19tyh century also made the smock a practical garment. This probably discouraged many middle-class mothers from using smocks for their children. The fact that younger boys' commonly wore dresses would seem to suggest that the smock would also be a suitable garment for a child. Smock continued to be worn by agricultural laborers and city workers in the mid-19th century. Some paintings suggest that smocks were commonly worn by some English children during the mid-19th Century. The fact that younger boys' commonly wore dresses would seem to suggest that the smock would also be a suitable garment for a child. Dresses becamge shorter by the 1840s, but were commonly worn with pantalettes. We have not yet noted any paintings or photographs of children wearing smocks with pantalettes, but presimably few children would have worn an informal smock for a portarit. Artist like Helen Allingham provide some charming images of English girls and boys wearing smocks. Smocks continued to be popular for girls in the late-19th Century, but by the late 19th Century, especially by the 1890s were becoming less common for boys. This was in part because of the increasing level of school attendance, both in private and state schools. English schools, unlike French schools did not require children to wear smocks. English private schools had school uniforms and once boys began wearing their school uniforms they no longer wanted to wear smocks at home. Some English boys at the turn of the century did wear smocks. The boys involved were primarily from affluent families.

The 20th Century

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.

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Created: May 3, 20042
Last updated: 11:42 PM 1/9/2020