Figure 1.--Notice that all of the these New York City newboys in the ealy 1900s wear knickers and long stockings--except for one boy, the youngest boy in the group, who appears to be wearing a light-colored, back-buttoning smock.

HBC has primarily thought as smocks a gaement worn by affluent or rich boys that were often cared for in protected circumstances and who were not allowed to freely associate with other boys. We have, however, noted a few photographs of American boys from more modest circimstances wearing smocks. They appear to have been a destinct minority, but HBC does not yet have contemprary written sources addressing this topic. Various possibilities exist, perhaps these boys were recent European immigrants. While boys wearing smocks in America might be primarily from affluent families, this was not necessarily the case in several European countries where ewearing smocks was much more widespread than in America. Some shops may have had smovks for emplyees to wear this is even the case today in some supermarkets.

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Created: May 4, 2001
Last updated: May 4, 2001