Asmock-frock orsmock is an outergarment traditionally worn by rural workers, especiallyshepherds andwaggoners. Today, the word smock refers to a loose overgarment worn to protect one's clothing, for instance by a painter.
The traditional smock-frock is made of heavylinen orwool and varies from thigh-length to mid-calf length. Characteristic features of the smock-frock are fullness across the back, breast, andsleeves folded into "tubes" (narrow unpressedpleats) held in place and decorated bysmocking, a type of surfaceembroidery in a honeycomb pattern across the pleats that controls the fullness while allowing a degree of stretch.
It is uncertain whether smock-frocks are "frocks made like smocks" or "smocks made like frocks"—that is, whether the garment evolved from thesmock, the shirt or underdress of the medieval period, or from thefrock, an overgarment of equally ancient origin. What is certain is that the fully developed smock-frock resembles a melding of the two older garments.
From the earlier 18th century, the smock-frock was worn by waggoners and carters; by the end of that century, it had become the common outer garment of agricultural labourers of all sorts throughout the Midlands and Southern England. The spread of the smock-frock matches a general decrease in agricultural wages and living standards in these areas in the second half of the 18th century. The smocks were cheaper than other forms of outer garments, and were both durable and washable.[9]
Embroidery styles for smock-frocks varied by region, and a number of motifs became traditional for various occupations: wheel-shapes for carters and wagoners, sheep and crooks for shepherds, and so on. Most of this embroidery was done in heavy linen thread, often in the same color as the smock.
By the mid-19th century, wearing of traditional smock-frocks by country laborers was dying out,[10] althoughGertrude Jekyll noticed them inSussex during her youth, and smocks were still worn by some people in rural Buckinghamshire into the 1920s. As the authentic tradition was fading away, a romantic nostalgia for England's rural past, as epitomized by the illustrations ofKate Greenaway, led to a fashion for women's and children'sdresses andblouses loosely styled after smock-frocks. These garments are generally of very fine linen or cotton and feature delicate smocking embroidery done in cottonfloss in contrasting colors; smocked garments with pastel-colored embroidery remain popular for babies.[11]
DuringWorld War II, militaryparachutists wore wind proof jump smocks primarily to cover equipment that may have caused the parachutist to be stuck in a narrow doorway. German parachutists wore theKnochensack, British parachutists wore theDenison smock whilstUS Marineparamarines wore a jump smock as well. Today the namesmock is still used for military combat jackets.
Examples includeDPM Parachute Smock, that replaced the Denison Smock, the Canadian Para Smock andSmock Windproof DPM.
TheWalloonbleu sårot is a dark blue smock worn by men in parts ofBelgium as part ofnational dress.[12]
TheLèine bhàn was a type of smock worn to church by Scottish men who had broken thelaw.
