Woman's Day 5107 - Down-to-Earth Smock

February 1956.

On its own, the "Down-to-Earth" smock appears to be a nice utilitarian design enlivened with some easy machine embroidery.  But in this case we have additional documentary evidence to provide some context.

Tucked into the envelope was the page from Woman's Day magazine featuring this pattern.

Suddenly, we have a sense of materials, color use, wardrobe decisions, and an insight into the designer's vision.

"Black-raspberry" denim is much more interesting that the mid-gray of the black and white pattern envelope, and it's interesting to see the smock worn with "licorice" denim Wranglers (note the white top-stitching) and what are assuredly, the late (and much lamented, at least by me) Bass Weejuns.

Margaret Parker Gary writes that the smock is an "exact copy" of a Haitian field hand's vareuse.  Well, maybe.  I've been unable to find compelling visual evidence of an embroidered Haitian vareuse, although I've come across several text references to the vareuse in a general sense.  In his book Haiti, Her History and Her Detractors, published in 1907, Jacques Nicolas Leger describes the Haitian peasant: "On week days his costume consists of a "vareuse" and trousers made of blue denim..." and a footnote describes the vareuse as "a kind of loose jacket with two pockets in front. "  The web site for Haitian Enfance Education reports that for a recent celebration of Agriculture and Labor, parents were asked to dress their sons in the traditional vareuse.  The accompanying photographs don't provide enough detail to distinguish the vareuse.

The term vareuse is used today in France for the "traditional" Breton fisherman's smock.  (See the armorlux web site for an example.) (1)  Less frequently the term is used to describe a military garment somewhat similar to a sailor's middy blouse.

It is the French version of the fisherman's vareuse that Dior adapted for his 1957 "Free Line" collection, according to Daniel Delis Hill, in his book As Seen in Vogue, A Century of American Fashion in Advertising.  If this date is correct we have an interesting example of near simultaneous design, with both Gary (in the New World) and Dior (in the Old World) apparently picking up on the vibe of the larger aesthetic of the folk revival of the era.

Margaret Parker Gary started designing for Woman's Day around 1947-48.  In a 1952 newspaper interview about her work with Woman's Day, Gary states that "You don't have to be rich to be well-dressed."  Gary worked for Lord and Taylor for a number of years before making a big shift in demographics and joining Woman's Day.

While the Down-to-Earth smock is a relatively simple garment, it will take some time to make.   In addition to the machine embroidery and lots of top-stitching, tiny tucks fit both the front and the back into yokes, and the sleeves have rather tricky applied facings.

The photographer, Howell Conant, was a well-known fashion photographer of the day, shooting such icons as Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly.

This unprinted patterns does not appear to have been used.

(1) An English cousin of this garment is the Norfolk slop.

McCall 1886 Ladies' and Misses' Smock

After 1931, as this is the last patent date on the envelope.

Here's another beautiful embroidered smock from the 1930s.  See McCall 4531 for a somewhat earlier and simpler smock, and  McCall 603 for a late '30s offering.  A price of forty-five cents makes this a somewhat expensive pattern.  At this period inexpensive DuBarry and Simplicity patterns were available for 15 cents, while an undecorated smock from Vogue was available for 25 cents.

This version, with its dropped shoulder line, standing collar (View A), and "primitive" geometric embroidery motifs seems to borrow from folk or regional dress.  The shaped pockets unusual.

Recommended materials include linen, cotton, silk, and wool jersey.  The recommendation for silk or wool jersey is interesting, as these fabrics would require some care in laundering, moving us away from a strictly utilitarian garment even without the extensive embroidery.

The embroidery is to be executed with tapestry wool or perle cotton.  The colors recommended for View A are gold, black, and white;  for View B, which is made up in "natural linen," coral, purple, and bright green are used; for View C pale green, orange, and dark blue.  Note that the seams and hems are all embroidered - a lot of work!

This pattern has been cut with the exception of the tie belt.  The transfers are unused.  We saw this preservation of the transfers in McCall 603, so while the beautiful embroidery may have been a selling point, and the buyer paid a premium price for the pattern to get the transfers, not all makers had that much commitment to their projects.

McCall 603 - Ladies' and Misses' Smocks

1938 or a year or two later.

Another fine example supporting my belief that the 1930's produced some of the best design ever.

The white smock is embroidered, while the two calla lily smocks are appliqued with embroidered details.  The addition of the pleats creates a trim line on a garment that is fundamentally the same as most other smock patterns.

This is not a work-a-day smock.  Unlike many of the other smocks we've seen, the layout for this one doesn't indicate a need to do any piecing.  (Even Simplicity 2291, a very sophisticated design of roughly the same period, shows you how to piece the sides.)  The amount of embroidery and applique shown would take quite a bit of time to complete.  Yet the illustrator wants us to remember that this is still a utilitarian garment; Madame Brown Smock is armed with her bowl and spoon (I always wear heels when cooking, don't you?)

As illustrated, this smock may represent economy of materials, but certainly not of time spent in the construction and embellishment.  Note that an undecorated version of the smock isn't shown.  In this case, however, the pattern has been used but the transfers and applique pieces have not.  If the maker was persuaded to buy this pattern because of the decoration, when it came down to it, she didn't have the time or interest for it.

I can never look at calla lilies without remembering Katherine Hepburn in Stage Door, which released in 1937.

McCall 8104 - Artist's Smock

1934 or a little later. 

Outside of a few novelty apron patterns which start to show up in the '30s and '40s, this is the earliest "unisex" pattern I've ever seen. (The term "unisex" seems to have been coined, or at least popularized, in the 1960's.)

With this pattern we've come a long, long way from our slightly frou-frou artist of the early 1900's.  I'd be much more inclined to call this a lab or shop coat.  The 1928 book Tailored Garments states that

The making of garments for men...also offers excellent possibilities for the woman who wishes to specialize.  For example, a good business may be build up by making...coats for barbers, surgeons, etc...

The instructions are extremely brief, even for this era.

The pattern has been very carefully cut out and used.

Simplicity 2291 - Misses' and Women's Smock

1930s.

This smock gathered into a shaped yoke is beautifully stylish.  Yet, even so, it was considered acceptable to piece the sides (piece B) and the sleeves (piece A.)

Here's some detail of the instructions for sewing the smock to the yoke.  Careful basting would be needed here.

This garment just seems to cry out to be made in beautiful Liberty lawn.

McCall 8232 - Women's and Misses' Back-Wrap-Around Smock

1950

Sometimes you have to wonder if the illustrator was happy in her work.  Illustrating a severely plain garment in two different solids is sort of uninspiring, and that large windowpane check is probably not a good choice for a pregnant lady.

This garment has quite a long history.  We've seen it before, called different things: see Banner 131 Overall, and Pictorial Review 3783 Work Apron.  The garments called smocks that we see in the 1920's and 1930's tend to be front-buttoning.

No fabric recommendations are given, and yardages are offered for only 35" and 39" wide fabric.

This pattern does not appear to have been used.

Vogue 8053 - Hooded Coat or Smock

Late 1930s.

There is something very appealing about the illustration.  Our model is having a nice walk in the country on a sunny, blustery day.  Her rather more refined older sister is back at the house, arranging flowers for the dining table.

The pattern retailed for forty cents, good value for a garment that can be made up as a smock, jacket, and beach cover-up.  Although Vogue is marketing this pattern as "Easy to Make," they still offer you the option of putting in a lining.  And if you're not entirely confident of your sewing skills, you can get their sewing book right at the pattern counter.

I picked up my copy for $5.00

Blue chalk smudges are still visible on most of the pattern pieces, though not on the piece for the sleeve band.

If you've not seen vintage sewing patterns before you may be surprised to find that they're unprinted.  Vogue is somewhat unusual in perforating the name of the pattern piece - usually only the pattern piece letter or number is given.  All perforations have specific meanings, though the meanings aren't necessarily the same from one pattern company to another.  Unprinted patterns were produced as late as the early 1950s, even though McCall and Pictorial Review had both offered some printed patterns in the 1920s.

Vogue 5770 - Women's Smock

1931

Vogue patterns from this era don't show up very often.  Vogue has always marketed itself as a fashion leader, yet the design of the envelope, while perfectly adequate and informative, doesn't have the lovely style that McCall had adopted a few years earlier with their smock.

It's also surprising to see Vogue producing a pattern for a utilitarian garment.   But what a wonderful design they've produced!  The bound edges provide a very neat finish, as do the bound button holes

The tone of the instructions is that of a careful teacher with very high standards.

Butterick 1057 - Women's and Young Girl's Smock

Late 1920's. Compare this to McCall 4531 and Simplicity 160 of roughly the same period, and Ladies Home Journal 1719, which is about ten years earlier.

There is a fair amount of interest in vintage workwear just now, with almost all of the discussion focussed on wonderful old jeans, overalls, jackets, and shirts -- most of which were originally made for and worn by men.

As I was working on making up this pattern, I came to realize that I was re-creating what is probably prototypical women's workwear from a time when women who had jobs outside the home would have worked primarily in retail, secretarial, or service occupations. This smock (here comes a very bad pun) has you covered.

If you're old enough to have ever re-inked a stamp pad or changed a typewriter ribbon, you'll immediately understand the practicality of this smock in the workplace.

The instructions very carefully instruct you to make felled seams, which are rarely specified in more fashionable women's clothing patterns of the period.


As an aside, making felled seams with 3/8" inch seam allowances isn't easy. I didn't even attempt to fell the gathered fronts and back into the yoke - I just bound these with lovely bright purple bias binding, which I also used to bind the collar, because it amused me.

Another interesting feature is the pocket slits in the sides - just like a man's shop or lab coat.

Even though women's styles in the late 20's called for a slender look, the amount of ease in the smock is enormous. For a stated bust measurement of 44 inches, the actual measurement under the arms is just over 64 inches. This means that you'd be able to wear this smock over a suit jacket. Skirts were very short at this time, and with a length of just 42" from the center back, the smock reflects that. The circumference of the sleeve around the bicep is about 20". The length of the sleeve from armscye to edge of cuff is 25"

In a section on house dresses and aprons, the Fall/Winter 1928/1929 Montgomery Ward catalog carried several different models of smock. This cheerful model on page 68 has hand-embroidered pockets and collar.

The catalog copy states that smocks are now becoming widely known as house coats, which gives us an interesting insight into how clothing terminology changes over time.

Another smock on page 71 of the same catalog was offered in black sateen. (1) I'd seen other smocks and house dresses offered in black sateen so I thought that's what I'd use for mine. Unfortunately, at the moment I was ready to start work, the only sateen I could find was stretchy, so instead I pulled this cotton print out of my stash.

My job requires me to roam around with my laptop, mouse, whiteboard markers, and pens. Depending on the time of year I'm also carrying tissues and cough drops, so it's not possible for me to have too many pockets. I wear this smock over jeans and a knit shirt or turtleneck and find it very successful (if it bit voluminous - it's really several sizes too big for me.)

(1) A generation earlier, the Sears catalog listed bicycling shirts in black sateen, so this seems to have been considered a utilitarian fabric.

Ladies Home Journal 1719 - Ladies' and Misses' Smock

About 1918.

The envelope description states:

LADIES' AND MISSES' SMOCK, in Two Lengths; Back Shoulder Edges Extending Over Front; One-Piece Full Length Sleeves Perforated for Shorter Length.

This is a nice smock. The shawl collar and belt add a stylish touch, and you can stash your knitting in the big patch pocket.

The quality of the pattern envelopes for Ladies Home Journal patterns at this period is uniformly dreadful though the pattern tissue is fine.

There was an extensive campaign to knit for the soldiers during World War I, so the illustration would have resonated with women.

McCall 4531 - Ladies' and Misses' Smock

About 1927-1928.  I bought this one because of the beautiful illustration.  I made this up recently in a print fabric, so I didn't use the transfer for the embroidery on the collar and pocket bands.  If I'd been thinking about it, I might have done the collar, cuffs, and pocket bands in a solid color.  Well, perhaps next time.

I can't speak highly enough of the drafting of McCall patterns of this period.  The smock practically put itself together.  The biggest puzzle was the button placement.  The pattern piece didn't indicate where buttons or button holes should be placed.  I looked at a somewhat later smock pattern and from that one discovered that only the buttons closer to the edge are functional; the others are decorative.  I used the illustration as a guide for the buttons.

The sharp eyed among you will notice that the pockets aren't level with one another.  This is why it's probably best for me not to sew too late into the night.  I had cut the pockets without regard for pattern matching and then discovered (after I'd sewn on the bands) that I had a little problem.  I have no idea why I didn't just cut another pocket.  Instead, I matched the pattern for each pocket and let symmetry fly out the window.  It is, after all, a gardening smock and in a year or so should be grubby enough that nobody will notice.

The one thing that struck me as strange was that after the sleeve was pleated, it was then gathered into the cuff.  I don't think I've ever had to do this before:

The fabric is by Windham Fabrics, from their Vintage Euro Garden line.

Simplicity 160 - Smock

Latter part of the 1920s.

Smock patterns show up regularly in the 1920's,  30's, and the first part of the '40s and seem to replace the somewhat earlier long, sleeved work aprons.

Note that Simplicity is branding this as an "All in One" pattern.  Here's how the envelope copy describes this:

The Simplicity All-in-One Pattern is laid out for you.  Just spread pattern on material and cut pattern and material together through perforated lines.  Each piece will be perfectly cut out with seams allowed.  Pattern may be used again like an ordinary pattern.

Well, it's an interesting concept.  Here's what one of the pattern sheets looks like.

This tissue sheet is 32 inches long and 18 inches wide. The large triple perforations near the left-hand edge indicate the fold line, a fairly common convention at this time.  That means that this pattern has been designed to be used with 36 inch wide fabric folded lengthwise.   I find all those dotted cutting lines confusing, and I would probably connect the dots with a pencil before I cut into my goods, otherwise I'm sure I'd get two lines confused and start out cutting the pocket and wander off and cut into the cuff by accident.

Now look at this pattern sheet carefully.  Notice that piece G, the collar, is represented twice.  This allows one to cut both the collar and the collar facing at the same time.

I wonder how much additional tissue was required in order to include the layout in the pattern.  I haven't yet determined precisely when Simplicity stopped using this method - I don't think it lasted far into the '30s.

The construction instructions amount to a brief text description on the back of the envelope.  It's interesting to note that no layout is printed on the pattern envelope.  This means that if you decide to re-use the pattern, you're on your own.  The seam allowances on this pattern are 1/2",  a little more generous than the 3/8" still common at this time.  (My treadle sewing machine, which was manufactured in 1945, doesn't have a marked throat plate, but it does have enough "landmarks" to allow me to sew at 3/8", 1/2", and 5/8" without the need for a seam guide.)

Here's a flier for Simplicity patterns that was tucked into another Simplicity pattern I own.  Simplicity's mission is very clear; produce patterns for women to make basic articles of clothing for their families.  Although the patterns conform to current styles, at this point, being fashionably turned out doesn't enter into the picture.  Historically, Simplicity's timing is interesting, because this is a year or two before the stock market crash of 1929.  Note that smock 160 is one of the featured patterns, with the girl's version in pattern 509, where the illustration of the smock makes it explicitly an artist's smock.

I'm intrigued by the patterns for men's shirts, particularly pattern 596, a standard dress shirt.  I find shirt making to be a very exacting branch of sewing, and I can't imagine that even a Simplicity pattern could make it "exceptionally easy."  Again, we need to contemplate the perceived value to the household economy of making shirts for the menfolk, even though these shirts probably didn't look as sharp as store-bought shirts.

Note that shirt pattern 595 is a cousin to Pictorial Review 6224.

I'd love to get my hands on pattern 565 for the men's coveralls (and isn't it wonderful that this gentleman is wearing a tie!)  The little girl's playsuit, pattern 505 is also intriguing.