1960s Smock Top Fashion

This top has a smocked waistline that is very flattering.

Smock tops were a fashionable clothing item that was ubiquitous in the 1960s. The A-line shape and cheerful detailed patterns appealed to young women who liked to wear clothes that were unrestrictive and youthful. What many people don't know, though, is that the history of smock tops goes back centuries, when the roomy shirt was a part of the working wardrobes of everyone from farmers to painters. Therefore, before exploring the more well-known, 60s-era interpretation of the smock top, it is crucial to look at its past.

The History

The smock dates back to around the Middle Ages in England, where it was mostly worn by men who sported them as a protective layer while working outdoors, keeping their day clothes clean. Smocks had small, intricately gathered patterns around the collar and sleeves which allowed the garment to easily move at a time before elastic was invented. Smocks eventually fell out of favor during the Industrial Revolution when their billowing fabric became hazardous while the worker used machinery.

As a Decorative Art

Those gathered details on smock tops became known as smocking. Originally a functional detail, smocking turned into a purely decorative art in women's and children's wear after the actual tops were no longer being worn. Smocking happens when a threaded needle is guided through a shirt in such a way that it creates gathers and folds in a uniform pattern. There are many different smocking techniques -- including the wave stitch, the cable stitch and the honeycomb stitch -- each of which generates a different design. Any color thread or embroidery floss can be used to make the pattern.

In the 1960s

Smock tops became a huge part of fashion in the 1960s when there was a growing desire for more hand-crafted techniques to create one-of-a-kind looks. There were two different basic styles. One was the more fashionable, bohemian-flavored, floaty A-line blouse with intricate smocking on the bodice. The other was the simpler, button front top with wide sleeves that was often worn with its original purpose in mind: to protect clothing while the wearer was painting (though they were also worn simply for the look). Some smock tops were even long enough to be worn as dresses.

Smock Top Outfit Ideas

Women of the 1960s wore their smock tops in a variety of ways. One way was to take one that had a hip-reaching hem and team it with some bell bottom jeans. On the feet were either canvas sneakers or sandals. Longer length smocks were simply worn as dresses, often with colorful tights and low-heeled shoes. Smock tops and dresses usually had an A-line silhouette, fitted at the shoulders and more voluminous towards the hem.

References

• Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing; The Editors of Readers Digest
• Shrimp and Grits Kids: Smocked Childrens Clothing: A Brief History and Description
• Costume & Fashion; James Laver
• Historical Boys Clothing: Smocks and Smock Frock Origins
• Vintage Fashion: Collecting and Wearing Designer Classics, 1900-1990; Emma Baxter Wright