What the Smock? A Brief History of Smocking | Dress History
Channel: Little Crocus
Date: 2020-07-31

Hello! Thank you so much for joining me! The topic of smocking in historical dress is one of my favorite things, so the opportunity to share is more than a little exciting. Whether you're doing a historical recreation or looking to incorporate some techniques for historybounding flair, this overview should give you some context and inspiration. 

Historical Example Bibliography

1. Dress, Mary of Habsburg (1520). Hungarian National Museum
https://www.virtue.to/guest_authors/hungarian.html

2. Smock frock (1796). 
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O316037/smock-frock-unknown/

3. Figured silk gown (1830). Whitaker Auctions, Spring 2012 Catalog
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/11347781_448-figured-silk-gown-c-1840-olive-gold-with-vertic

4. Afternoon dress (1845). The Metropolitan Museum of Art
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/159513

5. Mitchell Collection dress (1876-1882). Hull and East Riding Museum. 
http://museumcollections.hullcc.gov.uk/collections/storydetail.php?irn=913

6. Thornycroft dress (1885). Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 
Images © Marliese Thomas
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O13850/dress-unknown/

7. Saffron silk dress (1889-1890). Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 
Detail Images © Marliese Thomas
Full view © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O362544/dress-unknown/

8. Girls dress and jacket (1890). 
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1119775/girls-dress-and-latter-axton-j/

9. Smocked Liberty and Co. dress (1893-1894). 
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O108865/dress-liberty-co-ltd/

10. Wandelkostuum [Walking suit by Liberty and Co.] (1906-1907). Art Museum The Hague.
https://www.kunstmuseum.nl/nl/collectie/wandelkostuum 
https://ephemeral-elegance.tumblr.com/post/96178253524/walking-suit-ca-1906-07-liberty-co-via

11. Spears, R. W. (1926). Woman's World dressmaking manual. Chicago, Ill: Woman's World Magazine.
Also referenced: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006796725

12. Smocked voile dress (1910-1919). Listed at 1stDibs.com
https://www.1stdibs.com/fashion/clothing/day-dresses/smocked-edwardian-voile-satin-chemise-dress-1910s/id-v_5848352/

Also Mentioned:

- The American Duchess Podcast: Artistic Dress & Glasgow Style with Dr. Robyne Calvert (Part 1 of 2): https://youtu.be/quQQ8KUD3WI
- The American Duchess Podcast: Episode 31: Original Edwardian Clothing with Dr. Robyne Calvert: https://youtu.be/fduI9HGr9eU

Artistic Dress, the previous blog of Dr. Robyne Calvert, specifically this post about the Thornycroft Dress: https://artisticdress.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/the-thornycroft-dress/

Picken, M. Brooks., Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences. (1918). The secrets of distinctive dress: harmonious, becoming, and beautiful dress, its value and how to achieve it. Scranton, Pa.: [International Textbook Press. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011212120

Morgan Donner: https://www.youtube.com/user/Morgandonner

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