Biography of french artist smocks

Traditional rural man's outer garment

A smock-frock or smock is an outer garment traditionally worn by rural workers, especially shepherds and waggoners.

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 heavy linen or wool and varies from thigh-length to mid-calf length.

Characteristic features of the smock-frock are fullness across the back, breast, and sleeves folded into "tubes" (narrow unpressed pleats) held in place and decorated by smocking, a type of surface embroidery in a honeycomb pattern across the pleats that controls the fullness while allowing a degree of stretch.

Types of smock-frocks

• The round smock is a pullover style with an open neckline and a flat, round collar. This smock is reversible front-to-back.^[1] A feature of Sussex smocks or round frocks is the lack of elaborate decoration; instead there is fine embroidery on