Smock

A woman's fine linen smock of the period 1620-1640. Women's smocks were always made with triangular gores in either side and the high neck and long sleeves of this example, trimmed and inset with bobbin lace arranged in a distinctive diagonal pattern, were clearly meant to be seen when the wearer was fully dressed. The lace insertions are of the same design, but two different qualities, one finer than the other. and five different patterns of lace are included.

A garment with so much lace had to be handled and cleaned with great care. Normally lace trimmings at the neck and wrist were taken off before laundering. However, the lace insertions in this smock could not be removed, so the whole garment had to be washed very gently.

The smock was originally in the Royal Collection at Windsor. It was given by Queen Victoria to one of her Ladies-in-Waiting, who bequeathed it to the donor's aunt.