# Did they make you wear a smock in art class? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 21, 2024, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451 "2024-01-21T22:31:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/1 "2024-01-21T22:31:13Z")
I can understand teachers probably want to minimize complaints from parents. You probably don’t want to wear your finest clothes while fingerprinting or making crappy crafts. So I can see wearing, say, an unliked T-shirt. But I have vague memories that some of our classes had access to yellow smocks of uncertain hygiene. It’s not like we were decorating the Sistine Chapel ceiling or changing the colour of the Oldsmobile. So what was up with the smocks? Did you have those too? It has the advantage of being fun to say. Smock. Smock. Smock! But necessary? ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/2 "2024-01-21T22:34:10Z")
Before second grade, yes. Afterward, no. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/3 "2024-01-21T22:35:12Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > It has the advantage of being fun to say. Smock. Smock. Smock! - [![](https://dontknockmysmock.com/images/calvin_hobbes_dont_knock_smock_2.gif) ](https://dontknockmysmock.com/images/calvin_hobbes_dont_knock_smock_2.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/4 "2024-01-21T22:43:37Z")
Everyone wore one of their dad’s old shirts. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/5 "2024-01-21T22:44:56Z")
That’s what I remember from elementary school; we were asked to bring in one of our father’s old dress shirts. We may have worn them backwards? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/6 "2024-01-21T22:49:09Z")
I came home on my first day of kindergarten (or in the first week, anyway) with instructions that my parents needed to send a smock into school with me before we had our first art (fingerpainting) class. My mother made one for me (out of an old shirt, probably). It is a fun word - I enjoyed learning it (in contrast to my disappointment when I learned that the kindergarten did not have a _laboratory_ (as I was sure the teacher said) - it just had a _lavatory_) ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/7 "2024-01-21T22:54:38Z")
Hee hee. I guess wearing the smock did make our crappy crafts noteworthy. I’d forgotten about Hobbes wearing one. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/8 "2024-01-21T23:49:48Z")
I think they should make people wear smocks at the Golden Corral. For the sake of art, of course. Not because it would amuse me. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/9 "2024-01-22T01:05:33Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > Before second grade, yes. Afterward, no. Sounds about right. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > That’s what I remember from elementary school; we were asked to bring in one of our father’s old dress shirts. We may have worn them backwards? That too. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/10 "2024-01-22T01:07:58Z")
I had a smock in art school. It was my own. I bought it. I thought I was cool as shit. I wore it painting my murals too. Made passerbys ask me important (??) questions. I still thought I was cool. I’m sure I looked just like the goof I was.😌 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/11 "2024-01-22T01:13:21Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > That’s what I remember from elementary school; we were asked to bring in one of our father’s old dress shirts. We may have worn them backwards? This was exactly what our “smocks” were, in elementary school. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/12 "2024-01-22T01:20:06Z")
“Don’t knock my smock or I’ll clean your clock!” ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/13 "2024-01-22T01:53:34Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > Everyone wore one of their dad’s old shirts. Backwards! ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/14 "2024-01-22T04:06:59Z")
Backwards? So they said RACSAN? ---
**Author:** ![Tabco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tabco/32/7644_2.png) [@Tabco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabco)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/15 "2024-01-22T04:08:27Z")
Never had to wear one. I think 4th or 5th grade may have been the only year(s) I had a distinct art class. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/16 "2024-01-22T16:25:27Z")
We had to wear smocks in kindergarten (we brought our own). I remember some kids wearing their dads’ shirts, but I wore a kid’s full apron. It was blue with a big red apple on it. I can picture to this day. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-make-you-wear-a-smock-in-art-class/996451/17 "2024-01-22T16:59:22Z")
I don’t remember wearing a smock, but I do remember in 3rd grade complaining about learning Art when things like Science, Reading, and Math were much more important. Poor Mrs George!