Wikipedia
A smock-frock or smock is an outer garment traditionally worn by rural workers, especially shepherds and waggoners, in parts of England and Wales from the early 18th century. 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.
Usage examples of "smock-frock".
And those who now quit their hods, shovels, and barrows In crowds to the bar of some ale-house to flock, When bred to OUR bar shall be Gibbses and Garrows, Assume the silk gown, and discard the smock-frock.
And those who now quit their hods, shovels, and barrows In crowds to the bar of some ale-house to flock, When bred to OUR bar shall be Gibbses and Garrows, Assume the silk gown, and discard the smock-frock.
On one side of it was the terrible piece of ground in dispute, where Mr. Boythorn maintained a sentry in a smock-frock day and night, whose duty was supposed to be, in cases of aggression, immediately to ring a large bell hung up there for the purpose, to unchain a great bull-dog established in a kennel as his ally, and generally to deal destruction on the enemy.