As the question has recently been asked (again) and as I am soon to post a short review on what is thee best jacket for BC 
lmao I thought that it might be interesting to pose this question in advance as the terms appear to be being used in an inter-changeable fashion rightly or wrongly
When is a jacket a smock? (And vice-versa).
Has this been discussed within the BCUK community previously and what was the outcome?
Here are my thoughts:
Q? Does it matter? A. Probably not - but it might be useful when discussing garments without images to hand.
My understanding has long been that a jacket has a full length opening down the front with (zip, buttons, toggles whatever to close it).
A long (long) time ago I was issued with a combat jacket with a full length front opening and also later with a canvas smock which had no opening which you had to pull over your head.
I had never heard a combat jacket referred to as a combat smock with the exception of the Denison smocks originally a pull over the head garment but later issued with a full length zip and official labelling within referring to them as a smock. (Probably the MOD cost cutting and using old labels? cynic me!)
I suspect that if a civilian (none ex service person) had been asked the question back then what is a smock? they would probably have envisaged the type of over-garment with no front opening worn by country folk of old. (Some limited research suggests that the word smock comes from Old Norse/Old English meaning a pulled-over-the head garment).
In my experience it wasnt until many years later when commercial companies started to sell Gucci versions of combat jackets and wanted to big up their products (told you I was a cynic!) that combat jackets became openly referred to as combat smocks.
So is it the case that the terms smock and jacket are now (acceptably) interchangeable?
Taking it a stage further is there a difference between a jacket and a coat or are they the same thing?
Again a little research suggests that a jacket is of a length down to the waist (think bomber) or slightly further to the hips, whilst a coat extends at least to cover the thighs (makes sense if you coat something you cover it).
Now, if I asked my better half to pass me my FJ jacket, should I expect my No8 smock or the Skogsvo jacket?!
Or am I just being an anorak?
lmao I thought that it might be interesting to pose this question in advance as the terms appear to be being used in an inter-changeable fashion rightly or wrongly When is a jacket a smock? (And vice-versa).
Has this been discussed within the BCUK community previously and what was the outcome?
Here are my thoughts:
Q? Does it matter? A. Probably not - but it might be useful when discussing garments without images to hand.
My understanding has long been that a jacket has a full length opening down the front with (zip, buttons, toggles whatever to close it).
A long (long) time ago I was issued with a combat jacket with a full length front opening and also later with a canvas smock which had no opening which you had to pull over your head.
I had never heard a combat jacket referred to as a combat smock with the exception of the Denison smocks originally a pull over the head garment but later issued with a full length zip and official labelling within referring to them as a smock. (Probably the MOD cost cutting and using old labels? cynic me!
)I suspect that if a civilian (none ex service person) had been asked the question back then what is a smock? they would probably have envisaged the type of over-garment with no front opening worn by country folk of old. (Some limited research suggests that the word smock comes from Old Norse/Old English meaning a pulled-over-the head garment).
In my experience it wasnt until many years later when commercial companies started to sell Gucci versions of combat jackets and wanted to big up their products (told you I was a cynic!) that combat jackets became openly referred to as combat smocks.
So is it the case that the terms smock and jacket are now (acceptably) interchangeable?
Taking it a stage further is there a difference between a jacket and a coat or are they the same thing?
Again a little research suggests that a jacket is of a length down to the waist (think bomber) or slightly further to the hips, whilst a coat extends at least to cover the thighs (makes sense if you coat something you cover it).
Now, if I asked my better half to pass me my FJ jacket, should I expect my No8 smock or the Skogsvo jacket?!
Or am I just being an anorak?
