 By the mid @-@ nineteenth century , wearing of traditional smock @-@ frocks by country laborers was dying out , and a romantic nostalgia for England 's rural past led to a fashion for women 's and children 's clothing loosely styled after smock @-@ frocks . These garments are generally of very fine linen or cotton and feature delicate smocking embroidery done in cotton floss in contrasting colors ; smocked garments with pastel @-@ colored embroidery remain popular for babies . 
