The blouse was a peasant's work smock before Paris fashion transformed it — in 19th-century French politics, "les blouses" meant the working poor.
A loose-fitting upper garment, typically for women, or a type of military jacket. Originally a workman's loose smock.
From French blouse (workman's smock), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Provençal (lano) blouso (short wool), or from Medieval Latin pelusia (garment from Pelusium, an Egyptian city), though neither derivation is secure Key roots: blouse (French: "workman's smock (origin uncertain)").
The blouse began as a peasant's and worker's garment — a loose blue smock worn over other clothing to protect it. The garment's association with blue has led some to connect it to the same root as 'blue' itself, though this is disputed. In 19th-century French politics, the blouse became a symbol of the working class: 'les blouses' meant the laboring poor, much as 'blue-collar' does in American English