We’ve been making our Harvest Smocks for over 10 years. It started as a top version that then lengthened and morphed into variations on the style…. changes to the materials used, the sleeve, it became a jacket, a coat, an oversized sweater…. but still always retaining the ethos behind the design.

Our Harvest Smock is a one size garment, oversized and loose, but coming in three lengths, top, knee and calf lengths. Over the last 10 plus years we have seen it worn by people of all different sizes, ages, heights, styles and how it can be a universal and inclusive piece of clothing.

If you look at the photos you will see how oversized it is but on the mannequin (trade size 10) you’ll notice how it doesn’t look like it is swamping the figure. The first time a customer tries one on they will extend their arms and exclaim how big it is but we point out how it will develop a line from the shoulder down and the under-sleeve will scrunch and change form. This is why we say that this a universal garment, it is not static, it will mould to and move around the body,

It is a great all year round garment and can be layered in winter with long sleeve t-shirts, jeans and boots, or worn by itself in summer. The air caught between the body and the garment works as an insulator in both hot and cold weather.

The cut of the smock is raglan sleeved with an angled cuff and the skirt gather is low enough to be flattering on both smaller and bigger busts. It does not cut across the breast to create that awful ‘blow out’ that one gets with a chest seam and gather .

We make all out smocks in small batches with the fabrics changing regularly. We particularly love making the smocks in linen (plain and woven patterns), cottons and lightweight denims and linsey/woolsey for the cooler months. It is interesting how different fabric types and weights will suit different people and we always say there is a different length and a fabric combination for everyone.

This red/white linen gingham has some weight, but is not heavy (does that make sense?!) and hangs beautifully. It is a small 1cm gingham check so for those who prefer a more subtle gingham this is perfect.

Keeping life simple is important to us and who needs to waste time ironing when there are so many more interesting things to do! With all our garments we suggest cold water machine wash, shake out the garment and line dry on a hanger. Un-ironed linen will always crush less and last longer than ironed linen. You can also give the smock a brief spin in the dryer right at the end of its drying time to soften and ‘steam’ it, it will add a bit of a billow to it, but really our smocks are always ready to go straight off the hanger.

Of course do not bleach!

Should your much loved smock finally start to wear through after many years of constant wear then we encourage a bit of darning and ‘boro’ patching to keep it going.

When you put your smock on for the first time you might notice the shoulder and neckline gaping at the front. Lift the shoulder and let the front neck settle against your chest. it may hang a little longer at the back, this is part of the style, just adjust it until the garment has smoothed out over the shoulders and around the neck- remember clothes are not self adjusting!

We wash all our garments after making and before they go into store. You’ll be able to wear your harvest smock straight away and know this is how it will look and feel from the get-go. Remember all natural fibre fabrics will change with wear and use, colours will eventually fade , fabrics will soften or the handle will alter, but this is all the beauty of textiles.

Because we wash after the garment has been made there may be slight differences in the length of the Harvest Smocks, but generally the length from mid-shoulder are as follows:

Top: 60cm

Knee length: 100cm

Calf length: 120cm

The top and knee length styles are great to layer, whether over jeans, dresses or skirts. They work great with our ‘Tumble’ skirts and culottes. If you are wearing the knee length with leggings, jeans or trousers we suggest playing with showing a bit of ankle, it will effect the balance of the smock as a dress. It always surprises customers how it can make a huge difference! The calf length smock is great fun to wear in a more ‘Japanese’ style with clumpier sandals or runners , or with Bensimmon type sand shoes.Really we just encourage people to find their own style in our Harvest Smocks, to embrace a more comfortable way of dressing. For those who think tight equals sexy you haven’t seen how the body can move and reveal under loose layers of fabric!

Oh and I completely forgot! The Harvest Smock does not have pockets. It’s not because we are anti-pocket (apparently pockets are a feminist issue, but as one of my customers said ‘there are more important things to fight for’) but because we know from experience that the depth of the armhole means that a pocket is useless as everything falls out of it. I won’t put useless and frustrating pockets into a garment. They must be functional. I’m not a fan of the patch pocket either so sadly the Harvest Smock is a pocketless entity.