The ‘French-American’ Hickory Stripe Smock

We like to take inspirations from workwear, but remake them our way: the smock style is rooted in northern France, but for this version, we turned to a distinctly American fabric. It’s a perfect example of what we usually do in our Working Class series: taking this different kind of classics, remaking them as modern take on everyday dressing.

We made it from hickory stripe cotton: a fabric closely related to denim, with a similar qualities and colors (indigo with white stripes), that have also risen to popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as durable workwear cloth. The cut could be described generally as a loose, heavier overshirt-style popover - true to tradition, one pocket is still placed inside, but we moved the other one outside to make it more convenient. We have also added buttons that let you pin the sleeves tighter around the sleeve.

It’s designed for layering, but depending on the weather, it can either take the place of a light jacket over a shirt or some knitwear, or just be worn over the bare skin as a prime layer. Pair it with shorts (not only the hickory stripe ones!), cotton or linen trousers and ecru denim - it fits right in with everything that’s relaxed, summery, and casual. It still carries a workwear spirit, but feels just as at home in the city or on holiday today.