It’s Smock o’Clock
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Earlier this month, after an extensive closet purge, I took a fine-tooth comb to my summer wardrobe. While mywhite T-shirtsandairy bottomswere in a good place (I’m on the clothing-basics beat, so I tend to accumulate those), I still felt like something was missing. Over the next few days, though, as I scrolled through Instagram and browsed around online, I started noticing what seemed like the missing piece: smocking. Suddenly, smocked tops, dresses, and sets were everywhere — onLaura Jung, writer of the SubstackDigestifs,and some of my favorite content creators, including Samantha of@itsyourgirlsamanthaaaandAarica Nichole— plus just about every “New Arrivals” page I regularly peruse, including Madewell, Everlane, and Dôen.Once I started noticing the crinkly tops, I couldn’t stop: There was a smocked peplum top from Reformation, a tank from Sønderhaus, and a blouse from Sézane. My fellow Strategist staffers knew I had smocking on the brain and started sending me even more pieces they’d noticed around the internet, too.
While smocking is not exactly a new technique — the gathered fabric is often used on the back of garments near the zipper — it’s the fully smocked look that feels fresh to me. When I mentioned this style of smocking to my editor, Hilary Reid, she right away said it reminded her of an updated version of the stretchypopcorn topsof the ’90s. Similar to those textured tops, smocking makes clothes at once expandable and fitted — resulting in something that’s both comfortable and flattering. It hides bra straps and seam lines well, and you might even be able to go completely braless (a big win during warmer months) thanks to the structure that some smocking provides. Here are some smocked pieces I’m eyeing, along with a few that I already own.
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This was the first smocked top I noticed — and given that it’s almost sold out, I think it’s fair to say I wasn’t the only one. The blue shade is versatile, and I love the four bow ties that run down the back.
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Since the Sézane is sold out in almost all sizes, here’s another muscle-tank style that’s in stock and available in a slew of colors (and about half the price).
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Delicate spaghetti straps make this one a little dressier.
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Nikki Chasin’s crinkle tops were an early example of full smocking. I approve of the pointy collar on this slim button-down.
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It’s on the cropped side, but this button-down is similar to the Nikki Chasin above and would look nice layered over a sundress or the swimsuit top of your choice.
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I have my eye on this denim set, which my colleague Bella Druckman tipped me off to after she saw it on display at the brick-and-mortar Madewell on Fifth Avenue.
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There’s also this smocked workout set that’s pretty ideal for running errands during the summer. I own it and love how the top has a built-in bra.
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This combines gingham — another thing I’m seeing everywhere this spring — with smocking. A match made in heaven, if you ask me.
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Our senior writer, Liza Corsillo, found this smocked maternity set, and while it comes in black and a blue floral pattern, we agreed the gingham pattern is the best of the bunch.
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For a similar option that’s not specifically a maternity outfit, there’s Hill House Home’s fully smocked bandeau and matching midi-length skirt (that has a smocked waist). The brand has long been in the smocking game with itsNap Dress.
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Just a nice, office-appropriate tomato-red smocked top from Sønderhaus, a brand that makes vintage-inspired pieces including tablecloth dresses and bloomers.
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I ordered this top-and-shorts set, and since the shorts are pretty micro, I plan to wear them as a swim cover-up when I go to Mexico for a wedding next month. I love that I can also wear the top on its own, paired with light-blue denim or a cotton-poplin maxi skirt.
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Smocked on the top, bubble-skirted on the bottom.
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Dôen’s Rosalynn dress is super-smocked — as in, smocked all the way from under the bust to the hemline.
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I can’t stop thinking about this ’90s-esque lace smocked skirt, which looks like something you might wear while visiting Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley.
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Damson Madder is a smocking emporium of sorts — it offersmanytakes on the style. This blouse has detachable puff sleeves, and the stripy pattern reminds me of a beach umbrella.
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Everlane The Smocked Column Dress
A smocked dress that I’d just as easily wear to the pool as I would a dinner party.
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You could also go for an exercise dress with smocked front and back detailing. This one has built-in shorts that make it perfect for the pickleball court or just a walk around the neighborhood.
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If you want to lean more into the ’90s popcorn end of the smocking spectrum, this dress is for you.
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And, finally, a smocked swimsuit that would be handy for a bachelorette trip (and could even keep a little sun off your shoulders, thanks to the capish-sleeve top).
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