About Us
We are a small team at Gownsmith, and we find a clarity in focusing on one thing at a time. We focus on gowns in all their forms. Luxury dressing gowns for wearing around your own home – our Lounge Gowns – summery robes for warmer climes and pool- beach-side antics – our Resort Gowns – and our Outer Gowns, which are based on a hybrid of polo coats and our double-breasted Resort Gown pattern.
Our Story
Once upon a time, dressing gowns were worn at home to comfort the wearer. They provided extra warmth on bitter mornings and in unheated homes.At Gownsmith we’re going back to basics with our gowns. We’re developing a contemporary take on loungewear without the frills and fripperies. Just great cloth, made well, to make you feel comfortable and at home.
The Cloth
We always start with the cloth. What would you want to be wrapped up in? There has to be a thickness or a depth; there has to be a ‘bite’. Without that, it’s hard to imagine years of goodly use. Also very importantly, there has to be a way to ‘connect’ with the cloth. To know that the mill has put as much attention and care, sweat and tears, into the material as we do in the making.
We favour English and Italian mills, which prioritise great fabric, established over generations of continual but gradual improvement. Finding really terrific cloth partners, be it for cottons, wools or cashmeres, means getting a cloth that will last and last, and get softer and softer over time.