Each coat has a story to tell.

My designs are built on the principles of functional detailing, sustainable design and the use of quality fabrics.

The making process is such an important part of the journey for me and it’s something I share regularly but for this feature, we go even further back in the process from the first point of contact with the customer, through the design inspirations, to the finished piece.

To help tell the story behind this Indigo hybrid waxed cotton smock, Rich @oltby_ull_ has kindly taken his time to answer my questions. We go through the process of ordering a Custom Works design, what it means to him as well as the expectations vs reality of the final design.

Q1. What first made you get in touch to commission a custom coat?

So the first time I came across your work was seeing the jacket you did for Martin (@ocdosser) it looked amazing and from then I thought that a complete custom would be an amazing thing to get done, from that point, following u on Insta then seeing all the amazing unique pieces u did for Tony and Kris just confirmed that and I knew that I had to get something sorted and start thinking of which way I wanted to go in regards to designs etc.

Q2. Would you be happy to share some of your personal and style inspirations behind having it made?

So when I started thinking about getting a Custom Works done properly my head was full of ideas, obviously most people know I'm a lover of attention to detail and try to get that into everything I do, that combined with the way my little ADHD head works meant I was like a dog with a bone.

I looked at all the jackets I've loved over the years from various brands etc. but 2 pieces stood out, the tela Stella 30th anniversary Stoney smock and the Hawkwood canoeist smock. One of which I own and love the other I love and will probably never own. Having these little ideas buzzing around my head and a few long nights offshore finally resulted in the original doodle that I sent to you using bits from the stuff I love and bits that I wanted to make it unique and have all the little details I wanted.

(See below a ‘mood board’ style collage Rich put together to help me visualise what he was looking for including lots of references from my previous detailing and designs as well as additional design references. The second photo shows the original doodle as mentioned in this question.

Please note you don’t need to provide either of these to order your own Custom Works piece but I thought they helped tell the story of how this all came together on the piece. It was just as Rich said, he was excited about the possibilities and stuck offshore!)

Q3. The nature of the Custom Works service means that you can never see your coat before it is made, how easy or difficult did you find it to communicate with me on what you wanted the finished piece to look like and was there anything in particular that helped you with this?

From me getting in touch it was effortless Kerrie, an absolute pleasure to deal with, you were full of ideas of what would work and what wouldn't, what would look better and the position of the pockets etc. to all the finer details. The fact you were really excited about doing it and had the same buzz about the smock as I did was great. I've seen the quality of what you do so I was never in any doubt that it wasn't going to be anything but amazing but there is always that feeling of anticipation from not knowing how it is going to look finished but good anticipation all the same.

I'd seen the design you'd done, we were both happy with it and seeing all the little teaser shots of the progress just made it all the more exciting tbh.

Q4. For you, what makes a Custom Works jacket so special compared to a ready to wear style?

That's the easy one, it's completely custom, 1 of 1 and personal, yeah it's just something you wear but it came from my ideas and was turned into an absolutely stunning garment. People nowadays always want to look the same, buy the same things and I've always wanted to be a bit different, buying unknown brands etc. that u know a lot of people haven't seen or have. The fact that I know I can wear this and it being a complete 1 off is brilliant not having that awkward feeling when u see someone wearing the same thing.

I do love loads of brands and like everyone have stuff that other people wear etc. but I love the originality of this and the fact it is an absolutely stunning smock and superb quality makes it even better!

Q5. The details and finishing on this smock are off the scale, do you have a favourite?

Hmmm tough one, so much is going on with this it's really hard to say.

I'd probably say the button up neck with the big red buttons, it looks superb and with the hood being a perfect fit I'd probably say it's my favourite bit of it .. but... Like I say it's tough as I love all the pockets, the placement of them all is perfect and the little red detailing on the pouch pocket is brilliant, the contrast stitching, the cuffs, I could go on and on, every bit of it is superb and it's a credit to what you do Kerrie and the fact you was so excited to do it and was so pleased with the final piece after doing so many amazing bits before was brilliant.

Q6. How did your expectations of this piece compare to the reality of having it in your hands?

I was absolutely blown away, I knew it was going to be amazing, that comes without saying but seeing it first hand when I opened the box, wow. I remember answering the door to the postie and been like a kid at Christmas and spent about an hour looking at all the detailing on it and yeah it completely excelled all my expectations, Kerrie, it really did.

It's easily my favourite piece and always will be without a doubt for so many reasons.

Indigo Hybrid Waxed Cotton Custom Works Smock - 1 of 1 custom made to order for Rich.

Q7. And lastly, was it worth the wait!?

The waiting process was easy, I was offshore when we 1st started talking about it and I put the order in, by the time I'd got off everything was in place, it was about 8 weeks from then which once again wasn't an issue as I was at work for 6 of them. Other than a few questions for the little details and a few ideas you had you just cracked on.

It arrived 2 days after I got home which was amazing. You kept in touch throughout and teased me on insta with the little progress pics and love the fact u didn't show me the final piece in full until I'd seen it 1st hand.

Tbh I could've waited however long it had taken as it's superb, I know I've thanked you loads already but will again, your work’woman’ship is off the scale Kerrie and I'd like to say to anyone reading this if you are considering getting something done....do it! You won't be disappointed whatsoever. The whole process was effortless and stress-free and the quality and value for money are superb.

Thanks, missus I'm sure I'll be able to think of another project in the future but for now, I'm going to wear my smock with a big smile.

Learn more

Custom Works - The inspiration and ideas behind the coat. Feature 002