Aloha School Coat

Aloha school smock with a Hawaiian dancer wearing a grass skirt and flower crown, in pistachio gingham with one plain sleeve and fuchsia piping, for ages 4 to 8. She dances on the sand, with a palm tree and a wooden totem behind her: a smock full of green and sunshine, for the canteen and everything else.

At school mealtimes, the smock is the first line of defence: lentils and strawberry yoghurt land on it instead of on their clothes. With the fuchsia-piped neckline fastened securely and sleeves reaching the wrist, the top underneath arrives home clean.

• One plain sleeve in pistachio and the other in checks: a detail that makes it easy to recognise on the peg.
• Fuchsia buttons down the front, contrasting with the green.
• Elasticated cuffs and a pocket with fuchsia trim.

The embroidered name on the chest is optional, and in a P4 class it is what stops the Hawaiian dancer’s smock from going home with another family.