National Picnic is a small but lively fashion house...

...that sells, sews and ships its clothing from a "boutique-sized factory" in Haddonfield, New Jersey. 

On this website, we sell more styles than seemingly possible, because many of the items are not made yet. Something may not exist in your size when you place an online order. That's why it may take about 2 weeks—to sew your order—before it ships to you. 

It's this business model that allows our indie fashion brand to stay healthy competing within a fashion industry swollen with overproduction and waste. It feels good to know most of what we make is being made for someone in particular. Perhaps you :)

Pictured: Betsy Cook, owner/designer, in the shop. National Picnic has settled into 417 Haddon Ave, Haddonfield, NJ, with space to sew National Picnic on location, within view of the boutique floor. (Photos by Denise Guerin)

There is no handbook on how survive as a small business clothing maker in the 21st century. Sharing the process with long distance customers is a welcome challenge —we want to offer as much personal service as possible. When you call, know we're doing our best to give you a "neighborhood boutique" shopping experience, wherever you may be!

That said, a brick and mortar shop requires inventory to present to neighborhood shoppers. We simply can't make everything to order. So we create in small batches for the shop between orders, pondering future customer needs as we aim to sew every last yard of fabric. 

It's common to think “dressmaker” or “tailor” when you hear about sewing on the premises; instead, think of it as a small factory that makes National Picnic clothing. When in Haddonfield, you can visit and shop what’s on the racks, and leave with something ready to wear—or let us help you order something from the National Picnic collection in your size. 

Want to read more? Meet the current National Picnic Team, click here.