about

We are a small team of creatives making a range of handmade clothing and goods from our atelier in Penzance, Cornwall. Alongside our own handworked line, you will find collections of timeless clothing, textiles and accessories, sourced from skilled artisans, complemented by a selection of interesting new, vintage and antique finds.

United in our passion for textiles, we bring together our diverse skills to create handworked. We have an appreciation of how things used to be, a time when goods were made properly and this is reflected in how we create and display our own range, in addition to which other pieces we source to compliment the line.

handworked clothing is created by Carole Elsworth. With a focus on a timeless aesthetic and using only natural materials, each garment is made in its entirety on-site encompassing the design and creation of the pattern, cutting the fabric, sewing and finishing. 

We have a favourite range of styles which feature regularly, alongside pieces made in limited runs, whether that be through the use of vintage fabrics purchased in small quantities or through the finishing of a garment with an antique trim; each piece has it’s own story and individual character.

handworked clothing is not collection based, the garments are seasonless, designed to be worn as layers and with a lifetime of wear in mind - a concept which Carole formed during her time in the 1980s working on her first clothing brand, after studying Fashion Design at Newcastle. The focus was on garments with a timeless aesthetic, using only natural fabrics. As her brand grew, she took part in major fashion shows and her range was sold in New York and Japan. To this day, Carole has remained true to her original womenswear roots to create the handworked brand of womenswear available today.

Holly Hearn produces a range of paper goods for handworked. Holly is a trained bookbinder and has also been a shopkeeper.

Natalie Coe is our in-house photographer, website designer and content creator. She has been specialising in this area since 2010.

The atelier is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at times dependent upon our making. We also open by appointment if you would like a relaxed opportunity to view the collections on an individual basis. Appointments can be booked here.

A selection of handworked goods are available to purchase via our online shop and if you are local to Penzance, pieces can be purchased online and collected in person from our atelier at 64 Chapel Street.

You can subscribe to our newsletter below and follow us on Instagram for further updates.

We look forward to seeing you soon.