The Mother’s Psychological Clinic, Dr. Linda Haack Ph.D, is Still Active in Malibu
By Zach Armstrong
Standing at 4’ 9”, Julia Garner rarely found a pair of pants that were ready to wear immediately after purchase. Extra costs and energy stacked up in getting them tailored, taken to a seamstress, tucked underneath or folded under which made her appear even shorter than she is. This problem runs in the family: her mother barely standing at 5 ‘1”, while her great grandmother was a woman of 4’ 11”.
Coming from a background in fashion and manufacturing, Garner knew her lineage was far from alone in this dilemma. Small or “petite” size women’s pants are often tailored to a height of 5’ 4” although a substantial number of women don’t reach that. Garner and her mother Linda Haack have teamed up for a clothing line meant for the girls other mass fashion brands have overlooked.
Smitey, titled as a mix of the words small and mighty, was launched last year. The business currently sells joggers and T-shirts online at http://smiteybrand.com/. The joggers come in nine different customizable sizes (Small, Medium and Large with a length of either 22, 24 or 26 inches) ready for a customer to wear as soon as it gets shipped. The mother/daughter duo plans to build out the brand with offerings such as jeans, leggings, jackets along with other clothing categories. Material and manufacturing is sourced locally within Los Angeles.
“Even though they’re joggers, I’ve worn them at night for expensive dinners and when I say ‘These are my Smiteys’ people are astonished,” said Haack. “So they can be worn day and night in any setting.”
For Haack, Smitey is not the first go at running a West L.A. company. She had offices in both the Pacific Palisades and Malibu for her private psychologist clinic under her professional name Dr. Linda Haack, Ph.D prior to the pandemic. The practice is still active in Malibu where she resides with her husband.