Style Farmer to Farmer Style—AKA Gardening Clothing

[SilentPartner]

I imagine I’m not the only Style Forumer who enjoys gardening. A ludicrous activity in which we fight the weather, challenge wildlife and defy the very heavens themselves, all so we can pick the flora and fauna that lurks outside our homes. I love it.

But gardening clothing is tricky. The best dressed gardener I can think of is Monty Don.


A happy man.

A handsome man.

A gardening man.

Yet, in reality, I generally looks something like this:

Yes, this is I. Or me. Admittedly this is on a muddy day, digging new beds for the roses I'll slowly kill next year through inadequate watering/weeding/fertilising/bug management (delete where appropriate). But it's rather difficult to look good while gardening. I went in search of inspiration from other famous gardeners.

Joe Swift:

Basic.


Adam Frost from Gardener’s World:

It’s fine, I guess?

Geoff Hamilton.

It’s actually pretty good, I think, for the time and his period of life. Alas, or hoorah, I am in my 30s.

And what many of these outfits have in common is that they're in fabrics and styles that are crazy for actual gardening, where you're kneeling in mud, getting your hands dirty and stretching clothes to their limits. Obviously these are photo shoot outfits, but they were what I could find.

SF, let's talk gardening fits. I’ve put together a list of essentials for good gardening clothing:

• Relatively loose-fitting — without getting caught on everything (so narrower hems)
• Good for layering — it goes from hot to cold quite quickly depending on what you’re doing and where
• Easily washable — especially with all the soiling they’ll be getting. Soiling. Ha!
• Pocket-full — or should we go with a separate tool belt or apron?

I’m sure others have many more criteria and, even more importantly, suggestions. So here I am opening it up to the SF gardening community. Help a fellow man of (horti)culture out!

P.S. If the discussion is anaemic, don’t worry. I’ll throw in some spicy opinions and ad hominem attacks to heat things up.

 

[mak1277]

Monty Don on his signature horticultural style: ‘I absolutely loathe jeans’

The presenter is famed for his love of linen shirts and braces. Here, we find out his tried-and-tested formula for effortless garden chic

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[double00]

good thread , my current rig is : dubble fabric denim tucked into giant rubber boots , milsurp desert camo cotton nylon summerweight field jacket buttoned all the way up , bandanna , cowboy hat . i like good coverage .

 

[krudsma]

God I would love to read that interview.

I don't do a ton of gardening myself, but it brings to mind Blundstones, a pair of inexpensive, loose, vintage cords, loose vintage workshirt in canvas or denim (a la Dr. Alan Grant), and a straw hat. Vintage fatigues could be good as well, the pair I have are super loose, soft and slubby.

 

[SilentPartner]

Monty Don on his signature horticultural style: ‘I absolutely loathe jeans’

The presenter is famed for his love of linen shirts and braces. Here, we find out his tried-and-tested formula for effortless garden chic

www.telegraph.co.uk

This was an interesting read, sounds like he was rocking the baggy linens and chore coat aesthetic before any of us!

I like the idea of looser cords krudsma. But I've never been able to see myself in a straw hat... it just feels like I'd be wearing a costume. I'm wearing some Nigel Cabourn fatigues right now, they're loose and easy, I should really wear them for some weeding next time it's not too wet.

 

[SilentPartner]

I also note Monty wears a lot of blue. Blue on blue on blue. My wife sometimes laughs at me for wearing too much blue and grey, turns out she was wrong all along!

 

[Superb0bo]

Monty is largely wearing https://www.old-town.co.uk/ (at least in photos/tv)

 

[hendrix]

Story MFG's stuff kinda sorta almost fits this aesthetic. Also Cabourn

I think a lot of military surplus fatigues and chore coats and m65s etc work well.

 

[dixonmanor]

Sassafras out of Japan (Avail in N America at Lost + Found, Blue In Green, maybe a few others) is explicitly inspired by gardening... I have a pair of their Sprayer pants in Denim and love 'em. I have a great simple denim overshirt by Old Town I picked up London a decade ago and have been wanting to get more stuff from them ever since....

My usual uniform (for any activity, every day) is lots of EG fatigues pants/shorts mixed in with these boxy Orslow pullover tops (size 5 if anyone's got any for sale... they only seem to make them sporadically and I've got 3 so far) and other vintage/Made in USA/Japan/UK (some MHL, Battenwear... And Wander for more technical PNW outdoorsy stuff, select Filson, Patagonia, LL Bean, Gramicci... basically just trying to recapture what my outdooorsy Oregon dad looked like in the late 70s-early 80s).

Also, shout out to Cornish fisherman's smocks. Sturdy canvas pullovers, boxy, good pockets, etc. and GREAT for gardening/camping/etc. Cheap too if you go directly to the source and don't buy some kitchy "heritage" repro.

Also, have you checked out Gardenheir? A new online shop that is admittedly a lil goofy and "fashion" but nonetheless has a lot of garden-chic clothes from contemporary and Euro heritage brands (specifically La Laboureur which is great, good value French brand).

 

[Reggae Mike]

Gardening is a living for me. I often wear my old/ worn all cotton buttondown shirts or tennis polos with slimmer fitting pants and water proof boots. The pants I love right now are Levis 502s made from a tech material for the out doors. The boots that have lasted me the longest are the Ariat Turbo Chelsea boots. In the winter I usually wear a woodland camo cold weather parka and insulated dessert boots. I find loose fitting clothes slow me down in the garden. I try not to use my pockets when gardening because I have to put my muddy hand in my pocket. Happy Gardening.

 

[SilentPartner]

Also, have you checked out Gardenheir? A new online shop that is admittedly a lil goofy and "fashion" but nonetheless has a lot of garden-chic clothes from contemporary and Euro heritage brands (specifically La Laboureur which is great, good value French brand).

I was not aware of this website and now I'm obsessed, thanks for the rec!

 

[krudsma]

Someone just hipped me to Carrier, another garden-inspired brand. Stuff looks cool.

 

[dixonmanor]

Carrier Co is great...

 

[michaellosauro]

@dieworkwear wrote something about just this a few years back. It's no longer on his website, but it seems to have been picked up in its entirety here: https://en.paperblog.com/the-spring-gardener-look-1671681/

 

[SilentPartner]

@dieworkwear wrote something about just this a few years back. It's no longer on his website, but it seems to have been picked up in its entirety here: https://en.paperblog.com/the-spring-gardener-look-1671681/

This article was a fantastic read, thank you! Should've known Derrick had already written about this subject, and the list of brands and photography were super helpful.

After all the reading and advice others have provided, it strikes me that I kind of have a gardening wardrobe, I'm just way too precious about it because when I'm not gardening or doing home improvement, I'm working in an office. I think I'm going to set aside some of my clothing for getting lightly ruined, and maybe pick up the odd useful addition - a loose pullover denim shirt and a second-hand pair of fatigues in tan or olive. I think a half-apron from Carrier or Gardenheir would be a good addition. I already have two good pairs of shoes, one pair of short wellies and a pair of old Allen Edmonds boots in a football leather. Season with a good hat and I should be good.

I might get my wife to take a couple of "fit" photos when I'm gardening so I can get some idea of whether I'm happy (and comfy). If so, I'll share them here.