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Hello Reader,
How do gardeners, with the dirt under their fingernails, still manage to look so stylish? Workwear and functional fashion are having a renaissance due to a growing appreciation for clothes that are built to last. Over 20 years ago, Monty Don the famed British garden broadcaster wrote “Always buy trousers at least one waist size too big, make sure that the pockets are big enough to comfortably hold penknife, hanky, string, phone, pencil, labels, and perhaps a mint or two.” Garden essentials have stood the test of time and all sorts of weather. Meanwhile, newer brands have begun to cater to us gardeners. After all, gardening is more enjoyable when you are well dressed for the task at hand.
Gardener Charlie McCormick, for Esquire, By Richard Dowker
Essentials:
Loose fitting clothes help keep off the mosquitos if they are a problem in your area. I prefer corduroy or cotton twill for clothes, and a rain coat for pulling weeds when it’s wet. Comfortable pants and a chore coat make for a good afternoon in the dirt. Overalls are also great for digging out your next garden bed. My husband thinks I look silly in them, which makes me want to wear them to all sorts of public gatherings out of a cheeky spite.
A sun hat is non-negotiable if you care about your skin. It’s worth trying on a few dozen until you find one that is comfortable and functional. I don’t enjoy gardening in shoes, as the time it takes to put on the boots keeps me in the garden longer to avoid the inconvenience of taking them off again. A good belt will hold your pruners or saw at your waist, which is a holdover of my days working in landscaping and tree care. Keeping things at your waist will help you avoid burying your pruners in a pile of weeds and finding it again next spring.
Very sturdy Brands: Gardening 🤝Workwear
It makes sense that some of the best gardening brands would be giants of workwear, which offer clothes that are meant to live a rough life. Brands like Dickies, Carhart, Kuhl, and Duluth Trading Company make rugged clothes for both genders. I worked a summer at an arborist company in a pair of Kuhl pants, and they served me well for day after day of hard labor.
Matt wearing Mont Bell in the flower garden.
For women, you might want to check out Dovetail Workwear, aforementioned Duluth trading Co., and Terrain - a brand by Anthropologie. Most of the brands in this newsletter offer clothes for both men and women. As a side note, I suggest most people try making their own clothes at some point. You can wear all the sewing mistakes in the garden, as only the gnomes will judge— and they do judge.
A fun shirt from Bram’s Fruit
Niwaki is best known as a tool maker. They are a British brand entranced by the style of Japan, and also sell unique clothes for gardeners. A great place to look for clothes that are gardening specific. Le Labourer will clothe you in French cotton and is certainly splurge worthy. If I ever find hidden treasure under a rock in my garden, I’m going to buy their French cotton work jacket. Bram’s Fruit made me laugh with their tagline “F*ck Off I’m Gardening.” Again, a bit pricey for my taste, but if you can afford it - then forget the shirt and please become a paid subscriber to the newsletter instead. Toast, a slow fashion brand, collaborates with head gardeners on its collections. Mont Bell is a Japanese brand with great lightweight outdoor clothing, which also works well in the garden.
Niwaki Kojima Work Jacket
Keep Going Down the Rabbit Hole:
Doing research for this article was more fun than you’d think. Below are some of the articles I read if you want to be the Anna Wintour of the garden world.
Forbes: Gardening gets the fashion treatment: The Rise of Stylish Workwear
Secret Strategist: Pamela Anderson, Martha Stewart, and Ron Finley on what they wear to garden
The Well Dressed Garden: An article on midsummer fashion, plus Pollyanna is a great garden designer to follow.
Garden’s Illustrated: Allotment Chic: How to get the ‘young fogey’ look.
“Florals? For Spring? Groundbreaking.” -Miranda Priestly
Field Notes:
Last edition I interviewed Gregg Sanford from UW-Madison about the Science of Garden Soil. Check out the article below if you missed it!
Enjoy a sneak peak from the Olbrich Garden tour happening July 10-11th in Verona, WI.
A sneak peak from house #2 on the Olbrich Home Garden Tour this weekend in Verona, WI.
Plotter’s Commons:
What’s your favorite outfit to wear in the garden?
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Written for 520 stylish gardener-readers. 💌
Until next Thursday,
Ken Welch is a garden writer with a very serious degree in Horticulture. When his city lacked a community garden, he helped build one. He teaches new gardeners how to grow their own food.
Cibus Est Imperium | Food is Power