I take my gardening clothes seriously so I thought I’d start the topic here where everyone has access. I seek clothing that is functional, practical and provides great bang for the buck.
Work boots: The longest lasting boots are made out of solid leather, not plastic or some leather hybrid like Nubuck, which is split leather and lasts less than half as long. Solid leather work boots used to be cheaper because Chinese factories produced ones less than half the price of domestic producers and were sometimes of excellent quality. Because I work so much on ladders I need boots with a rigid sole.
The best value used to be Carolina’s CA3044 smooth sole mechanics boot if you could use a shorter type boot with smooth soles. I like them when working around house for the ease in removing mud, but when you need better grip they can be treacherous.
No matter- the last pair I bought was from an isolated shoe store for about 100 bucks maybe 3 years ago. They aren’t worn out yet as I alternate them with another pair, but they are no longer being manufactured.
Anyone have any ideas of the best valued replacement? Incidentally, the trick to getting leather to last is to keep it oiled. Any cheap veg oil is adequate. Leather that isn’t treated to repel water needs to be oiled every time it gets real wet.
Pants: About 45 years ago I discovered the practicality of military surplus pants. Billowing closeable side pockets along with another 4 conventional ones make them so much more functional for me than something like Levi denim jeans, which were designed for cowboys and not gardeners or carpenters. But people tend to follow the crowd, or fashion or whatever.
I used to be able to find such pants for under $10 a pair. First, U.S. surplus of such pants dried up so I switched to Swedish pants- old style, high waisted with button flies and buttons for suspenders… perfect. For winter I found their Melton wool versions utterly ideal for working in snowy conditions. When the Swedish pants started getting hard to find, I stocked up and probably have enough in storage to last the rest of my career. I’ve noticed that the wool ones now cost as much as $200 on E-Bay. The last I purchased were sitting in a store somewhere in Minnesota which they sold me for about $15 a pair- I got 10 pair. I’m lucky to be slim because other sizes have long been impossible to acquire at reasonable prices. Some of these pants were manufactured when steel buttons were used in Sweden, probably in the 1950’s or even before that. Must have sat in a warehouse for many decades.
I will add some more to this as I have time later.
Im going to be more specific on what i like and why. Clothes made using armachillo are my favorite. " Armachillo fabric uses microscopic jade embedded in the fabric to lower skin temperature , while the wicking treatment moves moisture fast to keep you cool and comfortable. It’s cooling where it counts!"
I wear the same pants I wear for everything else: Carhartts with the tool loops on one leg and tool pockets on each leg. I used to get the double front pants but, counter-intuitively, they wear out too fast because of the way they flex at the top of the double front. If I need to kneel I use a pad. And I like a heavy Carhartt long sleeve shirt -tough and a great fit.
I wear tennis shoes for everything too. I’d almost rather climb in a tree when I can instead of using a ladder, and I like being able to get out of the tennies quickly when I’m going inside. The last pair of leather shoes I bought must have been forty years ago -my Red Wing Irish Setters, still fully functional after many hikes and hunts.
Carharrt and levis pant and jackets are very good! When im in town working i prefer leather for my coat and Reed works fine. Many like Reed clothes on the farm!
Every wife in the county likes this jacket and the price
I wear Jim Green Razorback Boots when outside in the garden. outsole is stiff so I wouldn’t recommend wearing on hard surfaces for long periods of time, but on lawn or soil in the garden they provide great support. I have custom orthotics in place of the insoles. good video in the construction here. nice with a wide toebox and they can be resoled easily.
This is how I feel about it. If I were a professional, I would probably get optimized clothes. As an amateur, give me comfort first, functionality second, and style last.
I’m talking about all manner of activities revolving around caring for plants and I do this kind of work full time, so they are my most important clothes. If pockets of pants cling close to my body holding tools and tape in them is uncomfortable and when my pockets are full of everything from tape, spare pruners, wallet, change, pear of gloves, tube scarf, etc. I also need suspenders held by buttons. Otherwise a pant held up only by a belt chafes.
Looking good is useful when you are in business as well, but I also have a very unique manner of dressing that has become almost a kind of branding… something customers talk about to other people.
My good luck is being able to make a decent wage doing what I love to do. I’m 71 years old and plan to keep doing it as long as my body lets me… I don’t really need the money unless I live past 100.
The only gardening-specific clothes I have are a pair of Dickies overalls. My everyday shoes are hiking boots already, so those work great for the garden too. I like all the pockets on these, and the grafting knife fits perfectly in the thin pocket up front that is probably intended for a pencil or something:
Had to retire the Jed Clampett hat last year, but am sitll wearing REI hiking boots purchased in the early 1990s. Stopped lacing them up perhaps 15 years ago, they are now heavy-duty gardening moccasins.
Was just adding a few last-second grafts to trees that members of the avocado project are picking up this afternoon, thought I’d share a photo of what I mean about the pockets:
I agree about the pockets. lol Can never have enough of them in the garden!
We live in hot summer humidity where ticks, fleas and chiggers rule the land. I wear a light sleeveless tank type top for the coolness and snug leggings (with pockets) and socks with my slip on gardening shoes. Shoes, socks and leggings are sprayed with permethrin every so often. It’s the only thing that keeps the critters off of me.
[quote=“alan, post:1, topic:60810”]Carolina’s CA3044 smooth sole mechanics boot…but they are no longer being manufactured.
[/quote]
Hey @alan, I did some searching for boots that might be similar in style to those you mentioned. A reverse image search led me to Red Wing, who sells a significant number of products that might fit the bill. Their Style #415 looks to be most similar.
@swincher good call on the overalls. I should grab some. Though may be too much work to put on
I wear waterproof leather Wellington boots because I hate having to stop to lace boots. Had wolverine (junk) and just replaced with Ariat. Time will tell.
Up top I wear long sleeve white moisture wicking athletic type shirts with turtleneck to keep the sun off.
Pretty much just the worst shape or cheapest clothes imaginable whenever I do anything other than pruning, harvesting, or checking up on things. Thrift stores have gotten worse over the past 5-10 years undoubtedly but you can still find comfortable, wearable, and occasionally durable clothes for pretty cheap. Around here in eastern NY/western mass theres a good mix of population density and wealthier folks so outdoor gear can be a bargain at the right times secondhand.
Plus free stuff a plenty at lots of these place or if you know where to look. I got my gorilla cart and pair of skis+boots for free just on the side of the road 5 miles from my house.
I dont trust a lot of new stuff for the price. Call me paranoid but I noticed a decade ago that the same model levis sold at JCPenny for way less were about thrice as filmsy and ripped consistently. I find with boots/pants outerwear that it seems to either break immediately or lasts a really long time until visible stresses and weaknesses become apparent. Buying stuff used avoids this in my eyes because it sorts out a lot of garbage and is much cheaper
