T shirts and jeans or shorts. Tank tops when it is very humid.

I was thinking I should have a tool belt of some type. I end up with scissors or hand trowels sticking out of my back pocket too much. Now I am trying to keep a small tool bucket nearby for items I need frequently.

I keep imagining I will make myself some pants with padded knees. I wear knee pads with Velcro straps but when I am in shorts, the Velcro irritates my legs.

I ruin a lot of shoes too. I have a pair of short boots I try to wear for a lot of digging but too often I just slip on my sandals and the shovel edge isn't good for the base of my sandals (Keens which I love! My feet hurt if I wear any other kind of shoe for a long period of time).

Same here, t-shirt and jeans until the weather turns hot then it's t-shirt and worn semi-baggy capris that I can "move" in. I end up wearing them to death because they are so comfortable, you know - when they get so thread bare and some stains just won't wash out anymore.

Do the same thing with shoes. I buy a new pair of walking shoes and keep the old worn out dirty ones to garden in. But soon I'm not changing shoes anymore either. Darn.

For the last several years I've developed the habit of wearing gloves and not just when working with stones and such. I feel like I can weed and plant better with gloves. Didn't used to tho.

Always wear a headband to keep my hair back but can not stand to wear a hat. My friend even gave me a nice one for my birthday one year - "you shouldn't be getting sunburned on your face like that!" - but a hat bothers me too much. Even a scarf feels too hot.

Unfortunately, I am allergic to the sun. And I live in Alabama! Anyway, out of necessity, I wear Jeans, a long sleeved SPF 50 shirt, Wide Brimmed hat to shield face, wristies (have to cover wrists too) gloves, socks shoes. And a fan blowing on me as I work. I worked about 7 hours today, and it was 97.

kay

Shorts and tee shirts and lots of mosquito spray with spf!

Also socks and garden clogs I bought at Gardener's Supply a few years back, they wear like steel.

I don't like sunscreen and bug spray (or sunburn and bug bites) so I tend to cover up more than most folks. Always a big-brimmed straw hat, but beyond that it depends on the task and the weather. If cold or damp or I am digging, water-proof hiking shoes, but otherwise Keen sandals or bare feet. In all but the hottest weather jeans, and in hot weather a longish skirt to keep off bugs, sun and grass (allergies.) Usually a light long-sleeved overshirt over a t-shirt. During tick season I look really dorky since I tuck my pants into tick resistant socks that have pyrethroids embedded in them.

I try to wear my big straw garden hat, which I dubed my 'Weizer' hat from the movie Steel Magnolias, if it isn't too windy. I always wear a pair of gloves and I keep a pair of old Crocs by the back door.

I bought a pair of overalls when I retired, thinking I would wear them alot in the garden, I didn't. Not because they aren't good for carrying stuff (all the pockets), but because I usually run in and out during the day as the mood strikes me. So putting on special clothes didn't work out.

Depends on the temperature - on a cool/cold day I wear jeans, t-shirt, fleece jacket, socks and boots. On a hot sunny day I wear my bathing suit and flip-flops and garden before 11am and after 2pm so I don't burn. Have a sarong or long dress handy for modesty in case someone visits unannounced! On warm but not beastly hot days I wear shorts and a t-shirt and various footwear depending on what I'm doing (flip-flops, rubber boots, hiking boots). Recently because of foot challenges have been wearing Birks and wash them after getting them muddy. Fortunately they tolerate this treatment. Only occasionally wear a hat, never use sunscreen (that stuff is toxic!) but do use coconut oil. I always wear gloves but need to change them often as I get them so muddy. Sometimes I wear vinyl gloves. Don't need pockets except for my cell phone. Mostly the only tools I use are a shovel, claw rake, and garden fork. Haven't even gotten out my hand tools this year. I try to protect my old cranky back and knees so have learned to garden without bending, kneeling, or stooping much. When I need clippers, twine, scissors, etc. I carry these in a bucket but I probably walk more miles than I need to as I'm not always very well organized.

Have to admit there are times I garden in my robe and pj's or nightie if the garden catches me on an early morning walk-about! :D

It depends on the job, if I'm just puttering or admiring I wear whatever (pj's as often as not, and I try to ignore the fact that the neighbors might be snickering) but if I'm going to be working for hours in the sun I wear a long sleeved spf shirt, wide brimmed hat, and jeans. Shoes if I'm digging, sandals if I'm not. I am not heat tolerant at all, so what I do is soak my hair and shirt with cold water before heading out into the sun. When I dry out I go back inside to drink and re-douse myself with more water. If I'm not careful I get horrible pounding headaches from working in the heat, so I try to do most of the hard work in the cooler months.

goodness gracious! i am shocked and dismayed at the lack of ladylike, graceful gardening costumes. does no one dress as i do? in a long flowered voile dress with complementing parasol, my secateurs and a lovely English flat basket to hold the cut flowers, as i stroll along in a leisurely manner behind the efficient garden men and boys who work for me diligently and knowledgeably and for a mere pittance.
oh, wait, that was the dream i was having. d@mmit.

never mind. go back to what you were doing... =)

my real costume is baggy capris, t-shirt and rubber shoes and an old wide-brimmed hat. i do look a treat!

LOL, it's nice to know I am in good company! I will pass on the overalls, you are right ripley, I most likely would not put them on! I do think I need to find some type of belt or something to carry my tools in though, I am always just putting them in my pockets, then they fall out, or poke me in odd places when I bend over.

I just wear a pair of cotton knit pants and a cotton shirt,and because i'm not supposed to get too much sun,i went to the goodwill and got a long sleeve lab jacket like nurses wear.That works out well because I can put my mp3 player in the pocket,run the wires up under my shirt and put the ear pods in my ear.

I always use a little ames sit on,rolling cart so all my tools and the phone are in that.

I don't let age or bad knee keep me from doing what I love,i'll always find a way.

Always wear a big floppy hat as well,and socks with my crocs.perfect picture of Beauty~~~~~~NOT
Kathi.
Kathi

my summer outfit tends to be Nike nylon shorts and a sports bra with mens tshirt on top. I bought the three-pack in white and one in grey last summer, in a XL, and they are so cool, or at least as cool as they can be. and provide a bit of sun protection. not spf, i know, but better than a tank top.

to complete my ensemble, i sport socks with my crocs or birkenstoks, depending upon the mud. a 'gilligan' hat, and gloves. always!! i used to not wear them unless I was doing serious stuff, but have found how nice it is to have clean hands!!

colder weather just adds a northface jacket and gap sweats or something to the look.

always a hat for the sun, and my #4 felco's and iPhone!!

Do you all have covers on your phones or MP3 players that prevent dirt from getting into crevices? My phone has a silicon cover but the chsrging area is uncovered and I notice it getting a but of compost piled up there .

My oh my!
But you ladies do dress up! So I ain't telling you what I wear! Uh, uh!!!
I HAVE to be comfortable, no matter what!
However, on Sunday, I do wear my "holey" jeans. Amen!

~Annie

LOL roxanna! I actually was hoping there would be someone who dressed the part! Sometimes when I am dressed in better clothes than my gardening ones and go out to pick flowers I use a basket and ordinary scissors and *almost* feel like the 'English country lady' you describe. Unfortunately I don't have a "long flowered voile dress" nor the "efficient garden men and boys who work for me diligently and knowledgeably and for a mere pittance"! I do sometimes 'take tea' in the garden tho and it's usually Earl Grey! Served by myself (not the imaginary maid) but sometimes on one of my silver trays (very inexpensive at yard sales).

Trovesoftrilliums, I don't have a cover for my phone but it's in my pocket and doesn't get dirty. Mostly it's my hands and feet and bottoms of my pants that get dirty and I hose them off frequently while gardening and even my pants before coming in!

Annie, I cannot imagine you look worse than I do while gardening! I always 'save' my very faded worn pants and tops for gardening and painting. They are past even donating to the thrift shop!

I notice that those in the south need much more sun protection than I do this far north. SPF clothing and fully covered is not necessary here. In fact I uncover as much as is prudent so I don't get that 'farmer's tan' on my arms. I like a light tan and want to get as much Vit D as possible as we get none in the winter from the sun.

I applaud anyone who gardens in such heat as you get down south! When I lived in a warmer climate I gardened before work from 5am-7am and in the cool of the evening only.

Jennypat, check out Lee Valley - they have a tool pouch and belt, also a "a canvas apron" altho that doesn't seem comfortable to me.

Usually my work clothes as I tend to get side tracked when I'm 'just having a quick look' after I get home. No phone covers. The garden is so microscopic I can hear the house phone and reach it in a few seconds.

Old walking kit i.e. non rip trousers, walking shoes, thick socks, long sleeved t shirt and fleece for the allotment. Sun protection is rarely required and bug protection never. I moan about our weather but I'm really grateful to have no biting insects to battle.

I look very odd indeed in the garden! I'm sort of the neighbourhood eccentric :-) I am physically disabled and use a walker plus the garden here has lots of mosquitoes in the shady backyard. I don't like bug spray so wear a hooded 'bug shirt' when working in the backyard. I have a walker I keep just for the garden and keep all my most-used tools in the basket so they are always near at hand. I do most of the garden work literally by the seat of my pants! So, in spring and fall or after a rain I wear rain pants over my garden pants in order to stay dry :-) Lee Valley Tools used to sell great garden pants but I just checked their site and they said they're no longer carrying them. They have periodically stopped carrying them before so I have several pairs in reserve... The pants have lots of pockets and a place to insert knee pads. They're handy for all sorts of work, not just in the garden and I love them! (I'm wearing them in this picture of me and Gladys playing 'patty cakes' taken at the Dog Guides facility where we volunteer....)
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Woodyoak,

those are VERY attractive pants. You are so nice and slim and would look good in a gunny sack. I haven't been that slim since I was a young teen.

If you need pants that will hold tools, why not get some carpenter's pants or painter's pants. They have pockets and loops made for all sorts of tools. They are cheap and last forever. My dad was a professional painter and carpenter, and growing up we all helped with jobs from time to time. Everyone on his "crew" had to wear the white painter's clothing, including hats. I wore Daddy's.
They are very comfy.
Not sure who carries them these days. Mother used to buy them from Montgomery Wards or Sear's & Roebuck's. I bought them back in the 70s to wear all the time.

Back in the 70s, my friends and I had community gardens and worked them together with our babies in slings. (oh those great times) I wore cut-off jean shorts and long jeans too, of course. I had several pair of bib-overalls that I wore over a tank top and huarache sandals (we called them "Jesus boots") or flipflops. I tied a "Do-rag" around my head to catch the salty sweat that ran down into my eyes and wore wide-brimmed hats. I dressed like that for many years. If I could get my weight back down, I would wear them again.
I had several men's flannel shirts that I wore on chilly days.
I still wear the jeans, shorts, cut-offs or anything cool. I still have flannel shirts for chilly days. I wear Flipflops most of the time year round because of my feet, but I do have several pair of "tennies" that look horrible but are comfy and are better for digging and heavy work. I don colorful do-rags and big hats - straw in summer and old worn out black felt cowboy hats in winter. I also have a couple of straw cowboy hats that I love to wear when I am "dressing up". I am searching for a pair of well-worn cowboy boots. New ones kill my feet, but if I could find some that have been broken-in, that would be awesome. I keep checking at garage sales and the flea market over on Route 66. I have a few sundresses and those are so nice and cool on really hot days. The cowboy boots and my sundresses look so cute together and the boots would be perfect out here where there are several kinds of poisonous snakes lurking in the tall prairie grasses and under my flowers and veggies too, including copperheads, rattlers, and water moccasins. There are ten varieties of poisonous snakes in Oklahoma. Isn't that just ssss-well?
And now my darlings, you know why real cowboys wore/wear high-top cowboy boots and sturdy denim blue jeans!

I do use gloves - two kinds: 1. the kind made of stretchy material and rubber palms with grips. I buy the cheapy ones at Wally World. They last me through the summer most of the time. They wash out clean and dry in a matter of minutes. They can grab weeds and Bermuda grass firmly to pull them out of the ground. They are great when using tools, like the tractor mower, weedeater or chainsaw.
2. - my thick rawhide gloves for working with barbed wire and thorny roses and such. They are best when stringing fence or hauling hay too.

And....I like listening to music too. Not every day, but often.
The good stuff..."feel good music" from my younger years, of course.
~Annie

For extra pockets, one of those canvas tool aprons that have several good sized pockets in them would probably do the trick and could be worn with the pockets facing front or back depending on how you like to stow your tools. I also sometimes use a canvas bag or a 5 gallon sheet rock bucket to shlep tools around the garden with me.

Here is a link that might be useful: canvas tool apron

I have been caught going outside first thing in the morning(waiting for coffee to brew) with my pjs and housecoat...WEEDING!!! and or watering!lol! But I usually have sweatpants and a tshirt, with a barmaid type apron on for tools and have also been getting cellphone dirty so just have started putting it into a big ziplock baggy! I too use my fav old runners for gardening...but end up getting out there with any old pair on. My dear friend in Texas, that I will be visiting soon...Always wears a big ol hat AND Lipstick!! That Woman would Not be caught dead without her lips, Bless Her Heart!!!

I will have to look into one of those tools aprons, they look like they could fill the bill.

I never take my phone or Ipod out to the garden, I will sometimes take it out and put it on the porch, so I can hear it if it rings. But I figure if I miss a call they will call back, or should leave a message! And I like to hear the birds, and the chimes when I am outside. I hear enough music while at work, I avoid "noise" when I am outside.

I wear basically the same stuff as everyone else for the most part. But, my favorite times in the garden are Saturday evenings after working hard all day and getting really dirty. I take a good long shower and scrub from head to toe. Then, I put on a very light sundress and nothing else and take a stroll through the garden with a glass of wine to admire my work. I love the feel of the breeze on clean, fresh skin and damp hair with tired, relaxed muscles and the light slanting through the trees onto freshly turned earth. I think I'll do that tonight!

Martha

Right now I wear $8 black capri shorts from Family Dollar in the garden. They have pockets and are loose. Right now I have to use a tens unit when I'm in the garden (so no gardening when it's hot and humid because the thing gives me shocks if it get wet!!) so it fits in my pocket well without dangling cords (dangerous!!). My sister gave me a sun blocking hat so I wear that, and always super baggy t-shirts in the summer. I used to wear slide sandals or rubber boots depending on the time of the year but because I currently have gait, mobility and stability problems I wear tightly laced running shoes that to not bend in the middle providing very rigid flat support (they are cheap from Payless). Right now I also have one of those men's warehouse belts I have to wear to help establish SI joints and give abdominal support. I hook my trash picker to it, because bending kills me, but I drop just about every single thing I pick up at least once. My next purchase needs to be one of those kneelers with handles on it so I can get up from being down without bending in the middle.
Today I teased my hubby that I look now like I will when I'm 80. At least he knows what to expect :)

I shock my neighbors! NOT when I'm in my baggy holey cotton shorts and dirt stained tank top, but they are shocked if they happen to see me on the way to the store or just getting back from church ... LOL. One man even went so far as to say I "cleaned up real nice". hahaha!

However, I recently bought four pairs of stretchy cotton shorts, with rhinestones no less, at Costco ($13) and some new cotton tank tops at Ross' so I feel like I'm "dressed to kill" when I go outside now ;-) I always wear gloves, a head band to keep my hair off my neck, and a lightweight straw hat.. Costco sells a set of six Wells Lamont stretch gloves for about $8 or $9. Comfy sport shoes and cotton socks complete the outfit.

Oh, and I've been testing the tip that a dryer sheet hanging out of a pocket keeps mosquitos away and by golly I think it works!

Happy gardening!

This has been a very fun thread to read. I am a mess in the garden. I have a really comfortable pair of cotton pants that are 13 years old. A couple years ago the thighs wore out and each inner thigh had a hole about 3" around. I finally got some iron-on patches this spring and patched them up. I figured i'd shown my neighbors enough skin for the past couple years. Of course I didn't buy new pants!! Heck, I could probably get 2 new perennials for the price of a pair of pants. I'd rather have my old pants and new plants. Then there's the issue of my shoes. I wear a pair of hiking shoes also about 13 years old. Last year the left sole started to fall off. I can't bear to buy a new pair. I have a hard time finding shoes to fit as it is, and surely I can buy at least 10 new perennials for the price of a good pair of hiking shoes. Maybe gorilla glue will do the trick. I have been tripping the last couple days, so it has reached mission-critical. My old pants and shoes are just so darn comfortable and worn in I just can't part with them.

Of course I make quite a fashion statement in my purple socks that I wear around the house and my white sandals. It looks fabulous especially with my calf-length pj pants! If there were a show Gardener What Not to Wear, I would NEVER want to see myself in that 360 mirror! My poor neighbors!!

Thyme 2 dig.........LOL!!!

I live in my sweats, I have a pair of black ones and a pair of grey ones. I live along a gravel road that gets a fair bit of traffic during planting season. I realized today that when I am digging I don't look up, turn, wave or acknowledge in any way the neighbors as they go by. So all they see of me is my rear up in the air! Oh MY!

Thyme 2 dig.........LOL!!!

I live in my sweats, I have a pair of black ones and a pair of grey ones. I live along a gravel road that gets a fair bit of traffic during planting season. I realized today that when I am digging I don't look up, turn, wave or acknowledge in any way the neighbors as they go by. So all they see of me is my rear up in the air! Oh MY!

Thyme 2 dig, Gorilla Glue AND duct tape work great for prolonging the life of garden shoes. I was loath to give up my 'Born' brand leather shoes and kept them going for a several more years that way.

It worked so well my hubby said I should take a picture of them. Besides, they are right in style. I actually saw new shoes for sale that had fake duct tape across the instep! Cutting out the little toe part will surely be the next fashion statement ;-)

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This post was edited by roselee on Tue, May 28, 13 at 11:00

WOW rosalee,you sure got your moneys worth out of those shoes!! Good for you. I like your buckets/watering cans.

I either wear crocs with socks,or my house shoes,my footwear has to have the toes closed in,can't stand to get little rocks/pebbles in my shoes.

I've aso been known to go out in the garden in my nitegown as well,none of mine are see thru.In the summer they are 100% cotton and don't look like nitegowns as I make all my own,so I use nice prints and of course they have to have pockets,so they are more like a house dress,remember those?? In the winter it's flannels.
Kathi

WOW rosalee,you sure got your moneys worth out of those shoes!! Good for you. I like your buckets/watering cans.

I either wear crocs with socks,or my house shoes,my footwear has to have the toes closed in,can't stand to get little rocks/pebbles in my shoes.

I've aso been known to go out in the garden in my nitegown as well,none of mine are see thru.In the summer they are 100% cotton and don't look like nitegowns as I make all my own,so I use nice prints and of course they have to have pockets,so they are more like a house dress,remember those?? In the winter it's flannels.
Kathi

But, Rosalee, do you wear the black shoe with the white shoe!?! Now THAT would be quite the garden fashion statement! LOL!!
I hadn't even thought of duct tape. And now they have all those "fashion" rolls of it. Oh, I'm ALL IN with the duct tape idea. I'll have to pick some up. thanks for the tip.

Thyme, I would not be adverse to wearing one white and one black except it's the right shoe that always wears out first. Must be because that foot goes on the shovel and digging fork.

Oh, and what's really is the latest thing in garden wear is my dirty white elastic back brace worn on top of everything else. And then when it's hot there's the iced up pillow slip pinned around my neck. The tool holster completes the picture. Hubby keeps threatening to take a picture of me. I should let him. Maybe it would make the cover of 'Fine Gardening', ya' think?

This post was edited by roselee on Fri, May 31, 13 at 0:32