Getting dressed for a day of gardening often involves throwing on your rattiest old clothes and hiking up a pair of white socks to keep the ticks at bay—it is rarely a time for considered dressing.
However, as any pro will tell you, the right gear can make a day of pruning or weeding go more smoothly, and if it happens to be stylish, all the better.
The Ultimate Chore Coat
“This chore coat has a massive pocket that can hold all kinds of tools or even a bottle of wine after a long day in the dirt,” says Guy Henry, the director of horticulture at BrookLandscape in Brooklyn, of this Tellason jacket.
The Chic Wide Brimmed Hat
Molly Sedlacek, founder of ORCA, a California landscape design firm, shares that for her, a wide-brimmed hat like this one from Janessa Leoné is a must. The lightweight raffia is also packable, should you wish to travel with it.
The Fancy French Toolbelt
When she’s not wearing her trusty leather belt (sourced from Gemplers more than two decades ago), garden designer Lindsey Taylor, who has a new book Art in Flower out now, turns to this chic canvas tool carrier.
The Warm Winter Boot
I love Ugg leather boots in the winter because the fuzzy interior keeps my toes warm when working outside especially in wet weather while the leather holds away moisture at large says Jessica Viola the founder of Viola Gardens in Los Angeles...
...who notes the soles are rubber and make scrambling up and down hills easy and fun In the past Viola has worn the Neevah which is no longer in production but the Hapsburg Chelsea style pictured is a similar Chelsea style boot 160
The Plant-Dyed Scarf
Viola’s go-to handkerchief is plant-dyed and handmade by her friends at Moona Star Collective; Viola has the light orange colorway.
The Fits-Like-a-Glove Gloves
“I have tried so many gloves,” says Susan Nock, a Wellesley, Massachusetts-based garden designer and founder of Thistle.
Taylor deems these “my signature pants.” The iconic engineer denim is a rigid 10 oz.
The Classic Carpenter Jeans
“These are my favorite slip-on shoes for working in the garden,” says Sedlacek.
The Sustainable Garden Clogs
The Handy Tool Pouch
Henry relies on this utilitarian tool pouch (the Joey Pouch Pro V2; $42.99) that clips onto your favorite belt.
The Affordable Linen Shirt
“I have a lot of white linen shirts,” confesses Taylor.
Viola is the rare garden pro who doesn’t wear a hat daily.
The True-to-Life Sunglasses
“I am devoted to Dovetail Workwear pants,” says Nock.
The Perfect Work Pants
Taylor deems this smock designed by Great Dixter’s head gardener Fergus Garret “my favorite of all the garden smocks,” perhaps in part, because it reminds her of her time spent studying there.
The Pedigreed Smock
Taylor says Carrier Company makes “the best waxed cotton hat” (worth the wait and price of shipping from the U.K.); $45.
The All-Natural Rain Hat
The Day-to-Night Workwear
Sedlacek touts her firm ORCA’s collaboration with MATE, “I’ve been living in my work coat and gardening pants all summer,” she says.