Melissa,

I once belonged to a group that held a contest to see who "slicked up the best". There was good reason for this contest given the usual dress, huge holes in the knees of jeans, etc., etc. and the fact that the group was, of necessity, adjourning. The transformation was amazing. I think you will find that you "slick up" very well indeed when you choose to. Maybe, someday, for your daughter's wedding?

Cath

I guess I could dress up, just not me. Best I can do is nice jeans and a nice shirt. I prefer to be at home in my comfy garden clothes.

We were on a virtual cocktail party a couple of days ago, and one person said that it was the first time she saw me without my usual bowtie and sport coat or suit. My friend's son was going off to college last year, and he was asking me for fashion advice and where to shop for interview clothes! I thought both were rather funny. But whenever we go out, I usually just put on what I wore to work, which always involved at least a tie, fitted dress shirt and jacket, and frequently a hat of some kind (flat cap, bowler). They never see me in my gardening clothes (almost entirely Patagonia for some reason). I think they imagine me gardening in a tie and dress clothes. Then again, getting home from work, I'd step out to check on the garden, and the next thing I knew I was pulling weeds and breaking out the shovel and ruining the polish on my good wingtip shoes. So I guess that isn't so far from the truth.

When we retired I actually got rid of 35 suits appropriate for wearing to the office (I worked for a financial institution, and even though a lot of companies had gone to "casual dress", we did not, and I liked it that way - I was dealing with very senior people at mostly Fortune 1000 companies, and without exception they all had suits on when I got to their offices.

Business suits are not "sharp dressing", of course. My non gardening attire is casual now, and mostly pants and nice T-shirts. I do like dresses, and wear them now mostly when we go (or went) to the theater and out to dinner, or to family parties (also past tense at the moment). Now staying in, especially on the weekends, when we leave the stores and bike paths to those who are still working, I try to force myself to get dressed at all by at least noon, because otherwise I would be in my PJs all day, unless I was working in the garden.

Jackie

For me, the garden has always been a therapeutic and relaxing space. So, after work, it was (working from home now) always off with the professional attire, high heels, Spanx and any thing else that made my body less "free".

My gardening attire is evolving. We now have wrought iron fencing in the garden that backs up to a busy system of community trails. Gone are the days that I could venture out into the backyard wearing my nightgown, flip flops with a cup of coffee in hand. Today, it is usually Hunter boots (additional protection from mosquitoes and chiggers that find my legs easy picking, or mud walking after the rain), comfy 100% cotton pants, a solid colored t-shirt or tank top and almost ALWAYS sunscreen...

I have three modes of dress: garden, casual, church/dinner. When I'm gardening, I just hope no one drops by; my jeans/shorts/body armor may or may not have holes in indecent places. My tee shirts are rags...literally. If anyone needs an oil rag around here, they know where to find one. I get sunburned in different spots depending on which tee I have on. The holes are never in the same place, and are strategically placed so that any wayward rose thorn will catch them and rip them even larger. My shoes are usually tennis shoes, with the soles dangerously coming away from the uppers. It seems the toe is the first to turn loose, so that I'm sure to catch the loose sole on the water hose, any random stick, and especially the wisteria vines creeping under oak trees. I've made several trips...around the garden. Oh, and it's really inconvenient when a pebble lodges between the flapping sole and the bottom of the leather. It's much worse than the Princess and the pea...and it always happens when I'm carrying at least two more things than it's possible to set down without just dropping them where I stand and having to make two trips back for it all, anyway.

Now, since I'm dressed in such a disreputable manner while I garden, I try to NEVER have to go to town while gardening. That would entail either embarrassment, or a complete change of clothes. It does tend to contribute to planning ahead.

For those trips I MUST make to town, that might entail social encounters with acquaintances (or even running into someone who might know someone...who knows someone I know), nice jeans and a polo are de rigueur. I rarely wear shorts to town anymore. My legs at 62 years old are better inferred than witnessed. Exceptions are made based entirely on the destination and the relative humidity.

For more formal situations, such as church, or dinners that actually required an invitation (a text will do, no need for gold-engraved parchment), I have a closet (ok...two) full of suits and sport coats. My mother always dressed us in sport coats and ties for church; it's habit. Plus, for many years I was the pianist/arranger for a traditional (not stuffy!) Baptist church, and I've never felt comfortable on Sunday mornings in anything less than semi-formal (but with flair, mais bien sûr, lol). Wednesday church nights, it's slacks and oxford shirt.

For those dinners aforementioned, you can always take the coat and tie OFF if you arrive overdressed. It's awfully hard to go the other direction if you're in flip flops and a tee shirt (not that that has ever happened. Well...it was a lonnnnng time ago. Ahem).

Reading this has been such fun. When I still worked and not from home, as later, I could sometimes be found in a dress and high heels in the garden because I got home and never made it into the house, something having caught my attention in the garden. When I no longer had to go into work the dresses went bye-bye except for occasional forays to restaurants or out of town family. I was pretty well house-bound even before the virus, and now it's cropped leggings and sweatshirts in the winter and leggings and tops of some kind when it's warmer, and I guess what you might call patio dresses when it's really warm and the leggings are too hot. The rationale behind it all is comfort and nothing else, although I try not to frighten the bunnies. My feet are always in sandals or slippers of some sort, easy to take off and put on outside the door.

There are those who garden in style. Google: gettyimages.com Lady Diana Cooper in her Garden. I am not one of them. I do not wear make-up at home. My age suggests that I should. My favorite gardening jeans have developed holes in (um) "places" and long sleeve tee shirts have ragged cuffs. (What else are you supposed to do with otherwise perfectly good shirts?). Shoes, sneakers, have had the soles separating from the body. The current pair only have (very) scuffed toes but then they are rather new. I get cold easily and so in cold weather I wear a men's down bomber jacket with frayed cuffs and a zipper that has finally given up on life. I am eyeing DH's twin.

However, I do think that I "slick up" nicely. If I am wrong, don't tell me.

Cath

I pretty much dress only in relaxing clothes at home. This includes yoga casual, capris with cute tight fitting T-shirts or sun-dresses/skirts in or out of the garden. I don’t own gardening clothes. I just work in whatever I am wearing while at home. I don’t own ripped clothes; they would go straight in the trash. So maybe this means I am a sharply dressed gardener? I work in a microbiology lab at a university so my work clothes are the same except that I never wear dresses/skirts to work and I usually wear jeans there in the winter. I never wear jeans at home since I don’t find them relaxing. I don’t own anything that even remotely resembles formal buisiness attire. If I need to go to a wedding/funeral I just wear a black skirt with a cute top and sandals. Currently I am wearing fushia leggings and a long sleeve black top that reaches mid thigh with wild blue, orange and fushia pattern on front. I love the leggings from the online company “Svaha” with 12 inch deep pockets on each side, perfect for slipping my phone in one side and scissors for snipping a bouquet in the other while I wander in the garden pulling a weed here and there, without gloves of course. I do wear gloves for intentional jobs, but I just pull weeds as I see them. My hands are calloused from years of gardening and lab work.

Thanks for all these comments, guys! I got "slicked up" for my stepdaughter's wedding here a few years ago, as I was substitute mother of the bride and interpreter at the ceremony. The outfit was respectable, is still hanging in my closet, and will quite likely be what I wear when DD gets married, if she ever does marry. She's still young. (n.b. My father bought a new suit for my high school graduation, and wore the same suit exactly twenty years later when I got married. It still fit him and it still looked good. Like father, like daughter.)

I suffer from a basic lack of dress sense, though can overcome it to some degree if the stakes are high enough and I focus. My garden clothes are just my everyday clothes after they get frayed, stained, and holey, and I wear them until they're no longer wearable. Kind of like fig_insanity. I do change clothes a good deal, indoor clothes, garden clothes, going to town clothes, going out clothes. The latter, for going out only, a rare event, NEVER wear out, which is why I can afford for them not to be suitable for gardening. I have one blouse I bought, oh, twenty years or so ago: I still like it, and it still is in good shape.

Hey folks! Just an FYI those soles can be glued back on and clamped and they'll be as good as new. Lynn, I wear special socks the are chigger proof and mosquito-proof sticking my pant legs inside. They are fantastic.

Well,, I am usually a disgrace in the garden although I clean up well. I was recently telling my friend whose garden I'm "designing" that what I really needed were some good old-fashioned coveralls that I could slip over whatever I was wearing and not worry. Lo and behold these arrive in the mail as a thank you for my "help". Heck, I'd practically pay to spend someone else's money for roses! LOL! Anyway, I said they were so cute I could only use them for "lady" gardening chores. When wearing them yesterday raking my drive an old friend happened to walk by and immediately said what a fancy pants gardener I was and that I better not walk by her house as she is not nearly so fashionable. I laughed, but am really enjoying these pretty coveralls. : 0D

I thought they were adorable and extremely well made with a zillion pockets and reinforcement and UPF fabric and gussets for bending over.

There is always a really cute one in every crowd, vapor. Now we know it is you.

Ooooh, I like those, and how thoughtful of your friend, and how helpful of you. A happy story.

Love the coveralls with all those handy pockets!

Love the flower coveralls too! I love colorful clothes, shoes, but I wear a lot of black outfits to work. Lol No heels after work, shirts, t shirts with flower pants, jeans, capris pants , gym/yoga pants, long skirts, maxi dresses with flats. My garden gears are normally a pair of long jeans for thorn protection, a long sleeve cotton shirt for sun protection, a pair of bee keeper's leather gloves, a straw hat, plus a pair of leather hiking boots. I get sun poison easily, so I cover up pretty good. I am not a sharply dressed gardener for sure. :-) These a couple years I bought a lot of clothes with big pockets since my iphone is so big, it jumped out my pocket, lost in the yard a few times. I have a lot of coats. at least 70-80, It's very cold here with 6 months of winter. Winter fashion always starts with a coat. Not a shopaholic though. Visiting a garden after the rain.........black top, wide leg cotton pants, rain boots, flower rain coat.

That looks pretty fashionable to me, summers. I'm grooving on UPF clothing these days even for swimming! Much better that sunscreen. : 00. Is that your garden? P.S. I thought I was the only one with a coat for every season and reason, but I think you have me beat!

More like an Amish in a different color clothes. Lol That's not my garden. I like loose fit flowy clothes. I used to wear them to ride small 50cc scooter (Honda Ruckus, top speed 40mph, 100mpg) to the nearby stores, it was fun to flow in the wind. But It was such a dumb thing to do. I realized that one day when I saw a woman rider's terrible scars from falling without riding gear, since then I have been good with gears. Thanks for mentioning the UPF clothing. I like these two for swimming. Do they have sales often? https://www.coolibar.com/uv-swimwear/womens-swimwear/women-s-surf-rash-guard-upf-50.html

https://www.coolibar.com/uv-swimwear/womens-swimwear/women-s-big-wave-swim-skort-upf-50.html

I got my shirts for swimming at Kohl's in the men's department for $12! I thought that was great price until I found some at Rose's for $2-$3!!! along with cool dry tops for running! I really want tight leggings for swimming, but so pricey. I even tried swimoutlet.com since they are local, but it's for online ordering only. I was late to the UPF party, but once I looked it was everywhere, though often only in the men's dept. That skort is super cute! My coveralls are from Duluth Trading Co. They are really well-made and on sale!!! :-))

Thanks Vap! You are a smart shopper! Are you a shopaholic? :-) Will check out the places you mentioned.

Not a shopaholic, but I do love clothes of a certain style and vintage. I'm very careful buying because much like roses, I have a hard time getting rid of anything. My friend's call my closet "The Archives"! : 0) I only buy to replace nowadays and hate trying things on. As a sewist, I like a good fit so I don't know if I could ever really buy anything online. Interestingly, I keep getting ads on my sidebar with the cutest clothes and shoes. Easy to resist though when the choice is between clothes and roses!!!

Lol, I also have a hard time getting rid of things. You are a sewist! How cool is that! :-)

Well, I originally used the word 'sewer', but it didn't have quite the same ring!

Sewist is a cool word, it combines sew and artist. I think anyone who creates beautiful clothes is an artist. I wish I have that skill. A long time ago I used to draw skirts (360 degree) , a family friend who sewed for me from drawing. I dreamed to become a fashion designer. That was one of the dreams popped on my journey. Lol

Seamstress!

That Is the precise word Sheila! I'm not sure if I'm worthy of it though. :-)

What a fun topic! I love to see what other people garden in. I’ve been working on a pattern for my own garden coveralls. (My career before teaching was in costume design for the theatre. Always thought of myself as a seamstress, but somehow “sewist” sounds more modern.). 😊

Perma, I'm thinking you mixed it with sexist, which is more modern.

Yes, “sewist” is gender neutral.

Thank you for the inspiration, Vap—-I’m going to dig out some fun prints for my coveralls. I think I’m ready to be a fancy pants gardener, lol! 😊

PnP, you won't regret it! Slipping these on has given me just a little Je ne sais quoie. Now all I need are some cute garden booties. I had a great pair, but lost them somewhere and my plastic clogs are too easy to fall out of on hills. Wish I still had an intact pair of wooden clogs. My fall-back are generalIy some favourite pair that gets trashed immediately. The best are those from Aldi's, so I may just venture in to see if they have any left at this late date. I'm guessing not.

Anyway, check out the details on the coveralls at Duluth Trading. They have secret pockets and all sorts od useful detail. 14 total I think and a rear gusset that makes bending over easy. I'd probably reinforce the knees just knowing my wear patterns. Please post pics when done!

P.S. I am 'sew' impressed with your design credentials. That must have been so much fun, but so much work also. Count me in as another closet designer in a past life, but only for myself, my mom and once for a friend. One of my besties was a costume designer and wig maker! as well as everything else artistic one could think of so we always chatted while he cut my hair about everything under the sun.

Vap is a professional shopper! How many closets do you have? :-)

Perma, that must have been great experience to create unique costumes.

It’s snowing here. Old man winter refuses to leave. Fur boots are back on.

OMG! Those are adorable! To clarify I don't design closets, I meant I'm a secret designer! LOL!!!, although I do have a couple for clothes and textiles of various sorts. My house came with a huge walk-in cedar closet so most stuff goes there. I'm one of last hold-outs for woolen clothes and blankets so it comes in handy for those. Many old home had them at one time.

It's snowing again this morning. So the dog walking outfit is combined with spring and winter! Lol I love flower pants. I'd love to see yours! :-)

So, I may have cute overalls but do you think I might need a new pair of garden shoes? LOL!