Farming is a challenging and dirty job. As a farmer, you want to wear comfortable clothes, as they will greatly enhance your productivity. Farm wear should also protect you from the environment and the elements.
The best clothes to wear for farm work include overalls, coveralls, jeans, moisture-wicking shirts, leather boots, hats, aprons, and rubber gloves. These farmwork clothes comfort and protect you and are durable to allow for repeated use.
Are you looking for farmer’s clothing? Read on to know what farm clothes you should have for your farming outfit.
Essential Clothing Items You Should Have in Your Farming Outfit
We have discussed the properties of good farm clothes. We that in mind, what kind of clothing articles should you wear to the farm? Well, it will depend on the specific farming activity you are involved in and the environmental conditions.
Nonetheless, ensure your farm wear has the following:
Hats
Let’s start from the top down. A hat will protect you from the sun’s damaging UV rays. Yes, UV rays are crucial for vitamin D synthesis and overall health. However, prolonged exposure to these rays puts you at risk of developing skin cancer, not to mention painful sunburns.
Therefore, have a wide-brimmed, well-ventilated hat whenever you go to the farm. Unlike baseball caps, wide-brimmed hats cover your face, neck, and shoulders, reducing the damage the sun’s rays can have on your exposed surfaces.
Long-Sleeved Shirts and T-Shirts
You’ll need to wear a long-sleeved shirt or t-shirt under your overalls to ensure maximum protection from the environment. Long-sleeved shirts come in handy during colder days or when looking to protect your forearms from the scorching sun.
Denim Pants
Also known as jeans, denim pants are for those who don’t fancy overalls. A sturdy pair of jeans will allow you to take on farm work without worrying they will tear apart. Additionally, jeans can handle repeated washing without degrading.
Overalls or Coveralls
There’s a reason overalls are synonymous with farmers; they are practical and comfortable! It is easy to see why overalls are the ideal farm wear. They fit snugly, allowing you to adjust for comfort at the shoulders. They protect your entire body. Moreover, they come with numerous pockets for your convenience.
Coveralls are simply “full” overalls. They come in handy during the colder season when you need maximum protection from the elements. Another benefit of coveralls is you can wear them over your regular clothes.
Leather Boots and Rubber Boots
You need shoes that not only provide you with a firm footing while working on the farm but can also take a beating without degrading. That is why leather boots are ideal, as they are remarkably durable.
Rubber boots are convenient in many ways. They are also remarkably durable but are less expensive than leather boots. Additionally, washing rubber boots is a breeze, as all you need to do is hose them down after use.
Gloves
You should always have a solid pair of rubber gloves in your back pocket. They allow you to take on challenging tasks, such as baling hay, without damaging your hands. They can also protect you from the cold during winter months.
3 Factors to Consider When Choosing Farm Clothes
Farm clothes also need to be practical. They should protect you from elements in the farming environment, such as thorns, thistles, insects, and the weather, all while being comfortable to work in.
Therefore, the best way to determine whether a piece of clothing would be ideal for farm wear is by checking whether it meets the requirements for farm work clothes, which are:
- Durable
- Offer protection
- Moisture-wicking
Let’s look at these characteristics in a little more detail.
1. Farm Clothes Should Be Durable
Farm clothes must be durable to withstand harsh conditions typical of a farm setting and repeated washing.
Farm work consists of numerous activities, ranging from simple and benign to strenuous and challenging jobs.
Some activities involve lots of bending, kneeling, crawling, and brushing against rough surfaces. Therefore, you want your farmwear made of materials that can take a beating and return for more.
That is why I recommend going for polyester shirts and T-shirts, denim pants or overalls, and leather shoes. These materials are renowned for their durability, allowing you to use their clothing articles for extended periods before needing replacement.
2. Farm Work Clothes Should Offer Protection From the Elements
It is not that farmers do not have a sense of style. They do; however, it is more important for a farmer to cover their legs and arms than to look chic while working on the farm.
You must consider what you are up against every time you work on the farm. Some of the things that can jeopardize your comfort include:
- The sun
- Thorns
- Weeds
- Insects
- Dung
- mud
As such, you want clothing that protects you effectively against those elements.
For starters, you need a hat for sun protection. Additionally, depending on the weather, you want to wear overalls, coveralls, or denim trousers to cover and protect your legs. You can wear long-sleeved shirts to protect your arms.
3. Farmers’ Clothing Should Have Moisture-Wicking Properties
You can always count on sweating when doing farm work, regardless of the prevailing weather conditions. As you can imagine, the feeling of your clothes sticking to your body due to sweat is not exactly the definition of comfort.
Moreover, you just can’t take off your garments whenever you feel sweaty, as that would defeat the whole purpose of farm clothes protecting you.
What’s more, if you are working in frigid conditions, sweat can cause your body to draw cold, putting you at risk of getting sick.
That is why you should only do farm work in clothes with moisture-wicking capabilities. Moisture-wicking fabric draws water away from the body, transferring it to the surface for evaporation, ensuring you remain warm, dry, and comfortable at all times.
Therefore, go for clothing articles made of technical fabrics, such as high-tech polyester. This material has a very low moisture-absorbing capacity. Avoid cotton garments, as they tend to retain water.
Best Farm Work Clothes To Wear in Summer
The ideal summer farm outfits should keep you comfortable in the scorching summer heat. Therefore, ensure you have the following clothes in your summer farming outfit:
- A well-ventilated, wide-brimmed hat
- Long-sleeved shirt or T-shirt with moisture-wicking properties
- Overalls since they can protect you from the environment without feeling bulky
Best Women’s Farm Work Clothes
Female farm attire is really not that different from that of men since both sexes can handle the same type of farm work under the same conditions. However, women’s farm clothes tend to be designed differently to accommodate their unique anatomical features.
Stretch cotton denim is the best fabric for women. It allows for maximum flexibility and comfort. This material is also remarkably soft, in addition to being breathable.
Best Men’s Farm Work Clothes
Men are more likely to take on tougher farmer jobs. Therefore, durability is the most important factor to consider when looking for farm clothing for men.
When buying denim overalls for men, make sure they have reinforced stitching at stress points; these stress points enhance the durability of your cloth while maintaining some flexibility.
Conclusion
The best clothes to wear for farm work are comfortable, durable, and protect you from various elements in the environment. While you can wear just about anything to the farm, ensure to consult this guide when determining if a particular piece of clothing would be ideal for wearing on the farm.
Ideally, your employer will provide you with clothes or give you a budget to buy the necessary equipment. But that is not always the case, as farmworkers are underpaid and not well-treated in the farming industry.