If Monty Don was a woman....

[WeirdArchitecture]

Where would he shop?

I really want some lovely cotton or linen stuff, in my mind I see a loose fitting linen jumpsuit with scrappy straps and a side zip. It wouldn't be 'fashion' or ridiculously wide or show a silly amount of side boob. Simple and not humongous.

I search everywhere and can never find what im after, I can't be fussed with trends, but want some more choice. I used to like toast but they fit me horribly and the colour palettes don't suit me.

Are there any shops I don't know about that can do me a Monty style wardrobe? Natural fabrics that could see me gardening or walking by the lake, etc...

In a rare interview, Monty was openly uncomfortable with being asked where he gets his clothes, and strongly implied they grow in his wardrobe like cucumbers under glass.

Are there really no Cawley Studio aficionados here? (I linked them above through the female Monty's birth name.) I only discovered them last year and haven't bought anything yet - need to know if I'll feel ridiculous, or simply on the crest of the zeitgeist.

Not very monty don but shout out to Patrick Grant's communityclothing.co.uk/collections/womenswear

Sustainable, natural fabrics, very reasonably priced

Wardrobes do grow clothes. I doubt anyone here is dressed exclusively from the places we have listed. Most of us do a mix.

This year I wanted a soft overshirt with loads of pockets www.na-kd.com/en/products/linen-blend-overshirt-green this met the criteria.

My C&Rs dress is rather old, has been much abused and is still going strong. It was never in fashion to go out of fashion.

I presume it is normal to mix high end, high street, market, country show, TKMaxx sale rail, Mole Valley Farmers, holiday finds, DH cast offs and army surplus plus the odd tutu

@Postdatedpandemic bought a nice Nicole Fahri linen shirt in T K Maxx last week! Add in Teenage boys discarded hoodies and remove tutus and you are close to describing my wardrobe. I'm enjoying this thread, I'm generally happy with the arty gargener look, because that reflects what I am/do but I'm the odd one out amongst my friends, went out with them last week and felt a bit frumpy as they are all more groomed /mainstream. Interestingly they all have daughters whereas i have boys, i think they enjoy sharing the whole fashion thing with their girls where I would almost always rather buy plants! (they have v boring gardens).

Love this thread. I can absolutely resonate with you all and, despite some of the prices, I am trying to go with the buy once theory, so instead of spending often on poorly made items that don't last.

I have some tough linens bought from various boutiques near me - not expensive, but cut in a shape that suits work or garden (teamed with trousers or denim shorts!) with deep pockets and no other fastenings.

My contributions is this incredible store in the iconic town of Hay on Wye. I can testify to the quality - it lasts absolutely forever. I have 2 aprons which, at this rate, will be with me forever.

www.fieldandfound.com/

Far as I can see the only point of teen boys is bants (do people still say that?) and all their supremely comfy clothes that they suddenly can't fit into.

Left to myself I'd spend all my money on plants, books, wine and pointlessly lovely clothes.

My friends are also groomed with polished, manicured nails and wouldn't be seen dead in my attire yet I adore them so. Both have owned up to secretly loving my dungarees and linen work tops however but cannot pride themselves from their Cos and shiny bling.

*prise!
I should proof read!

I'm not the slightest bit interested in gardening but I love this thread!

@HeronLanyon

No not sea salt surely ? Sorry have a (possibly irrational) hatred. Mimsy cutesy twee (used to have some interesting prints every now and then). Aware the mn love of seasalt is sometimes strong.

They do major in prints but they have some plain cotton / linen workwearish pieces too, and the prices are reasonable. Worth checking out.

I agree re Seasalt, I have some very plain linen dresses from there and their dungarees and trousers also good. Quality is very good too.

Only a tiny amount of workwear but oh the Japanese gardening tools.www.niwaki.com/workwear

Plus Muji always has some simple basics.

Lovely thread. I hope everyone is watching Rosemary and Thyme

I aspire to channel Frances Tophill. Linen/cotton trousers or dungas, coloured knitwear, loose shirts, retro headscarf/headband, perhaps merged with an idealised younger me from my hippy/backpacker phase with floaty stuff in boho prints and things picked up from travels, asymmetrically braided hair and a tan….. in reality I’m wearing joggers and DPs old tshirts and sweatshirts. Because I’d rather spend money on the garden itself than things to wear whilst gardening!

Going to bookmark some of these for should I ever “grow up” though!!

Mind you, my aspiring fashion student DS3 has taken to wearing the 35 year old paint splattered workwear dungarees from my art school days over his garish hoodies as a style statement so maybe my look isn't so past it.

Poppy Okotcha always looked really good on garden revolution too. (Obviously she’s stunning and would look gorgeous regardless - but the clothes are cool!)

Left to myself I'd spend all my money on plants, books, wine and pointlessly lovely clothes.

@MayIDestroyYou This would be me, too. Add to that my dream art studio and im set for life. I mean, I can paint almost anywhere but would love a more dedicated, large space.

So I’m thinking the female equivalent of monty is his wife Sarah Don. Google image searched her and looks like she also wears timeless clothes in natural fibres. Also she has gorgeous jewellery but I see they used to have a costume jewellery business together so that follows!

Thanks to everyone who has contributed!
I am sat here with a very, very sore Pfizer arm and the flu-like shivers, so going to spend most of the day sat in bed with cups of tea going through all of these wonderful links.

I agree with previous comments about the prices, many are a bit ludicrous regardless what you might say. However I also agree that buying a 'one off' item every now and again can be worth it.

My trouble is, I don't purchase clothes for a long time, a year in this case, so when I do decide to bite the bullet there's usually a few things that I need - so it is difficult to limit to one item. I shall have to exercise some restraint.

I’m so glad you started this thread. For years my DH and I have gazed in astonishment at some of the wardrobe choices on Gardener’s World, but I am loving that so many of you aspire to his style! His jackets look like they come straight out of communist China.
Surely his female equivalent is Frances Tophill….we always wait with bated breath to see what slightly-too-short trousers, or baggy shorts she’ll be wearing each week

[quote GlubGlubGlub]@WeirdArchitecture are you originally from the highlands/Shetland by any chance? I don’t think that most posters will know what a Gansey is!

They do great ones here www.shetlandknitwear.com/[/quote]
I think the word gansey comes from Guernsey originally

Someone mentioned Poetry.
I like some of their items but everything always seems to be sold out or due in some long distance into the future..I have no idea how they do business that way.
Also no photos of any product from the back. Similar to Toast, it boils my piss a bit considering the prices.
I can't see why you wouldn't provide a few decent all-round photos of each garment if you operate mostly online. It makes me doubt their integrity and fit.

Hope your arm, and the rest of you, recovers soon, OP.

Price is a complicated thing ... I won't tolerate sheer greed, which is why I lean towards very new designers /brands at the point where they want to sell rather than demonstrate how exclusive they are. But beyond that I'm prepared to spend what I can afford on things I love.

Having spent decades honing my 'waiting for the sales' technique I rarely pay full price for anything expensive nowadays - but I've noticed that the new wave of designers / clothes shop owners are proudly renouncing the 'start at £900, eventually sell at 75% off' culture, and I find their reasoning - reasonable.

As far as MN is concerned - I always wonder how much women's male partners are spending on their car, sports or other hobby gear, stag nights and general living their best life pursuits. Set against those things, it feels oppressive, even on an anonymous forum, to be effectively told that spending more than £30 on a top is wild, hubristic criminality.

Olliella.com