One of the most important pieces of ‘equipment’ on your farm is your body. And like the rest of your farm equipment, you need to ensure your body is protected and functions properly. Since life on an Australian ranch  includes various different activities and dirty work, you need comfortable and durable apparel. For this reason, we are going to discuss what kind of clothes do farmers wear, i.e. the pieces of clothing that should belong in any farmer’s wardrobe.

Durable Jeans

When it comes to ranch wear, the most recommended option for pants is jeans. They are durable and comfortable for doing any type of chore, plus they offer protection from the elements. The Premium Performance type of denim provides the necessary comfort and durability that every farmworker needs. This fabric will allow you to do your job with an unrestricted range of motion.

When it comes to what’s the best cut for farm jeans, that’s usually the practical boot-cut style. These jeans are designed to go over your work boots and fit around the shaft. Some farmers performing fieldwork on horseback would want to tuck their jeans into cowboy boots. If this is also the case with you, invest in a pair of relaxed-fit jeans which can fit inside your boots. However, avoid slim-fit styles as these will restrict your range of motion.

Warm Polar Fleece

For the cold winter, you will need something warm, thick, comfortable, quick-drying, and durable. And a polar fleece provides all these features. You can wear a soft and warm polar fleece pullover both for work and for casual situations. Fleece is ideal for outdoor activities during the cold days since it provides protection against the outdoor elements while being extremely comfortable at the same time. You can even put it on under a heavier coat for optimal warmth.

Aside as workwear, you can also wear it around the house or when sitting around a campfire at night. Since this can be both a fashionable and comfortable piece of clothing, both male and female ranchers prefer to have a quality fleece in their wardrobe.

What makes this material perfect for outwear and all things cosy is its super soft, warm and breathable nature. Being breathable means that it allows air to flow through it easily and this characteristic is important for farmers that actively work during the day. This also means that it can prevent body odour. Fleece has a pile surface on both sides of the fabric, which means that each side has a layer of cut fibres.

In addition, polar fleece workwear often comes with practical pockets to warm your hands when you are cold or to store some tools and gadgets. What’s more, fleece as a material is moisture-resistant. This makes it even more suitable for extreme weather conditions. Hence, this lovely cosy fabric is also used for making other winter wear items, such as coats, gloves, scarves, blankets, etc. Plus, many sportswear items are made from fleece because of all the qualities that this material provides.

Practical Shirts

For the hot days, you will need a longsleeved lightweight shirt to protect against sun, dust and bugs, but also a short-sleeved shirt to stay cool while also shielding your shoulders from sunburn. These shirts come in a wide range of styles and colours, from traditional western yokes to some more modern cowboy shirts, from solid to plaid, from collared to collarless. Western shirts have a lot of embellishments, such as cuffs and yokes and different fringe details if you want to make a cowboy statement. They also may come with different types of pockets (smile pockets, faux pockets, functional pockets) for increased functionality.

Protective Cowboy Hat

Whether it’s summer or winter the great Australian sun will catch you out anyway. Therefore, you probably want to have more than one hat since the different seasons present different demands. As traditional cowboy hats are considered the ones made from straw or wool. Straw hats are casual summer hats perfect for the hot days since they allow more air circulation while still providing shade.

However, straw isn’t suitable for heavy rain. In this case, a study and water-resistant leather hat would be more suitable. Felt hats on the other hand, are the best choice for keeping warm during winter while also being protected from the sun. This material also sheds water pretty well and this makes it suitable for the rainy days

Whatever hat material you go for, make sure that it’s wide-brimmed in order to protect your face, neck and shoulders from the sun. A specific wide-brimmed hat that is pretty popular among Australians is the so-called Akubra hat. Another popular style is the palm leaf hat since it’s lightweight and sturdy.

Sturdy Boots

It’s important that your footwear is comfortable and functional. There are many different types of boots for ranch work  and one thing is certain – you can never have too many boots when it comes to ranch life.

Cowboy boots are the first that come to mind. These boots have a narrow toe which makes them easier to quickly slip the foot out of a stirrup when some urgent circumstances warrant a quick dismount. Plus, these boots will perfectly protect the legs from branches, trail brushes, cactus thorns, etc.

Then, you also have the muck boots which are waterproof and tall to protect you from getting wet feet. Wading boots are another great option of waterproof boots intended for traversing through moist environments. These boots are especially suitable for those ranchers that like fishing.