Hello Gang! I hope you all are well!

I started this thread so us ladies have a "go to" place for good advice on workwear that is cut to fit us, and where to find it. It seems that manufacturers and stores are lacking in, or even offer NO, workwear choices for us gals, especially for good fitting, rugged women's gloves, so here's a place to give your advice and reviews, and share sources for everything from footwear to gloves to clothing. Include reviews on what you (or your female significant other, who needs heavy duty workwear) have tried, good or bad, bc we need it straight, right?! Please include links to your online favorites to help the purpose of this thread!

This is not meant to be a place of commercials for stores and brands, but a place to share sources with one another, so let's try and keep the passionate testimonials and infomercials at a minimum.

Okay, so I'll start!

Being a female who loves to garden and do other heavy work, I've gone through more clothing than I care to count. I'm done wasting money on regular old clothing found in "Stuff Marts" and department stores, that only lasts two or three years at best, so this year, I've gone on a mission to find good quality workwear for myself, that's rugged, cleans well, and lasts for a good long time, at reasonable prices.

I live in the city, so I'm not privy to where our local farmers find their rugged workwear, other than the big box sports stores, Tractor Supply, and a huge locally owned (I think) hardware store. There may be more places, but that's what I can come up with, off the top of my head. Well, I'm a bargain hunter, and none of those stores are affordable for myself, in particular, even if and when they have a sale. So I have no choice but to look to the internet.

Now, of course, the majority of us are aware that Carhartt is the "cadillac" of workwear for men and women, especially in the cold months, but their prices are typically beyond what my budget can handle. Additionally, I'm between a plus size 1X and 2X, and that makes other brands of workwear even more difficult to find for this gal

So, I've started out looking for bib overalls, as they are a top priority need, right now, besides T-shirts and flannel shirt jackets. I lost 50lbs, in 2011, from the combination of gardening and, well, scarce money for food (the kids were always fed first), and my jeans became too big. Being that we were financially strained, I couldn't afford to just go out and change my wardrobe in one fell swoop (or even slowly for that matter ), for a whopping seven years, so I've used safety pins to make the waistband of my jeans smaller (I hate belts and I'm too lazy to run them through the sewing machine), but they still slide down and I'm sure the neighbors are beyond tired of my plumber's crack!

So I found Rosies Workwear for Women, on Amazon, and I found their own website. They have a great pair of bib overalls that have removable knee pads, and the lower pant leg zips off making for bermuda length, bib overall shorts! To me, that's the best thing since sliced bread and insect screens! They have a 1X, but nothing larger, and the reviews are overwhelmingly in agreement that they run large, so I figured a 1X would be the answer. Amazon is selling them way cheaper than their own website. They arrived yesterday, and they are very well made. Lots of pockets with flaps and zippers! The buckles are plastic and the straps are wide, heavy duty elastic, so I could see that those two things would wear out first. Now, when I tried them on, they fit a bit "too well" in the hip area. No room for the 100% cotton overalls to shrink and be comfortable. Arrrgh! So they are on their way back to Amazon, as I type! Other than the size, they are very nice, so for those who need bib overalls and are a regular 1X and smaller, here's the link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TOA8LGC/ I did get some clearance T-shirts, in my size, along with a hat and water bottle, from Rosies own website here https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TOA8LGC/

I've used Sierra Trading Post in the past, for good quality winter coats and snow boots, so that's where I went next to hunt for bib overalls. They tend to carry overstock and closeouts, and I found a pair of Carhartt jean overalls, in my size for 25 bucks! As of today, they only have size Large and 2X, so I ordered mine yesterday! Here's the link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TOA8LGC/

Amazon is a good source to find out what brands manufacture work wear for women, so I did use that to my advantage, not only to discover brands, but for price points of those brands, and if they didn't have anything in my size or quite the functional style I needed, I would Google the brand for women's work wear, to find things elsewhere! Hence I found Dickies, for 35 bucks, in a 2X, on Academy Sports and Outdoors! They are a reasonably priced brand, and they have all sizes, including plus sizes, in these overalls! Here's the link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TOA8LGC/ I thought I ordered them, but there's no sign of an email confirmation! In all honesty, I've been in web shopping overload for the past week! Well, it's probably best if I hadn't ordered them, bc I need the refund for the Rosies overalls, before I buy anything more. Eventually I plan to have three pair of overalls so I can crop two of them to capri length, and keep third one long.

Looking at flannel shirts, I found inexpensive ones on Sears' website. I haven't bought any yet, bc I've had to back off on the shopping, for now!

That post was too long for me to read, sorry - time is short today.

I would suggest Duluth women's workwear. Good quality, long lasting, the price is reasonable. I'll try to come back later to read the full post.

NBD, @greene.
I did check out Duluth. Don't remember what I found though!! I call it "Sometimers"!

So yesterday, the leather gloves I ordered on Amazon arrived, and I'm so disappointed! They don't fit right and they're not even cut to match each other in size! They'll be headed back to Amazon tomorrow, and they'll get an unhappy customer review from me! They are OZERO brand. Don't waste your money!




These gloves even have rave reviews! Taking the chance to order things like these online is a gamble, I know, but I'm desperate bc the "stuff mart" big box hardware stores carry more durable leather work gloves for men, and never in a men's small (which would fit me, sort of), and women's leather gloves never seem to be of good quality ....so the search for durable, affordable Women's size, leather gloves goes on....

Anybody have suggestions on where to find heavy duty, women's size leather gloves? I've been avoiding looking at Tractor Supply bc of prices, but I think it's time....

Duluth is definitely a good place for me and excellent quality with a lifetime guaranty, and I have also ordered some stuff off Garden Supply, but you have to understand, I garden in cutoff jean shorts (or something similar), old tank tops from Land's End with lots of stains from the dirt, flip flops unless I use my Sloggers garden clogs, and maybe a hat if necessary. I do have a gardening vest with lots of pockets I got from Garden Supply (if memory serves me) but when it gets too hot that has to go too. As for gloves, since I have small hands I only order the Atlas Nitrile gloves online because I know my size, but for the heavy duty leather gloves I only try them on at either the local garden store or Earl May, a garden store in Des Moines. I also have my mother's old leather gloves which I always wore when I did her gardening in Colorado. I cherish those and wear them sparingly, but they fit perfectly!

I can't stand to wear gloves that don't fit to my hands and are bulky. I like to "feel" what I am doing.

I agree with Duluth, but they aren't particularly cheap. However I have some gardening pants (the kind with the knee pads) my sister gave me about 8-10 years ago, they are still in perfect condition!

I will 2nd or 3rd Duluth for quality. Good design, well made, last a long time. As a shortie, I am particularly happy they usually offer 2-3 different size inseams. Do other women (both those with short and long legs) get frustrated that men can almost always order pants with whatever inseam they like, and men's clothing always have pockets? What's up with that?

As for gloves, I like leather gloves the best but sometimes money is scarce. I have been taking advantage of the coupon sales at Harbor Freight and buying Hardy Brand mechanic's gloves. They cost somewhere around $4 using the coupon, they are comfortable, breathable, wear a long time and are washable. Compare that to $15-$18 for one pair of leather gloves and my decision was easy.

@Bonehead

@greene, I've looked at Harbor Freight. It's been a while, but their all leather gloves seem to be all men's LG and XL. Did they have men's Small in mechanic's gloves?

I did go to Tractor Supply yesterday and found they had gloves on sale! I bought two pair of men's mechanic's type gloves, for $7.49 each! They're perfect, and the fingers are made with three pieces. So they're not bulky between the fingers! Ill post a photo later...

Yep, Harbor Freight has small men's gloves. Plus the mechanic gloves are a bit stretchy so they fit...well, like a glove. I rotate between 3 pairs so there is always a clean pair when needed.

GinnyG, I second everything you said. I have to be able to "feel" what I'm doing. I get my black nitrile gloves from a local dairy supply store. They're around $15.00 or a little more for a box of 100. I wear them lots. The black ones are a bit "thicker" so last longer. Still can "feel" through them. I buy my summertime outside work-wear off the "Cheep" tables at WallyWorld.

I've never been able to find women's workwear that would last through the rigors of farming, milking, etc. so just usually got Men's stuff, if I could find it small enough. Sometimes I was a "large boy". LOL And decent women's work shoes were non-existent so I had to deal with what I could find and deal with it.

In addition to short legs, I also have small feet (size 5-6) so usually buy my footwear in the boys department. They are typically a bit wider than ladies shoes, which is nice, and also half the price.

AnnaZ - I'm not familiar with the black ones - any chance of a picture or link because that price is amazing for the amount you get!

ProDex 100% black nitrile; I get them at IBA. See if there are any IBA dealers close to you. I can't seem to find any place online where you can get them and they don't have a price. So, I'd try IBA. Maybe if there isn't one close, you could call and have them send them to you??? I dunno. My dealer is in town, so no problem for me. I haven't bought any for a couple of years so the price may be more than that. Inflation, you know. I use them for EVERYTHING...........always for doing dishes or when my hands will be in water. I even buy the XXL and put them over my "regular" gloves in the wintertime if I'm where I know my gloves would get wet. Of course you end up catching them on something, or tearing them, but it saves getting wet hands/gloves when it's cold out. I liked them for when we do relief milking and chores and I'd have to feed calves in January. Could mix up milk replacer with my gloves on and not have red, chapped hands after a day of that.

Do they get hot when you're working outside for a long time though?

Yeah, my hands sweat like crazy, but i deal with it.

AnnaZ said:Yeah, my hands sweat like crazy, but i deal with it.

My hands sweat so bad in the nitrile gloves, that both the gloves and my hands stink, like no other stank. I tried washing the gloves, and no luck. I'm sure that you can grab new pair of fresh ones very easily, with a box of 100!

When I take mine off, I leave them inside out so they can dry out. I wear them till they tear. LOL I've found that dusting the inside with some powder works great to get them back on again. They slide right on my hand. I always kept a container of baby powder in the barn for "glove-putting-on".

Great idea @AnnaZ