Everyone has a favorite comfort show. For some, it’s reruns of Chopped. Others love Sex and the City (and love to hate And Just Like That) or worship at the alter of Real Housewives. For American Anglophiles uninterested in baking or horrific murders in economically depressed villages, Monty Don documentaries are must-half-watch laundry TV. Don is a gardener and TV presenter who digs, repots, and irrigates while cultivating an audience equally interested in patches of shrubbery and ornate displays of floral wealth. His fans – legion, but polite – obsess over his fashion. Don’s wears wide-set trousers (though, specifically, never jeans), a popover shirt, suspenders, and a slightly oversized chore coat. (His big floppy hat is optional, but excellent.)
Don’s style was never meant to be the centerpiece of the show. That spot is reserved for Montaserras and hedges. But lately, it feels like he’s a fashion statement. Monty Don style – gardencore, but not to be confused with “Plant Daddy” tees – is suddenly everywhere. Guys all over New York and Los Angeles (and, to a far lesser degree, D.C.) are slippy into baggy Dickies and Chef Pants. They look like topiarists in search of one of NYC’s 2000 community gardens.
“Overall, I feel like it’s the male version of the coastal grandma trend. Like Ina Garten, for guys,” says stylist and SPY Network member Nolan Meader. “I think of denim first before thinking of cotton or chinos.”
The look connotes a certain type of guy who is searching for the balance between looking good and trying too hard. Society blinked, and all of a sudden fashion was comfortable. Roomy pants and breathable jackets started replacing “slim fit” and cropped looks, making it more attractive to a wider base of people wanting to be stylish. It’s bringing a new player into the fashion fold. For a style-minded world that only included those willing to pour themselves into tapered pants, the new movement expanded fashion’s reach to guys open to style, but prioritizing comfort in what was previously only offering baggy tee shirts from college and sweatpants. Even brands have been expanding their options. J. Crew has been expanding its chino cuts to include the new extra-extra-wide literally called “Giant.” New brands and companies have also come to the forefront, like Gardenheir, selling the complete look from sunhats to rubbery shoes.
“I love the soft denim jacket,” says fashion collector and SPY Network member Eden Pritikin. “It’s honestly giving an effortless vibe. It says that whoever wears it doesn’t put a lot of thought into what they’re wearing, which inherently makes it even cooler and more effortless.”
For those looking to recreate the style, putting the pieces together doesn’t take much work.
Dickies Original 874 Work Pant
Dickies pants are the real thing. With products typically seen on people doing actual manual labor, the company is perfectly willing to sell them to people who just want to walk around in them and drink iced coffee. Resist the temptation to get them in a lighter color. A true gardener is going to be on their hands and knees in the dirt. Put some wear into these by toiling at the local community garden or in the local park and then incorporate them into this wardrobe choice.
Hanes White Tee
Never was there ever such a perfect plain white tee. This Hanes pack comes with five to circulate between, and all for just $30. That’s $6 a shirt. Find me a better deal. For this gardening ensemble, it works as a simple base layer for the summer months, and an insular one once the windy days of fall start sweeping through the city.
APC Pierre Brodee Denim Jacket
The game here is layers. The key is to be able to remove and add things as the day goes on and the sun beats down. Then, the layers get moved from body to tote bag. This shirt jacket from A.P.C. is giving “Brooklyn, mid-30s, and has a hanging plant in his home,” says Pritikin. The lighter shade of blue also breaks up the denim-on-denim look, while still looking nice with a little soil in it. That said, Pritikin suggests scratching the suspenders.
Le Mont St. Michel Jacket
Le Mont St. Michel has been the go-to original player in the chore coat game since 1913. The french workwear brand recently got a style bump a few years ago when they started making their way across the Atlantic in bigger numbers, but the craftsmanship still makes this a jacket you buy once and never need to replace.