When Rosies Workwear offered me a chance to try out a complementary pair of the company’s bib overalls, I jumped at the opportunity. When I tried them on, I jumped for joy. In all my vegetable gardening days, I’d never owned a pair of overalls because men’s sizes never fit right. Baggy clothes or pant legs that drag on the ground can be downright dangerous when working in the garden.

Rosies Workwear is named for the tough Rosie the Riveter types who helped support our country’s war effort during World War II. While my vegetable gardening can’t hold a trowel to that kind of industry, it still requires a lot of hot, sweaty work. 

The professional “smoke” overalls I trialed are fashionable, but extremely functional. There are 11 pockets, including a hidden inner pocket, to hold tools of every shape and size. The elastic straps are fully adjustable so a pair can be made to fit just about any shape and size. These are the most comfortable work clothes I’ve ever worn.

They’re also adjustable on the sides for a looser or tighter fit. I thought they looked and fit so well that I didn’t change clothes when I needed to make a quick trip to the garden center. That’s something I never would’ve done in my regular gardening gear.

These overalls have some especially nice features. At the top of my list are the removable kneepads. Because they fit snuggly inside the knees, there’s no more searching for the kneeling pad or trying to get knee pads to stay in place when getting down and dirty in the garden.

Another nice feature, the overalls are made of a tough polyester-cotton blend fabric with a water-resistant finish. After a long day of planting in the vegetable bed, it was easy to shake out the soil before tossing them into the washer. 

Rosies bib overalls come in an assortment of cool colors and some have zip off legs. The line of classic overalls are made from 100% cotton twill. A detailed sizing chart makes it easy to find the perfect fit.

In fact the fit is part of the story behind the founding of Rosies in 2002. That’s when Sharon Moore realized men’s coveralls posed a safety hazard when she was learning to weld. Instead of giving up on welding, she started a women’s workwear company. It’s almost like the workwear is another tool to add to a gardeners’ tool bag.

A nice touch is the community of Rosies Workwear women who share their stories and projects on the Rosies blog and through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Based in San Luis Obispo, Calif., a portion of proceeds from sales goes to nonprofit organizations that support and encourage women in the community.

I know I’m going to get years of gardening wear out of my bib overalls because of all the thought that went into designing and stitching them. It also feels great to pull on a piece of clothing that connects me with that Rosie the Riveter “We Can Do It” attitude.