Everybody's Wearing Blue Jeans

I moved from Brisbane to St George ten years ago. I packed up all my city clobber, and naively assumed it would all be useful and appropriate in the country. I'm ashamed to admit I only owned two pairs of jeans in the year 2000. One was a faded blue colour, and the other was possibly creamy in colour. Both of them were usually stored in the far recesses of my wardrobe; only ever utilised on the coldest of cold days. I found them uncomfortable and bulky, and preferred the flexibility of black pants. I offer no apology for this. I was a city girl, and black pants were the height of fashion. They probably still are. I wouldn't know. I can't even tell you what movies are showing at the cinemas anymore.

I had been living in 'the bush' for a few weeks, when across the road from my house (at the showgrounds) was an event called a 'campdraft'. Anyone who knows anything about horses and cattle would be able to tell you about a campdraft, (hubby corrected my spelling by telling me it is only one word - not two) but I only knew that it was something about horses and cattle. (For more information, click here.) I thought this would be a great opportunity to 'socialise', meet a few locals and do something different. So I ran off to get dressed, and emerged minutes later in black pants, some synthetic shirt and possibly black heels. I'd thrown my hair back and put on minimal makeup.

I scaled the first fence, and made it to the outer perimeter of the bar area. I scanned the crowd; a blur of blues, checks, buttons, collars... and jeans. I froze, mid-step, and started my retreat. I was back home faster than you could count to ten.

Even at the local 'watering holes', the standard dress code involved jeans and varying 'dress code levels' of tops and shirts. By the end of the next week, (out of sheer necessity) I think I owned two new pairs of jeans.

Today, my wardrobe consists of this many pairs of jeans. (I was also wearing a pair, and another pair was in the wash). I just showed this picture to CP, who sees nothing wrong with it. He possibly owns more jeans than I do, and apparently he thinks this is 'normal'.

Jeans are the unofficial uniform of the bush. No wardrobe is complete without them. And they are SUPREMELY comfortable, despite my initial reservations.

Today it is my black pants that are pushed all the way to the back of my wardrobe. There is no practical use for them at all these days. Jeans are functional and I can't imagine existing without them. Jeans are especially good for scaling fences. (Including fences into campdrafts). But I don't need to worry about that anymore.

Thank goodness.

How to Survive on A Farm (Tips from someone who knows nothing about it). Part 9: Buy Yourself A Blue Shirt

In my experience, the only real uniform of the farmer is a blue shirt (usually of the RB Sellars variety) and jeans. Then you can add in the akubra hat, boots, knife belt, sock guards etc etc. And the 'official' after hours uniform of jeans (true blue jeans are moleskins), a collared shirt, leather belt and RM Williams boots. Recreational clothes are anything RM.

Recently, on Farmer Wants a Wife, Farmer Kieran sported an exceptionally BRIGHT pink shirt. This sported some discussion about 'true farmers'. And I'll put this out there... REAL FARMERS don't wear bright pink work shirts.

Blue Shirts - YES.

Pink Shirt - YES - only as a 'good' shirt.

This pink - NO. But surprisingly, red is also completely acceptable. Just not pink apparently...

Blue Shirt - Much more ruggedly handsome.

Before writing this post, I did some research. I went to the RB Sellars website to check the availability of stock. And, unsurprisingly, many sizes were out of blue stock, but ALL sizes were well supplied if it was pink you were after. An updated search has discovered that they don't actually even stock the pink anymore! I rest my case...

To continue my survey on the topic, I questioned local farmers on whether or not they would wear pink workshirts. With a whopping 100% support rating, 'no' was the winner on the day.

And in my final quest for clarification on the matter, I dug around to find pics of CP in hiw work gear to see if he had ever strayed far from trusty blue. This is what I have found...

When we first met.

Family photo - still on

Also with Akubra and knife belt in this one!

But all is not lost for the pink shirt. The ladies more than make up for the missing 'pink' on a farm. Out here we even celebrate it. This is from the Weengallon Pink Day (which raises money in aid of Breast Cancer).

Me and Leesa - all pinked up.

The decorations inside.

ABC girls covering the event.

They even wrap the building in pink!

 
The wonderful organisers!

But the blue shirts are a part of country DNA. It's what makes us 'us', the same way this...

... makes them 'them'.

Mind you, CP scrubs up nicely in a suit too.

But he's still more comfortable in this, when he dresses up. It's still blue, but it's not a work shirt.

And it doesn't matter where we go (elevators in hospitals, banks, the show), everyone can pick that he is from the country... so maybe it's not the shirts at all. Maybe it's the shoes...