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Field Fashion: How to Dress for the Environmental Runway

Written on: December 14th, 2023 in Outreach, Wetland Research

By Alison Stouffer, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program

While you may be sweating out in the field, you shouldn’t be sweating your appearance. With just a few staple pieces, you can dress to impress on the environmental runway. This guide will provide you with the basics of field fashion so you can turn heads (ignore the confused looks and raised eyebrows) and tackle your work in style.

General Attire

Regardless of the season, dressing for the field is easy. Simply open that drawer in the depths of your closet where you keep your old cotton t-shirts and long sleeves from high school and pull out your favorite one! Now, if you’re like me, these shirts likely have a fair number of small holes dotting them. I like to think of these imperfections as the key to the perfect field fit. Every hole is an opportunity to release the pungent smell of hard work that comes with conducting fieldwork. Of course, a shirt alone doesn’t always provide the necessary protections against the elements. Additional layers in the form of sun sleeves (a unanimous favorite of my colleagues), sun shirts, button-up collared shirts, sweatshirts, rain ponchos, and even ski jackets can be incorporated as needed to really complete the look.

Once you’ve got your top down, it’s time to move to the bottoms. Like any other runway, you might want to try to match your pants and shirt for a cohesive look. I would suggest sticking with variations of tan, black, or gray. Not only will these compliment your cherished high school shirt, but they are also likely the only colors you have to choose from when it comes to quick-dry pants. For some added flair, consider convertible pants that can be zipped off into shorts and/or pants with lots of pockets (imagine all the snack storage). These add both style and functionality to your field fashion.

On special occasions, you might have to pull out all the stops. I’m talking about wetsuits and waders – the power suits of the environmental field. Just remember, whether you are rocking a t-shirt and pants or a wetsuit and waders, every layer is a barrier to rapid dis-robbing in the event of an emergency bathroom break!

Footwear

The second most important component of your funky field fit is footwear. While a tasteful loafer or bold chunky heel might please the fans of a traditional runway, we are big supporters of the classic boot. At first glance, a boot might seem rather basic. However, here on the environmental runway, boots can be of the hiking, ankle, knee, or hip variety. What they lack in proper fit, breathability, arch support, and comfort, they make up for in waterproofness – that is, of course, until you inevitably top them, and they fill with water. Or, even better, you poke a hole in them and they start to leak. Even so, their versatility really makes them perfect for every occasion. Just remember, these boots weren’t made for walking so appreciate boat travel when you can or have a stash of blister pads on hand and at the ready.

For those trendsetters out there, other footwear options include barefoot, sandals, old sneakers, neoprene booties, and even bread bags. Some of these options prove more practical than others and tend to be situationally specific. For example, bare feet are highly discouraged unless walking around the office or crawling out of a mudflat after losing your boot to said mudflat. Alternatively, bread bags and neoprene booties provide additional waterproofing and insulation to existing footwear.

Accessories

With the main components of your field fit finalized, it’s time to accessorize. This is a make-or-break point for the environmental runway. Accessories are the single most important way to show off your unique style and outdo your colleagues in field preparedness.

The best place to begin is with proper head gear (and I’m not talking about the contraption your orthodontist might have made you suffer through as a child). For many, prime field fashion season is in the hot months of the summer where a brimmed hat might be the only source of shade as far as the eye can see. I personally oscillate between a floppy bucket hat and the classic baseball cap, with others preferring to go the visor route. The dingier and more sun-faded the better. In the colder seasons, these hats can be replaced with beanies (ear flaps optional). Feel free to really bring out your personality here and show the world your favorite sports teams, where you went to school, what restaurants you frequent, your place of work, etc.

Other accessories include neck gaiters, polarized sunglasses, sunglass straps, watches, backpacks, and personal protective equipment (PPE). Many of these accessories perfect the balance between style and function. Neck gaiters, for example, are an attractive way to wipe the beads of sweat trickling down your face, prevent mosquito bites, or hide your sniffer from the ever-present musk of rotten eggs and body odor. Similarly, PPE protects your most valuable physical features while adding a bold pop of color – safety orange and yellow are always crowd favorites – to your field fit. While you will absolutely slay the environmental runway in whatever accessories you choose, it is imperative that you remember field fashion is a harsh industry. Sunglasses will disappear, watches will short circuit, backpacks will rip, and some component of your field fit will likely be lost to nature – never to be seen again.

While many accessories discussed here are up to your discretion, one accessory that is obligatory – no exceptions! – s the creative placement of mud and dirt. The environmental runway is a slippery, unsteady, and challenging place to walk. You will fall down, and you will get muddy. How much mud, the location of the mud, and the natural design it creates will win you significant bonus points (and not to mention street cred) for your field fit.

The environmental runway is a low-stakes way to flaunt your field fit while staying prepared for all that fieldwork throws at you. With this guidance in mind, I have no doubt you will be able to balance style and functionality. Now get out there, put in the work, and don’t be afraid to put your most fashionable foot forward!

Tags: field work, freshwater wetlands, Tidal Wetlands, Wetland Monitoring & Assessment Program