Bibs

[Ulu]

I finally bought my first pair at age 66, because I got tired of wearing a belt.

Once I get ‘em broken in, I’ll be well dressed for the tailgate barbecue.

 

Anyhow no car work lately, but here I am putting new rollers on my patio door.

 

 

 

 

[Dan Hiebert]

Ahh, bib overalls.  My grandpa wore them religiously on the farm.  And everywhere else, for that matter.  Up here everyone wears the insulated ones during the winter, but won't wear "regular" ones when it warms up.  Which is a bit disconcerting because them overweight farmers still don't wear a belt, so their britches don't stay up.

[Eneto-55]

1 hour ago, Dan Hiebert said:

Ahh, bib overalls.  My grandpa wore them religiously on the farm.  And everywhere else, for that matter.  Up here everyone wears the insulated ones during the winter, but won't wear "regular" ones when it warms up.  Which is a bit disconcerting because them overweight farmers still don't wear a belt, so their britches don't stay up.

Describes my grandpa, too.  Never saw him in anything but bib-overalls except when dressed up for church services.  There's a picture of their 25th wedding anniversary vacation, when they went down to Corpus Christi.  In the picture my grandpa has his overall pant legs rolled up, and is "chasing" my grandma through the surf.

I wore them as a child growing up, and while I didn't ever wear them to school myself, some others did.  I have several pairs now, but I'm thin so it's not the belly or lack of a belt, and I mostly wear them over my jeans in the winter to keep warmer.  Also often wear an old pair when I'm working under the car.

[Plymouthy Adams]

bibs are a very different article of clothing to wear.....I find them uncomfortable and in some occasions confining for the most part and thus do not wear them....I do like the look, just can't handle the fit...

[HotRodTractor]

I still farm and do occasionally partake in the bib wearing experience. More so in the winter as I find them a little hot and confining in the summer - but I do own a pair of pinstriped bibs for those more discerning farm social events. 

[MackTheFinger]

I'm with PA, I always found bibs to be uncomfortable. My father wore bibs all the time, though; usually with a big ball peen hammer in the loop. It was his favorite tool. He used it to drive fence staples, bust out boar hog tusks, and killed hogs with it. An all-purpose tool. ?

[JBNeal]

I recall that the pinstripe overalls were for the gentleman farmer in my neck of the woods, usually worn only into town for trips to the store, the bank, or the tractor/truck dealers

[Eneto-55]

3 hours ago, JBNeal said:

I recall that the pinstripe overalls were for the gentleman farmer in my neck of the woods, usually worn only into town for trips to the store, the bank, or the tractor/truck dealers

The carpenters wore the stripped one where I came from in Oklahoma.  (Of course these carpenters I knew were also dairy farmers.  Maybe they wore different ones depending on what work they were going to do that day so they wouldn't get confused....)

[Sniper]

Might want to think about covering those metal buttons if you get near a painted care.  BTDT

[MackTheFinger]

One of my wife's uncles said my wife's grandfather wore overalls and a belt. The belt was for whipping the kids when they did something wrong. With 14 kids I'm sure he kept busy. He was probably born in the early 1890's but nobody knows exactly where he came from or when he was born. He was an orphan train kid. I think some of those kids could have been classified at best as indentured servants and at worse as slaves. While the whole project was supposedly a charitable enterprise it's not hard to imagine that someone was cashing in.

 

Had to edit to correct wife's grandfather's approximate birth year. I'd originally stated 1870's because my grandfathers were born in 1870 and 1871 respectively. I sometimes forget I married a younger woman. ?

Edited March 25, 2021 by MackTheFinger
clarity

[plymjim]

Don't forget the railroad workers. I have a photo of my great granddad

with a bunch of his co-workers in front of an old steam locomotive 

quite a few of them are dressed in bibs.

 

[keithb7]

For my 65th birthday I will be requesting bibs. The fancy ones I can wear to anniversary dinners.

 

 

[Ulu]

8 hours ago, Sniper said:

Might want to think about covering those metal buttons if you get near a painted care.  BTDT

 

I have regular coveralls for working on cars. I'm an old hand at coveralls.

 

But there's a whole protocol concerning bibs that was unknown to me.

What to wear under, or over, plus when and why. The secret pockets. Using the john. Proper strap adjustment.

 

I definitely hate where the buckles wound up. I'll have to cut and stitch the straps to eliminate the sliding buckles.

 

Otherwise, I so far find them practical and comfortable enough for most work or lounging.

Edited March 24, 2021 by Ulu

[Ulu]

On 3/22/2021 at 4:44 AM, Dan Hiebert said:

Ahh, bib overalls.  My grandpa wore them religiously on the farm.  And everywhere else, for that matter.  Up here everyone wears the insulated ones during the winter, but won't wear "regular" ones when it warms up.  Which is a bit disconcerting because them overweight farmers still don't wear a belt, so their britches don't stay up.

I couldn't find insulated ones in the local shops. It doesn't get cold enough here.

[Dan Hiebert]

Carhart is the big name in insulated ones up here.  Everyone just calls insulated bibs "Carharts", whether that's who made them or not.

[Dan Hiebert]

19 hours ago, JBNeal said:

I recall that the pinstripe overalls were for the gentleman farmer in my neck of the woods, usually worn only into town for trips to the store, the bank, or the tractor/truck dealers

A couple other posts note the same thing, that's how my grandpa and the other folks in his neck of the woods viewed the pinstriped ones, too.  For Sunday-go-to-meeting wear, they would just add a tie (usually a bowtie).  I think the only time I haven't seen my grandpa in bibs was when he was in his WW1 Army uniform, and in the "official" photo when he was on the local school board.

[Tooljunkie]

22 hours ago, Dan Hiebert said:

Carhart is the big name in insulated ones up here.  Everyone just calls insulated bibs "Carharts", whether that's who made them or not.

Yup, i have uninsulated carharts, i wear if im working out in a snowbank. If im welding or crawling around under cars as well. Not someting i can wear daily, as i find them hot and cumbersome too. 

[HotRodTractor]

Yes - all of my insulated bibs are Carhartts. I've went through who knows how many pairs over the years. Best thing ever for working in the cold even with limited movement.

My dad always wore stripped bibs when he wore them - it was kind of something that I picked up from him unknowingly. Ironically I never owned a pair of stripped bibs while he was still with us.  

[Sniper]

I have a pair of seriously insulated Carhartt bibs, the matching jacket and hood, got them when I climbed wind turbines.  They will keep you warm regardless.  To the point of sweating hard.  I rarely wear them anymore.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I sent a pair of Carhart to my cousin...he is often in snow and wet tending farm/livestock.....he was happy to get them....I personally do not like heavy material but I also don't have to be out and about daily either....I find blue jeans too heavy for my liking.  

[Merle Coggins]

On 3/24/2021 at 6:56 AM, Dan Hiebert said:

Carhart is the big name in insulated ones up here.  Everyone just calls insulated bibs "Carharts", whether that's who made them or not.

 

Got some of them. Back in the day when I was a full time field service technician I practically lived in them all winter long. Wore out a few pair along the way... Can't beat them for keeping warm while working outside in the winter months. 

[Los_Control]

I use to wear the old blue denim bibs all the time, late 30's early 40's got away from them ... now in the 50's, looking for them and hard to find.

Seems they are real popular for toddlers, while grown men sizes do not sell so much anymore.

Couple months ago I looked at tractor supply, all of theirs had bright colored stitching, designer pockets ... I'll pass.

Then I looked at a local building supply store, same thing. (compare to home depot)

There is one more store I have not checked yet, this thread motivates me to do so 

 

The insulated bibs are almost mandatory equipment for those that work out in weather year around. You need to dress in layers, and a easy item to remove as day warms up.

I would not consider them the same as the old blue denim bibs we use to wear.

[Eneto-55]

Last couple of pairs I bought at Atwoods.  Apparently they are only located in the Oklahoma Arkansas Texas area.

https://www.atwoods.com/department/clothing/men-clothing/overalls-coveralls/dickies-men-s-bib-overalls.html

 

I got them while back home near Collinsville, Oklahoma, where I grew up.  But maybe can search on the Dickie's brand.  That's what is showing on the Atwoods site, although mine are Round House brand.

[Plymouthy Adams]

59 minutes ago, Eneto-55 said:

I got them while back home near Collinsville, Oklahoma, .................................................. Round House brand.

..see........now the truth comes out.....they should only be worn 'round the house......never in public.....I'm sticking by that one...!!!!

[Eneto-55]

1 hour ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

..see........now the truth comes out.....they should only be worn 'round the house......never in public.....I'm sticking by that one...!!!!

Well, my wife would probably like that.  Not because she likes how I look in them so much, but because she doesn't really want me "out in public" in them.  Different culture & social class, I guess.