Pesticide operators have the risk of being exposed to chemicals while handling or spraying pesticides. Use of appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is one of the methods for protecting the operators against harmful effects. This paper includes a historical perspective, current scenario, and proposed future plans. The historical perspective includes information on United States pesticide regulations; pesticide safety/stewardship programs; and protective clothing studies and standards. The current scenario provides information on PPE regulation and the challenges it poses in the selection of protective clothing. The section on proposed plans outlines the process for implementation of international performance standards as the basis for providing a risk-based approach to selection of protective clothing. The process could be used as a model to develop recommendations for other types of PPE.