What you wear, clothe your body in Maine is a lot like the Frank Lloyd Wright reminder that “form follows function”.
Which actually Louis Sullivan was the brain child of that particular notion. That Frank took from his mentor. And ran with it. Getting all the press.
The Maine wardrobe clothing fits the season and chore at hand.
If you are working in a Northern Maine potato field, the spud house to process the golden nuggets. For the from the harvest farm land, out the door to fresh markets.
Or to store them away for continual winter withdrawals. For dark bin by bin siphoning, then clothing is anything goes.
That is as long as Maine clothing is not stringy, straps, loose. That can get caught in machinery. Sucking the guy or gal wearing the threads into the conveyor belt.
The Oz like wizardry of many noisy, whirling, twirling high RPM spinning cogs. That someone in a hurry sometimes forgets to replace the OSHA approved safety guards. To create an accident waiting to happen situation.
If outside, working on a Maine winter snow storm (AKA “dusting”) removal in a Maine winter. If that is the mission, something warm, layered but that breaths, wicks works best.
So the material trumps the color. Because it does the job. And cold or clammy sweating, getting chills is avoided. Not what Mainer’s put up with, struggle to add to their toil. When chasing the dollar working outside in the Maine weather elements.
When the mercury sits low in the tube. Wind howls, drifts. Clearing a slow, low pitch Maine home porch or camp roof. That is more like the turtle than the hare in shedding snowflakes.
Or hunkered down, with water repellent fishing gear at the helm of a diesel boat in a north east gale ocean wind.
Hauling in, hoisting up dark green clawed Maine lobsters.
During the winter months, from the ocean’s floor with locations all marked by colorful floating surface buoys. That salt water keeps from freezing in. Static frozen in still frame.
So color is less a concern in Maine for clothing. No one out to impress. No one seeking to cause any tag left on for shock value price envy.
We don’t name drop in Maine.
That game does not work here in the Pine Tree state. Because Mainers don’t play, care about name brands. We like paid for, frequent good as new, second time around Goodwill type stores. Where wool blend clothing that sets you back a couple bucks a copy works just fine.
It’s all about cool, warm, comfortable and no or low cost when talking, describing Maine clothing. Hand me downs.
The blazer with no bullet or moth holes.
That has the leather elbow patches and exotic far away name, expert tailor stitching. That the original now deceased, passed away Maine owner just left hanging in the closet unworn. Or with very few miles logged. Because his wife like it, he… well, not so much.
Maybe it was the buttoned collar and tie cutting off air to the windpipe, not the blazer. Or the fact that dressing up was just not his forte. Made him feel like a brook trout out of water. Or the center of attention, was seeking mirror mirror on the wall notice. Putting on heirs. Just not the way he, most true Mainers are wired.
As temperatures increase and you find yourself wielding a 45 tine blueberry rake on the barrens in Downeast Maine, less clothing is more like it.
Cool is where it is at. Especially for the NASCAR nimble, skilled, quick imported laborers from Honduras. Who drive 80 to 90 tine Maine blueberry rakes.
The new to the game, less polished players wield the lower number models with small scoops. Taking longer time spent filling boxes. Like small size potato baskets fill cedar or plywood field barrels. Added production time, lower ticket results at sundown of a frosty beginning, hot as Hades tail end of the day field laboring to help an area farmer.
Clothing that works in Maine. Why do you think LL Bean is a Maine company and so successful? The guarantee money back or else helps. The fact it works first, looks rugged and appealing making a fashion statement second. Flashy is not the end all with clothing in Maine.
Save that for the polo match, Kentucky Derby, Hollywood film premier.
Neither is the color the cat’s meow for clothing. Unless you are a flagger in summer on a busy Maine highway. Then bright colors that glow in the dark work best holding the eight sided red sign to stop and go. To help the motorists caught in road construction project that happens in summer.
Where visibility at the new 75 miles per hour on Maine I-95 roadwork means dress in vibrant color brightly. Stay eyes peeled, nimble running that steam roller, paving machinery while out playing in traffic to avoid life threatening accidents. Be seen or be dead.
Where Maine traffic fines are double in the construction zones. For those who ignore the pedal to the metal reflex.
To zing behind the wheel of paid for hung onto, life long friend like vehicles. With names like boats in a Maine harbor.
Maybe not with all the fenders the same matched color the factory sprayed on, clear coated. To get across Maine, north to south, east to west quickly. And hopefully not make a flagger, other construction worker a casualty, hood ornament. We hang onto our old cars and trucks in Maine and take good care of them liked loved ones.