Work Clothing

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and for most of us this means a belt loosening sized meal… that makes you want to take a nap and then go back for more. This Thanksgiving think of all of the different places that your meal came from. Possible Idaho for your potatoes… Southern states for the fruit salad and cranberries, turkey farms all over  and on and on… Thank Heavens our farmers love what they do! Farming is not a get rich occupation. It requires long hours and it is not an easy job.

Clad in bib overalls , up with the sun and before and work all day. Every season of the year a farmer has work to do… planting, cultivating, harvesting and I bet if you ask most farmers what their least favorite part of owning a farm is that they will tell you, The paperwork and uncertainty of the harvest. Much work can be invested but until  the harvest goes to market and is sold, a farmers only hope is prayer and for most that is enough.

The good news is…….. Farming is alive and well and even though it is a 24/7 occupation, we can rest assured they would not walk off the job and abandon their herd. See farmers get attached to their animals and animals get attached to their farmer.

When I was a little girl, I remember the way my dad would call his dairy cattle in at milking time and his cattle knew his call. Likewise my neighbor had his own unique sounding call for his herd.  I have wonderful memories and visions of my dad in his Carhartt bibs running the dairy farm and we always had several healthy cats and kittens who always go their belly full and whiskers wet drinking  dicarded  milk.

In our grandparents day a farm of some size was pretty much standard anywhere you went. You gathered your own fresh eggs and you or your next door neighbor had a cow for the fresh milk and cheese was also homemade.  The work was labor intensive and the food quality was excellent! You knew what you had was natural and healthy. In those days no one was aware of what the future would mean to agriculture. Many things have changed for the better but today if you want organically produced anything… get ready to pay a good bit more. My parents have raised large gardens forever!!! and they have stressed the importance of learning the lost art of canning and preserving homegrown fruits, vegetables and meats. I have to be honest, it is so hard for me to make the time and dedicate it to such a time consuming process. I am like the story of chicken little…. I am there to eat and enjoy the dinner, but wasn’t there to do all the work…. Shame on me! But I am not all bad… I have my work overalls and I help cut firewood for the outdoor furnace and I do help when I am cornered at harvest time. I am convinced there are not enough hours in the day.

overalls

For most of us, the weather is getting colder and the time for heavier or warmer  work clothing and casual clothing for that matter has arrived. For those who wear Carhartt unlined bib overalls  for spring, summer and early fall, the reality of needing more layers is apparent. If you are the penny pinching type, as I am.. then you may have had the fore thought to buy your unlined bibs a bit over-sized to accommodate your layers for cold weather… I applaud you!

In the summer, 2 or 4 inches extra in the waist of your unlined bibs, just make them cooler and more comfortable.. then when needed they will fit over your thermals and blue jeans and you have just saved yourself a few dollars. With Carhartt brand you can get those extra miles out of your work clothes.

War time and the great depression were very hard times for American families. The loss of life was high and it really made people realize how precious family really is. Your parents and grandparents will recall scenes like this depicted on posters during WW2.

This fall as we approach the Holidays be sure to make right your hearts and minds to a spirit of thankfulness and contentment. So many people have it much harder than any of us can imagine. Cherish whatever traditions you have and purpose yourself to give to those less fortunate. You’ll be glad you did.   The family of Hamilton Carhartt knows the meaning of charity. If you are not familiar with that name, they are the manufacturers of Carhartt lined bib overalls. Their generosity has been shown many times over the years.

During WW2 when the Rosie the riveters were filling vacancies in the factories… the men that went to war were dying every day. Wearing her denim overalls and doing what she could to do her part.

This is a poster that was circulated during that time. It really serves to remind us of the advances in technology that we fight with today. More posters were found and I will share those with you also.

Rosie the Riveter is an icon representing the American women who worked in war factories during World War 2. These women sometimes took entirely new jobs replacing the male workers who were in the military.The character is considered a feminist icon in the US.

The term “Rosie the Riveter” was first popularized in 1942 by a song of the same name written by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb. The song was recorded by numerous artists. The song portrays “Rosie” as a tireless assembly line worker, doing her part to help the American  war effort.

All the day long,
Whether rain or shine
She’s a part of the assembly line.
She’s making history,
Working for victory
Rosie the Riveter

Carhartt denim overalls have been a favorite for decades and Rosie wears them well.

The company’s founder, Hamilton Carhartt, was born in Macedon Locks, New York, in 1855 and was raised in Michigan and Wisconsin, where his father, Dr. George Carhartt, was a physician and surgeon. Although his family distinguished itself mainly in the learned professions, Hamilton Carhartt had an interest in commercial pursuits. He left school in 1882 to enter the furniture business, first in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and then, in 1884, in Detroit.

There Carhartt established a wholesale furniture business under the name Hamilton Carhartt & Co. In 1889, he converted the business from home furnishings into one devoted exclusively to manufacturing apparel for working men. His first products were overalls made of duck  and denim fabrics for railroad workers.

Carhartt overalls are the leader in the industry today and the business is still run by decendants of Hamilton.

It’s hard to believe that the big strong Carhartt man in this poster was a little guy once. Playing with trucks and pretend tools and in his imagination he was a fireman or some other brave hero. The years flew by and he became a man and the first bib overalls he wore have become so precious. Any parent can tell you that the time goes too fast, but to that child it seems so long.

Carhartt knows how much appeal the infant, toddler and boys bibs have. Every little boy dreams of being a big strong man and in a set of Carhartt bibs he is ready to go for it.

Safety first is the motto with many companies these days. Many workers that I sell FR clothing to don’t agree with how touchy and technical their company is about the rules.

What many workers don’t realize is the liability issue. If a violation occurs that costs the company money and if an accident occurs and the worker is not in compliance…Look Out!!! heads will spin and a compensation claim will not get paid! Bottom line is this. If special clothing and footwear is required…suck it up and invest because if you don’t you  are taking a big risk.

Carhartt Flame-Resistant Clothing is some of the best around.