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AUBURN — Androscoggin Historical Society will host an educational program with local collector, educator and businessman Lew Alessio titled “What Men Wore … and they called it macaroni.”
The talk takes place on at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, at the society’s museum on the third floor of the Androscoggin county building, 2 Turner St.
Food, shelter and clothing have always been considered the basic three requirements of life. The evening’s presentation will explore how factors such as sports, war, politics, women, social stigma and industry, far more than so-called “fashion,” affected men’s choices in clothing well beyond any basics.
For example, how did the U.S. post 0ffice influence grandpa’s pants? Why do baseball players wear knickers? How do events during the U.S. Civil War still influence practically every article of men’s clothing bought even today? Would politicians wear red ties if they knew what that once meant? What influences have social standards of gender always had on what men wore? What were the life-threatening, world-changing reasons they called it “macaroni” on both sides of the Atlantic?
It is said clothes make the man. “What Men Wore…” will make for quite revealing history.
Alessio, born and raised in New York City, has lived for about 45 years in the 1791 Bachelder Stetson homestead in Greene, which he shares with his husband, Jim Shaffer, four cats, and the spirits of generations of the quite remarkable Stetson family. They own both an antiques business and “in your own words, LLC” which creates greeting cards using vintage images which are sold in shops across the country.
Admission for this program is free, although donations are accepted. For more information about the society, call 207-784-0586. Enter the county building at the side door on Court Street and proceed to the third floor; an elevator is available.
