Arline Foster For Allan and Arline Foster, the idea for their successful 33-year-old business started with their enjoyment for square dancing. (Photo Kelsey Brimmer)

Allan and Arline took it upon themselves to open up a business in 1974 offering such items and chose to open it up right outside of their home in Gray, Maine on Route 115.

The business is called Maine-Ly Country Western Wear and sells everything from cowboy boots and hats to belts and jeans to kids' country wear. The store even offers hat shaping, cleaning and blocking.

"Our business has really grown so much," said Arline. "We started the store out of our garage and just kept adding more and more merchandise. At first we were just selling square dancing clothes, but now we sell every type of country western clothing.

The Fosters have even had to make several additions to their garage in the past, the last addition being in 1992.

Many people have asked the Fosters why they decided to open up business where they did - in the small town of Gray - but Arline said that the location of Maine-Ly Country has really been perfect for them.

"We are only a mile and a half from Exit 63 on the Maine Turnpike, and our business has always been really steady throughout the years," Arline said. "I mean, it's not like the mall area out here, but we always have our steady customers, especially around the Christmas busy season."

Arline said that Maine-Ly Country actually draws in a lot of tourists visiting the area, even bringing in some visitors from overseas occasionally.

"We've had customers on business in the area come and check out the store - people from Austria, Germany and England. You really can't find many western wear stores overseas, so we do a lot of mail orders for people in other countries who know what items we carry in the store," Arline said. "One man from New Jersey would fly here several times to pick up some items that he had been wanting to get."

According to Arline, Maine-Ly Country isn't one of those stores that brings in a lot of customers spur-of-the-moment.

"When people come in here, it tends to be destination shopping," she said. "People know what we have here most of the time and they know what they want. There aren't a lot of stores like this in the area - maybe one or two others in Maine - so we really have a steady flow of regular customers. We also don't do much advertising because most people hear about our store through word of mouth."

The Fosters have frequently attended country western tradeshows all over the country, even meeting such country superstars as Kenny Rogers and Brooks and Dunn. They obtain some of their merchandise at these tradeshows and the rest they order from different places in Texas, California and Colorado, among others.

"We really have something for all types and ages of people," Arline said. "We have kids' clothing and accessories here and we also get a lot of older customers as well, including women from the Red Hat Society looking for new hats."

If you are interested in checking out Maine-Ly Country Western Wear to see what the Fosters have to offer, they are located at 166 Yarmouth Road (Route 115), Gray, and their hours are: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.