You’ve heard of wearing your heart on your sleeve?
Now, you can wear your favorite food on your torso.
Flavour Gallery, which launched about a month ago, specializes in specialty T-shirts that are all food-oriented.
The shirts, almost all made in Los Angeles, come in men’s and women’s sizes with artsy graphics spelling out “kimchi,” and “Gigi’s Oyster Bar,” as well as designs featuring knives or a hand sprinkling salt.
Recently, I received a sample of a women’s “medium” in the short-sleeve “kimchi” design. The soft, 100 percent-cotton T is thin like a man’s undershirt. It fits pretty true to size. It’s cut long enough to cover the hips, so it’s perfect for jeans that sit at belly-button level or lower.
The company also makes scarves, tote bags and memo pads adorned with its distinctive designs.
Prices range from $4 for a memo pad and $20 for a scarf to $28 for a woman’s tank top and $68 for a man’s hoodie.
Contest: One lucky Food Gal reader will win his/her choice of a Flavour Gallery T-shirt, as well as a tote bag and memo book. Entries, limited to those in the continental United States, will be accepted through midnight PST April 23. Winner will be announce April 25.
How to win?
Just tell me about an item of clothing you loved and kept far longer than you should have. Best answer wins.
Here’s my own answer to that question:
“A couple of dresses and skirts that my late-Mom sewed for me decades ago. I’m sure quite a few of them are way too short now or no longer fit me quite like they should. But I just don’t have the heart to part with them. I know the meticulous work that went into them. I remember my Mom spending weekends rummaging through the remnant sales at legendary Britex Fabrics in San Francisco, looking for deals on lovely wool or silk to turn into outfits for herself or me. I remember her cutting out patterns on our dining room table, then hunched over her Singer sewing machine in rapt concentration as she made sure every seam was perfectly straight. Today’s mass-produced clothes are practically disposable. But not these. And I’ll hang on to them as long as I have any inch of space in my closet.”
Winner of the Previous Contest: In the last Food Gal contest, I asked you to tell me about a good deed or charitable act that you’re proud of doing. The winner will receive a 12-ounce bag of Aleta Wondo coffee beans from Equator Coffees & Teas.
Congrats to: Jennifer Dolan, who wrote, “I live in a very large residential building in New York. In it are mostly young professionals, some young families and many elderly people. You can tell when you see the elderly that they are lonely and yearning to talk to someone. In the winter, or just cold or rainy days, they walk around the main lobby, or sit by the window. When the weather is nicer, they stand around outside the building, walk up and down the sidewalk, and just pass the time. I always stop and talk to them. Some of them seem a little flustered when I do. Some seem reluctant or seem awkward when I engage in conversation but I always make it my mission to break down the barriers. Sometimes they seem to be more receptive when I have my kids with me, so when that opportunity presents itself, I always engage my children in the conversation. Not only do they seem to be more entertained by the young ones, but I feel my kids see that talking with elderly people is not so boring after all. They have wonderful stories to tell about themselves, their families and what it was like when they were younger. I know that once the ice is broken, they never hesitate to stop us (my kids included) to chat when we are passing through the lobby. There is one little old lady, recently, who after many, many months of working on her with eye contact and little smiles, I was able to elicit a “hello†from her when one of my daughters and I passed her in the supermarket the other day. We still have not spoken to her. When we got to the next aile, my daughter and I looked at each other, smiled and high fived. She knew I had been trying to get through this lady’s shyness for quite some time now. We still haven’t spoken, but that will come. Then there was the old man who would wear very dapper clothes each and every day. Our favorite outfit was in the summer when he would wear what looked like a Venetian Gondolier’s outfit, including a wide brimmed hat. To complete the outfit, he’d wear a very extravagant necklace and beaded bracelets. He asked me to marry him several times which was so endearing, but then I found out that he also asked my friend down the block to marry him as well! Another favorite of ours was Julie, who was so frail but always had her hair neatly pinned in an up do every time we saw her. She was afraid to walk from the wall to the front door, so she would wait patiently for someone to offer their hand to her. She would stand outside for hours holding on to the rail, watching people walk by. Every time she saw me she would ask about my parents and then tell me how gorgeous my daughters were and what a wonderful mother I was. When she would run into my older daughter outside, she would talk to her for sometimes half and hour, and always ended the conversation with over the top compliments. We all loved her very much. Over the years, I’ve noticed that I won’t see one of them for a while, and after asking around, will find out that they have passed away. Sadly, we don’t see my dapper gentleman friend, or Julie anymore. What makes them so special to me is that they have all impacted my family’s lives so positively with just a few words. I didn’t know most of their names, but my kids and I will always fondly remember each, and every one of them. I just hope we were able to make their days just a little brighter as well.”