The story of Ring's shirt

I salvaged this shirt from the bottom of Ring's closet when I was in Hawaii. It was evident, given Ring's style, that her mother picked this out for her.

It's Dior couture, Fall 2001. Of course it's the shirt I'd immediately fall in love with. How typical of me.

It was beautiful -- the handiwork, the detail, the materials, the flowery silk lining in bold hues of red, green and blue. I haven't seen something so well made in a long time, probably around the same time clothes started being made by machines.

I couldn't resist -- I tried it on over my bikini, cargo shorts and haltertop, standing in the middle of Ring's living room.

The shirt's more well-traveled than most of us. From the high end boutiques frequented by Ring's mom in Hong Kong to Ring's home on a hill on Honolulu, then to the Windy Apple crammed in my luggage along with my windsurfing equipment.

But, I felt I couldn't do the shirt justice. I work in an industry where being conservative is key, and the shirt is so beautiful...it just didn't feel right for me to keep it to myself. Instead, I sent it to someone whom I thought could. Someone who would wear it often, and with character and aplomb.

I sent it to Philadelphia to live with CKY. She lives and works a life where she can wear the shirt more frequently than I. And, a shirt that beautiful...it deserves to be worn often.

From the ports of Hong Kong to the shores of Honolulu to the Big Apple and onward to the City of Brotherly love, this is a shirt that's seen the world and been well-loved in its travels. Passed down from woman to woman by people who care about each other, this shirt has brought happiness wherever it's gone.

This is the story of Ring's shirt. Who knows where it'll end up next?