THE LEFT LANE
A silver circle of love, Hawaiian rugs, Hang-ups for big men

Advertiser Staff and News Services

A silver circle of love

Jeweler Brenda Reichel was a friend of Georgine Corrigan, the Hawai'i Kai woman who died Sept. 11 on United Airlines Flight 93, the hijacked plane that crashed into a Pennsylvania field. Reichel, whose father did two tours in Vietnam, remembered the POW/MIA bracelets of that era and decided a bracelet would be a good way to remember her friend, not realizing that organizations and jewelers nationwide would be doing the same.

Reichel's brand is decidedly local. She's sold nearly 100 — to people who didn't know any victims personally and to those who were close to Corrigan and another victim, Maile Hale. Hale, a 1993 Kaiser High School graduate and financial executive, was at a conference in the World Trade Center when it collapsed. The sterling silver bracelets bear the American flag and the words "September 11, 2001" on the front. The inside can be inscribed with a name. They are $25 at Carats & Karats Fine Jewelry, 1254 S. King St. Information: 593-8122.

Local rugs spotlighted

A new line of Hawaiian rugs from Honolulu's Indich Collection is featured in the August issue of Architectural Digest. Several rugs are showcased in the Designers at Large section, in which the editors present designers' favorite stores.

Inspired by the Islands' culture and bountiful foliage, owner Bill Indich, his wife Susan and local designers constantly create new designs. The rugs are woven in Nepal. Indich Collection stores are at Gentry Pacific Design Center and on the corner of Ward Avenue and Waimanu Street.

Hang-ups for big men

Hey, big guy. Are you going nuts trying to keep that XL shirt on a not-so-XL hanger? Honolulu resident Richard Takaba has a solution: an XW clothes hanger. That stands for "extra wide."

While conventional hangers are 15-17 inches wide, L and XL shirts are 20-22 inches wide at the shoulders. When you hang a large shirt on a regular hanger, there's a steep drop-off creating odd bumps in the shoulder. Takaba's company, MrBigXL, makes hangers that are 22 1/2 inches wide and 10 inches tall. Because the hangers are less than half an inch thick, there's also a savings in closet space. >Takaba said he has 60 L and XL shirts taking up just five feet on his closet rod.

Available online only at www.MrBigXL.com with a minimum order of three for $4.47 plus shipping.