Blood, Sweat, & T-Shirts

As I stand in the Pig corner (the retail section of our store), singing along to the Jackson Five, and folding a cart full of unfolded t-shirts that I have collected from the shelves, a little girl approaches me asking where the t-shirt I am wearing is in her size. As I attempt to explain (without breaking her heart) that I got my light turquoise tye-dye shirt six years ago which therefore is no longer in stock, I show her a neon pink and yellow tye-dye shirt and -BOOM!- crisis alleviated.

While folding hundreds of shirts per day does make my heart grow weary, a sense of pride still washes over me every time someone leaves our little store happy as a clam with their new Pig t-shirt.

The absolute best moments in the Pig Corner are when entire families excitedly rush over for their shirts and exclaim how they each get a new shirt every year. (I have even had a few families inform me that the whole family puts on their Pig tees for a family photo and it is used for their Christmas card picture... be still my oinking heart!) Those who visit annually know that our color schemes change each summer season, so it is always a fun surprise to see what new shirt and ink color combinations have sprung up (I would know, my personal Pig shirt collection is in the 80's... I may or may not have a problem).

As many of us piglets have grown up and gone off to college, we find ourselves bringing our beloved Pig tees with us. We have become desensitized to their awesomeness but are frequently reminded of their glory when people who have not seen our brand in a long time approach us, exclaiming, "Wow! A Piggly Wiggly T-SHIRT?!" Yes... a Piggly Wiggly t-shirt! When I was 18 I moved to Aspen, Colorado to work and attend school during the six-month peak season. I, of course, brought all of my long sleeve Pig tees with me and I'll tell you what; they made me realize just how southern I am! Along with being teased, many people complimented my unique shirts and wanted one of their own. By the time I got back home, I had eight Pig shirts to mail back out west. Each person on the receiving end thanked me eagerly, but the pleasure was all mine... spreading Pig love is my favorite thing to do.

At this point, people all over the country (and world, presumably) own pig shirts. That Pig pride comes rushing in when I'm somewhere away from home and see someone rocking a pig shirt from our store. Folding those hundreds of shirts per day becomes so worth it in those moments.

So if you are vacationing on Hilton Head and you are looking for the best souvenir around town, come on in to the good ole Pig and get one of our awesome shirts from our gigantic selection. You may break our hearts when you unfold ten shirts, but you will sew them back up when we watch you walk away with a smile on your face (and a pig butt on your back)!