The HANDKERCHIEF or hanky (a hemmed square of thin fabric) was usually carried in the pocket or purse for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping ones hands or face, or blowing ones nose. A handkerchief is also sometimes used as a purely decorative accessory in a suit pocket. Here are some cotton and linen hankies that you may recognize as something a family member might have had. The upper right pic is a quilt my mother and sister made for me, and the lower right pic is a lacy handkerchief my great-uncle Max received from a French lady while he was there in World War I. The existence of handkerchiefs dates back thousand of years, but the fashion trend started back in Napoleons Josephine announced handkerchiefs in vogue - it was said that the Empress held her laced handkerchief at her lips to show her disapproval when talking to unwelcome court. Handkerchiefs with colorful trimming and trimmed corners at the edges were very popular in England. Primarily this fashion came from the Gothic. Young ladies had their pocket handkerchiefs trimmed with narrow piece of lace or colorful embroidery. The French considered handicraft embroidery or laces on handkerchiefs as the important element of every well-dressed styled woman. After ready-made clothes got popular, handkerchiefs still were sorted for men and women. Hankies for men were larger in size and less elegant unlike those for women. By 1950, disposable tissues were put to production that brought the centuries-old vogue to oblivion.
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 21:00:56 +0000
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