handkerchiefs with 'manly' borders and 'feminine' embroidery

[launderedlace]

Have been having a couple of conversations about these handkerchiefs. Personally, I love the combination of their broad borders (more usually found in men's handkerchiefs) with the delicate floral embroidery. I've seen a few others like this, but think they're fairly unusual - also guessing they're from the 1950s

 

[Hankysneeze]

Beautiful as usual, thankyou for sharing the pictures.

[launderedlace]

On 7/10/2024 at 5:56 PM, Hankysneeze said:

Beautiful as usual, thankyou for sharing the pictures.

No problem - thank you for looking and commenting 🙂 One thing I wonder about such handkerchiefs is whether anyone, either when the handkerchief is clean or perhaps lightly used, deliberately arranges it in their sleeve / pocket so that the embroidery is best displayed for everyone to get a glimpse of. Probably, though, most handkerchiefs are fairly haphazardly shoved into wherever they're being kept

[Hankysneeze]

I fear you are correct, most would just carelessly push this magnificent item back in a pocket or handbag with little though, however the though of showing the beautiful embroidery is quite intriguing 

[launderedlace]

2 hours ago, Hankysneeze said:

I fear you are correct, most would just carelessly push this magnificent item back in a pocket or handbag with little though, however the though of showing the beautiful embroidery is quite intriguing 

I was once in a meeting where a woman, after gently dabbing with newly-unfolded clean handkerchief, pushed it inside her sleeve. One corner, covered in embroidered flowers, remained visible and uncrumpled at her wrist. She was quite an animated person, using plenty of hand gestures as she spoke, to emphasise her points. The protruding portion of her pretty handkerchief, circling in the air, only further accentuated her dynamic demeanour. I've no idea whether she deliberately arranged the handkerchief that way, or whether it was just by chance: very eye-catching, though (for me!) 

Edited July 13 by launderedlace