Chivalry in a piece of cloth: why everyone should carry a pocket handkerchief.

Hello again dear reader.

 

For today's discussion, I thought we would pontificate on a pocket accessory that has fallen out of favor in recent years. But one that I think needs to make a comeback and that is the handkerchief that only because it's good for wiping sweat and dirt off of your face and hands, but also for tons of other reasons too numerous to list here, such as holding a bunch of freshly picked strawberries or folding it into a emergency stuffed animal for a bedtime story for your niece or nephew. When they lose their favorite stuffed animal. These things of course operate on the assumption that your handkerchief is still clean before being put into operation dear reader. A quality handkerchief should be in your pocket or purse on a daily basis because you don't know how important they are until you start carrying. (Yes I know that they make those little pocket sized packets of disposable tissue. However, disposable paper tissues are not as versatile as a quality handkerchief.) So hopefully by the end of today's discussion new reader, you will have a new understanding as to why you should carry a handkerchief...

 

Why Carry a Handkerchief?

Handkerchiefs are, well, pretty handy. While women carry a purse stocked with things like tissue packs (and enough supplies to survive on a desert island for several days), most men do not. And yet our noses run just as often as our female counterparts. When you carry a hankie, you don’t have to go scrounging around for a tissue to deal with your dripping shnoz or wipe your nose on your sleeve. And you can mop your brow with it when you’re sitting on the front porch drinking mint juleps. This is what I mainly use handkerchiefs for. It’s nice to have something to wipe off the sweat and dirt off your face.
But the best reason to carry a handkerchief has nothing to do with you. It’s the chance to lend it to others that’s commends this practice the most. Be sure to put one in your pocket when you go see a tear-jerker movie with your girlfriend or accompany your wife to a funeral. When women are feeling vulnerable, they’ll really appreciate your offer of a soft hankie. It’s a gallant and chivalrous gesture; there’s just something comforting about it.
And as a bonus, they’re less wasteful. Think of all the tissues you could keep from throwing away. The handkerchief is to the tissue as the reusable diaper is to Pampers.

Getting Over the Ick Factor

There is an inverse relationship between the handkerchief’s popularity and the rise of our germa-phobe culture. A society that sprays the air with disinfectant to rid it of those pesky bacterium and totes hand sanitizer on key chains looks eschew at the reusable tissue. I think hankie ignorance is partly to blame. Having not grown up around handkerchief-carrying men, it seems some people are under the impression that a hankie is used over and over again, all week long. But a man should take a clean handkerchief each day, and launder them weekly. It should go without saying that when offering a lady your handkerchief, it should always be an unused, clean one. You should probably tell her that when you hand it over, as to allay any fears she might have about what’s lurking in its folds.
Even so, there are probably still those who think the handkerchief is too dirty even for daily use. To those people I say, “If it’s your hankie, why are you afraid of your own germs?” Handkerchiefs are pretty big and provide ample space in which to blow one’s nose multiple times without the snot ever overlapping.
Finally, grow up. You’re a man, and there’s nothing wrong with a little sweat or snot.

How to Carry a Handkerchief

First of all, don’t confuse the pocket square with a handkerchief. Pocket squares are pieces of cloth that should be visibly sticking out of the breast pocket of your suit. They’re not appropriate for hankie use because they’re expensive; you don’t want to be soaking a nice piece of silk with your sweat. Of course they could do in a real pinch. But typically a hankie is carried in your pants pocket, out of sight.
Handkerchiefs don’t have to be fancy. Just a plain white one will do. But there’s nothing wrong with going for ones with a little style. Have your initials embroidered on them to add a touch of class.  They generally come pretty cheap, so you won’t have to worry about giving them out to other people. And a gentleman never asks for his handkerchief back.