The History of Pocket Squares

In the recent year or so we have seen a resurgence in the utilization of the pocket square. Most squares, which are usually made from silk, linen or cotton, are carefully folded and tugged into the breast pocket of a suit or dinner jacket. If you ever wondered when and where the use of this cloth originated, check out this brief history of the timeless square.




 
The roots of the pocket square date back to the end of the 14th century in England when King Richard the II started using "small pieces of linen” which were made to be given to the Lord King for blowing and covering his nose. Other records from the early 15th century reference explorers returning from China who brought back similar pieces of cloth and used them to cover their heads to protect themselves from the sun when working in the fields. For this reason, the French called them “couvrechef” meaning “head cover”, and from this word, the words kerchief and handkerchief were created.

From handkerchief, we have developed the pocket square which is a lot less functional than the prior, but is more decorative and colorful. The square gained popularity during the 1920s, an era that many clothing experts call the high times of mens-style and fashion. Initially, men put the handkerchiefs in their pocket to keep it clean until it was needed. Once used, the handkerchief would be moved to a pants pocket for appropriate storage. In 1924, the year the Kleenex was founded, the linen handkerchief was widely replaced by a disposable tissue paper one and the use of handkerchief declined.  But, recently there has been an uptick in the use of pocket squares to add that additional flair to a well-cut blazer. Try adding them to your distinctive repertoire.