Pocket Squares

Thank god for Richard II of England (1367-1400) who purportedly started the use of a little piece of cloth for wiping his nose.

Originally squares of linen were used for personal hygiene and until the 17th century were mainly the domain of the upper class. Before becoming the generally accepted version of a handkerchief these pieces of fabric went through all sorts of transformations at the hands of 14th century nobles. They were not necessarily small, square or linen but could be round, silk or lace and were sometimes heavily embroidered. Objects of great beauty and sometimes scented to protect the user from other less welcome scents it is hard to image they were particularly practical as a handkerchief.

Fortunately over time it became accepted practise to hide a used pocket square from view by placing it in the trouser pocket leaving a fresh square on view in the jacket. From there was a small step from calling utilitarian cotton or linen squares used for wiping the hands or face a handkerchief which was put out of sight in the trouser pocket, while the more decorative pieces were called pocket squares and reserved for the visible jacket pocket.

A hand made woven silk pocket square is the ultimate mark of fine taste. We've designed our pocket squares as stand alone pieces to jazz up any outfit or to match or contrast with an Aya Kawa tie or bow tie.  We are offering a limited number of our designs as pocket squares but we are sure you will agree that there is still a dazzling array to choose from.