History of Pocket Squares
From Fibers to Fashion – The Story of the Handkerchief
As usual, the story of the pocket square — or handkerchief — begins with a much older invention: cloth itself. Humans have been spinning and weaving fibers to create clothing and utensils for tens of thousands of years. The earliest “modern” fabrics on record range from flax linen in ancient Egypt around 8000 BC, to the first woven silk in China around 3600 BC, and cotton in the Indus Valley by 2500 BC.
It’s only fair to assume that what was woven for clothing must also have been used for wiping noses, mouths, and other everyday needs. Just look at any child with a runny nose and a sleeve to wipe it with. These early fabrics weren’t just practical; they carried meaning, status, and style. And once there was cloth, it was inevitable that someone would craft a pocket — and soon after, fold a small piece of fabric into it to serve as a personal accessory. Sadly, there's no way to find out know who invented the first handkerchief.
(References: Timeline of clothing and textiles technology, Wikipedia; Tarkhan dress, Petrie Museum/UCL.)
The First Documented Handkerchiefs
While it’s tempting to imagine ancient Egyptians dabbing their brows with linen, the first clear written references Vincent was able to find come much later. In ancient Rome, the poet Catullus (c. 84–54 BC) mentions sudaria (personal cloths) and lintea (“napkins”) in his poems. In Carmen, he even mocks a friend for stealing napkins at a dinner — proof that small personal cloths were part of everyday social life.
By the 15th century, the word mouchoir first appears in French texts, meaning a piece of cloth for wiping the mouth or nose. This tells us that handkerchiefs had gradually moved from mere function into language and culture.
In England, Shakespeare immortalized the handkerchief in one of Vincent’s favourite plays Othello (1603). The entire tragedy pivots around one: stolen, planted, and misunderstood, it becomes both proof of love and evidence of betrayal. If a square of cloth can topple a general, you know it carried weight.
And it wasn’t only in words. Surviving paintings, lace and linen handkerchiefs from the 17th century, preserved in museums, show that they were also decorative, status-marking items — far beyond their practical origins. Function was well on its way to fashion.
(References: Catullus, Carmen 12; CNRTL/TLFi, “mouchoir,” 1460s; Shakespeare, Othello; Victoria & Albert Museum textile collection.)
Royals and Their Squares
Kings, of course, had a knack for turning ordinary objects into symbols of power.
In England, Richard II (1367–1400) is sometimes credited as the first monarch to elevate the handkerchief into a courtly accessory. Chroniclers note his concern for elegance, and later writers describe him as carrying small cloths “for wiping his nose,” an act that made the item fashionable among the nobility. The evidence is not watertight — some historians suggest it’s more legend than fact — but it shows how deeply handkerchiefs became tied to royal style.
Across the Channel, we find firmer ground. In 1784, the last king of France Louis XVI issued the following decree: “Sa Majesté veut que dorénavant les mouchoirs aient tous la forme carrée, et que la longueur égale la largeur.”
(“His Majesty wishes that henceforth handkerchiefs shall all have the square form, the length equal to the width.”)
Before this, handkerchiefs came in a variety of shapes, but Louis XVI’s ruling made the square the official royal standard. It’s one of the few times in fashion history where the cut of a cloth was literally fixed by law.
When kings dab their brows, the world takes notes.
(References: Lettres patentes du roi, 23 Sept 1784; CNRTL/TLFi; Richard II noted in English chronicles, e.g. Holinshed’s Chronicles.)
The Birth of the Pocket Square
For centuries, the handkerchief lived in the hand — waved in greeting, pressed into service for health or hygiene, or embroidered as a token of love. But by the 19th century, a new uniform of modern life began to take over: the lounge suit.
Developed in Britain and spreading quickly through Europe, the suit standardized men’s wardrobes with clean lines, tailored jackets, and—most importantly for our story—a breast pocket. This architectural detail created the perfect stage for a square of cloth to move from the hand into the pocket, shifting from pure utility to style statement.
The breast pocket became a mark of sophistication in itself. As the Victoria & Albert Museum notes, the modern suit was “the most enduring and successful invention in men’s fashion,” designed for practicality but soon layered with codes of elegance. Into that square inch of fabric space slipped the handkerchief—reborn as the pocket square.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, etiquette guides were full of instructions on how (and how not) to display a handkerchief in your pocket. It was no longer just something you used—it was something you showed.
(References: Victoria & Albert Museum, “History of the Suit”; 19th-century etiquette manuals.)
The 20th Century: From Function to Flair
The early 1900s brought a quiet revolution in the world of personal cloths. In 1924, Kimberly-Clark introduced Kleenex as a disposable cleansing tissue. By 1930, it was rebranded for blowing noses — and the reign of the functional handkerchief began to fade. Why carry a reusable cloth when you could toss away the mess?
But fashion abhors a vacuum. As the practical handkerchief slipped out of daily use, the pocket square emerged with a new identity: no longer for wiping, purely for showing. Hollywood stars of the 1930s and 40s — think Fred Astaire, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant — made the square a signature flourish, perfectly in step with the golden age of the suit. The square in the pocket was less about utility and more about confidence, polish, and a touch of individuality.
By mid-century, etiquette was clear: you carried a handkerchief in your trouser pocket for use, and you displayed a pristine square in your breast pocket for style. One for work, one for show.
Disposable tissues may have claimed the battlefield of practicality, but the pocket square won the war of elegance. It survived, not as a necessity, but as a small, enduring symbol of care in dressing — a final touch that separates a suit from your suit.
(References: Kimberly-Clark company history; Golden Age of Hollywood costume archives.)
Pocket Squares Today: A Story Still Unfolding
From Roman poets and medieval kings to Hollywood icons, the pocket square has always been more than a scrap of cloth. Today, it’s both a nod to tradition and an open canvas for personal style. Some wear one daily as part of their signature look; others reserve it for weddings, job interviews, or the rare occasion when they want to stand out just a little.
What’s changed is the freedom of choice. Modern style has fewer rigid rules, and the pocket square no longer belongs only to the aristocrat, the businessman, or the film star. It belongs to anyone who feels that a square of fabric in the pocket can make their outfit — and their day — a little sharper.
At FatCloth, we like to push this history one step further. Our original multipurpose pocket squares aren’t made of silk or linen but of high-performance microfibre, which means they’re as useful as they are stylish. Sure, they look the part in your breast pocket, but they also pull their weight when you need to tap that brow, wipe your glasses, polish a camera lens, or dry a bike seat after a sudden rain. Just don’t forget to toss it in the wash afterwards!
The pocket square may have shed its purely functional origins, but we believe it can — and should — do both. Style and substance. Elegance and utility. A little square of history, reinvented for the ever evolving needs of the modern gentleman.