Release - Wave Pattern Kerchiefs

 

We're offering a new, discharge printed kerchief made by General Quarters, one of our favorite Los Angeles stockists.  Blair, owner of General Quarters, designed this kerchief with a Japanese pattern called Nami or Seigaiha.  According to Blair, the word means "calm waves" and the four arcs in the pattern represent the four oceans surrounding Japan.  Note: for folks who purchased our dot kerchief, the blanks for the wave pattern kerchiefs are slightly larger (perfect for neckwear).  Available via our Archival Web Shop.

 

 Burgundy Kerchief (21" x 21")

Black Wave (19" x 21")

Release - Dot Kerchiefs

I first spotted these kerchiefs at General Quarters, one of my favorite Los Angeles stockists. For those of you that have followed us for awhile, you know how much we love traditional, discharge printed cotton kerchiefs. Outside of Japan, they can be difficult to source. The General Quarters version is beautifully discharge printed in LA on all cotton blanks. The original design echoes historical polka dot patterns found in old Montgomery Wards catalogs from the 1940s.  Visit the Archival Web Shop for more information or to place an order.

 

Archival Handkerchiefs

As documented, Archival loves kerchiefs. My preference is for discharge printed, polkadot models from Japan and the UK. To diversify my collection, I'm going to shop for a few vintage kerchiefs from Cornell University's Political Americana Collection. When knotted, the rhetorical content reverts back to pleasing patterns and scrambled text.

Cleveland-Thurman Handkerchief

Benjamin Harrison Handkerchief, 1888

Theodore Roosevelt "Progressive Battle Flag" textile portrait

Benjamin Harrison Handkerchief, 1888

Benjamin Harrison-Morton Handkerchief, 1888

Garfield-Arthur Portrait Textile, ca 1880

Cleveland-Stevenson "Our Candidates 1892 " Portrait

Taft Tariff Reform handkerchief

Benjamin Harrison-Morton handkerchief, ca 1888

Centennial Celebration by Manhattan Lodge, I.O.B.B.

Archival Kerchiefs

(hankies above are from the highly-endorsed DISCHARGE STYLE)

Handkerchief, bandanna, hankie, or kerchief. Whatever you call it, it's essential. I keep one with me all the time, for nose-blowing, glasses cleaning, a rag for when your bicycle chain drops, tying things, bundling things, a headband, or, in the woods, as a sieve (try it - you can even drain rice). Lesli and I both won't go on a cycling outing without at least two handkerchiefs. Keep one in your handlebar bag for all contingencies. Along with a good knife, a bandanna is an everyday necessity.

Try out your bandannas as neck wear:

Or as head gear:

Or as baggage:


Make sure to keep an eye on your hankie:


Shopping possibilities:

Archival Clothing is thinking about designing and producing a limited-edition hankie. If we keep the price low, would anyone be interested? They'd be made in the USA, of course, and available in a few colors.

Shopping from John Ford: Neckerchiefs

Directed by John Ford (Bogdanovich 1971)

Visual addendum:

Ford Home Furnishings

Ford x Bogdanovich

For practical purposes, I've been wearing and carrying kerchiefs on longer, hot weather brevets (one for the neck, one for the handlebar bag). Rivendell has nice, all cotton, US made bandanas available for the wild price of $2. Why pay more?