Reposted
Miss Vi recently celebrated her 85th birthday. I remembered this post I wrote in January 2014 and wanted to share it again, with minor edits:
For Christmas I decided to buy a set of pretty handkerchiefs for Miss Viola, the mother of a friend of mine. Miss Vi calls me her “other daughter,” and that’s a good feeling for someone who lost her mother in 1987. She and my mother were friends as well. How wonderful that Miss Vi still uses actual cloth hankies instead of paper tissues!
During the process of purchasing handkerchiefs, I discovered handkerchief holders, lovely satin confections to keep a lady’s hankies straight and neat after ironing. Vintage handkerchief holders summon the past into the present. Of course I had to buy one for Miss Vi, and I couldn’t resist ordering three others for myself. Hers was from the 1950s, and I didn’t think to get a photo of it. Today I’m sharing photos of the three I bought for myself. Although I’ve never been a frilly person, I absolutely love these.
The first rare, delicate handkerchief holder is from the 1920s. It’s the bee’s knees, the cat’s meow, and the snake’s hips! With the goddess Epona plunging back to the Roaring 20’s in one of my adventurous paranormal romances set in the Wytchfae world, I just had to have it. Don’t you adore clothing from that era — bejeweled head coverings, beaded handbags, and tasseled flapper dresses? Note the sassy red silk hanky peeking out of the top.
This one is from the 1940s. The design and actually the feel of the material itself is reminiscent of that wartime era. I can see its owner, a hardworking woman hurrying to the factory with stocking lines drawn up the backs of her calves with an eyebrow pencil due to nylon shortages.
Here is what the 1940s one looks like when opened and unfolded. Pretty– and the satin fabric is divine to the fingertips.
Then we have an English style handkerchief holder from the 1950s. Doesn’t it make you imagine sipping mid-morning tea in Miss Marple’s rose garden?
I hope you enjoyed seeing my vintage handkerchief holders from bygone days when ladies wore gloves and stylish hats instead of jeans and sneakers. The world has progressed, but it’s always fun to go back in time with old memories, family stories, precious photo albums, and a good book or two!
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Romance
I must confess I’ve never seen holders for handkerchiefs. But your post reminds me of a large collection of handkerchiefs, made in China, I used to have many years ago. They had such beautiful floral patterns that I had not the heart to use them. In time, I lost them one by one, can’t understand how and I use the paper ones nowadays.
Yes, memories of what people call “oldies but goldies”.
Oh Carmen, I know how it is to longingly recall items we once had in our possession that now are lost or gone. They have a special place in a quiet corner of our mind.
I’m not sure I consider it progress when you leave behind something so lovely at hats, gloves and hankies and their adorable holders! Isn’t it funny, the things that we fixate on? I also love and collect vintage hankies, small crocheted table scarves and long handled ice tea spoons. Someday, when I’m really old, I hope to make a quilt top of the handkerchiefs.
Linda, I agree– AND I also have a fixation on long handled tea spoons. I will grab one of those before a regular spoon anytime. I look forward to seeing your hankie quilt top.
They’re all beautiful, and I loved your descriptive homage to the eras in which they were popular. Sending birthday wishes for Miss Vi. She sounds like a special lady 🙂
Thank you for the birthday wishes for Miss Vi. Yes, she is a special lady.
These are beautiful give miss V a birthday hug and wish from me. I’ve never seen the holders. These are divine. I want one.
Oh, don’t get me started on these again, Cathy. They are delectable, and I want more!