Men and handkerchiefs
The West has had a profound influence on us. Starting from music, eating habits/disorders, attitude to dressing, we have always tried to follow them. But, we are a picky lot - we select and pick what we want, like the pizzas, donuts, Justin Bieber and Facebook.
There used to be a time, not so long ago, getting dressed meant good manners. Not the flashy, tacky types - appropriate dresses for occasions/places. We had a set of clothes for office, another set for family gatherings/festivals/temples/vacations and some, for home.The offices had strict dress codes.When people failed to follow the rules, they were asked to go home to get a shave or polish their shoes. I am not exaggerating. I have heard stories from my grand father, who had an English boss - and this man was very particular about the way people dressed. The clothes had to be pressed. Men had to have a shave and wear shining-polished shoes. If not, they were given a day-off and asked to return home to groom themselves and show up at work the next day! The British had their standards. People got disciplined about personal grooming. With years of discipline, they look sharp even after retirement and carry handkerchiefs!
Fast forward to today - we have a relaxed dress code at work. People can show up in pretty much any (amount of) clothing to work. Work place looks for your performance and delivery, not the kind of beard you sport or the clothes you wear or if you carry a handkerchief. In the near future, people would find it difficult to believe that a 4*5 cloth was tucked into pockets of shirts and trousers, to be used for several purposes.
Handkerchiefs are charming, sustainable, and eco-friendly. I am NOT speaking for all women, but personally, I find men carrying handkerchiefs very charming. My grandfather used to carry one, my father used to carry one and my husband used to carry one. On that note, I do not carry one myself. But, I have stolen one from these men. Maybe it is time to bring back the bygone era of handkerchiefs. Gentlemen, are you listening?
There used to be a time, not so long ago, getting dressed meant good manners. Not the flashy, tacky types - appropriate dresses for occasions/places. We had a set of clothes for office, another set for family gatherings/festivals/temples/vacations and some, for home.The offices had strict dress codes.When people failed to follow the rules, they were asked to go home to get a shave or polish their shoes. I am not exaggerating. I have heard stories from my grand father, who had an English boss - and this man was very particular about the way people dressed. The clothes had to be pressed. Men had to have a shave and wear shining-polished shoes. If not, they were given a day-off and asked to return home to groom themselves and show up at work the next day! The British had their standards. People got disciplined about personal grooming. With years of discipline, they look sharp even after retirement and carry handkerchiefs!
Fast forward to today - we have a relaxed dress code at work. People can show up in pretty much any (amount of) clothing to work. Work place looks for your performance and delivery, not the kind of beard you sport or the clothes you wear or if you carry a handkerchief. In the near future, people would find it difficult to believe that a 4*5 cloth was tucked into pockets of shirts and trousers, to be used for several purposes.
Handkerchiefs are charming, sustainable, and eco-friendly. I am NOT speaking for all women, but personally, I find men carrying handkerchiefs very charming. My grandfather used to carry one, my father used to carry one and my husband used to carry one. On that note, I do not carry one myself. But, I have stolen one from these men. Maybe it is time to bring back the bygone era of handkerchiefs. Gentlemen, are you listening?
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