Today, I want to share what, in my opinion, makes the best handkerchief. Why? Because, in my opinion, these are all things you should consider when shopping for a handkerchief. Are you ready? Let’s dive on in!
The best handkerchief should be SOFT
… so that it won’t irritate your skin. This seems obvious, but if you have allergies, sensitive skin or if you’ve ever had a mean mean cold before… You know that basic softness only goes so far. And yeah, only the softest of all fabrics will be smooth enough to pamper your nose and deal with repeated nose blowing after a hundred uses.
So, what is the softest fabric for your handkerchief? I have a three personal favourites—all tested and tried by yours truly—but also by my four kids and husband… And thousands of very happy customers!
Cotton Lawn Handkerchiefs
Our cotton lawn handkerchiefs are the thinnest handkerchiefs we make—almost translucent even, but oh-so-soft. Thanks to its very high thread count, it features a silky finish that ensures your nose will adore burying itself in the smooth cotton to blow again and again. Cotton lawn handkerchiefs are also often used by people who suffer from chronic runny eyes, to dab light tears without irritating the fragile skin in that area.
Cotton Sateen Handkerchiefs
Our selection of gorgeous cotton sateen handkerchiefs is adored thanks to its silky smooth finish. You may have heard of this fabulous fabric before, as it’s often used to make incredibly dreamy bed sheets since its slightly shiny, giving it a luxurious feel. What’s more, sateen is very durable, so if you’re shopping for a set of high-quality handkerchiefs to last a lifetime, these are a great bet.
Cotton Flannel Handkerchiefs
Flannel is the thickest fabric we use to make handkerchiefs. I personally adore it because it is plush and extremely absorbent. Why is flannel so soft? Because the fabric is brushed on one or both sides, making it soft and cozy.
Our soft flannel handkerchiefs are most popular for people suffering from allergies and people who want to deal with a perpetually sweaty brow, thanks to its high absorbency and overall softness.
If you need help picking out the perfect handkerchief fabric, I’m here to help! You can take our dream handkerchief quiz, or simply contact me via email, chat, Facebook or Instagram.
The best handkerchief should be THE RIGHT SIZE
… so that you never run out of space! Here, it’s really a question of personal preference. But to accommodate the various requests I’ve received over the years, I now make four handkerchief sizes that cover pretty much all the possibilities! Here they are.
Small handkerchiefs
- These measure 20 × 20 cm (just a little under 8 × 8 inches) each.
- They fit easily in any pocket
- This is often the preferred size for wedding handkerchiefs
- Kids love them too
Standard handkerchiefs
- These measure 28 × 28 cm (approximately 11 × 11 inches)
- This is our most popular size
- Standard handkerchiefs are closest to paper tissues in size
- Easy to fold and store anywhere
Large handkerchiefs
- These measure 34 × 34 cm (a little over 13 × 13 inches)
- These are my personal favourites, as they offer a greater surface to blow your nose in.
- Still manageable to fold but perhaps preferable to store in a hanky holder than your pocket, unless you have ample pockets (which is not my case)
Extra-Large handkerchiefs
- These measure 40 × 40 cm (so just a little under 16 × 16 inches)
- These are super popular too, as they offer the most space to blow in.
- Traditionally, these would be considered “Men’s Handkerchiefs”.
- Our thinnest styles can be folded and stored in your pocket, but thicker models (flannel and two-ply) are probably easier to store in a practical case.
If you need help picking out the perfect size or if I don’t make the perfect size yet in your opinion, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
The best handkerchief should be DURABLE
… so it lasts a long long time. I don’t know about you, but I HATE buying things that don’t last—especially when I LOVE them and their quality simply isn’t up to my standards.
Well, fear not—here at TSHU, I believe that your handkerchief should last for many years, so that you purchase more only when you fall head over heels in love with a new style or you’ve lost your fave hanky on the road. In our family, we’ve had a couple of handkerchiefs for over 10 years now. They still serve us well and have become even softer with time!
As an added BONUS, you might want the best handkerchief to be CUSTOMIZABLE!
… so that it never gets mixed up with anyone else’s—or just because you enjoy that extra little special touch. Cool fact: I can customize handkerchiefs with personalized embroidery. You can browse the various styles here, but first, let me tell you a little bit more about our embroidery options:
Monogrammed handkerchief
Our monogram option includes the embroidery of 1 to 3 characters (numbers or letters) on your fave handkerchief. You can choose the embroidery thread colour and font (see options below).
Handkerchief with name
This option includes the embroidery of 4 to 8 characters (numbers or letters) on the handkerchief of your liking. Just like for our handkerchief with initials, you can choose the embroidery thread colour and font (see options above).
Handkerchief with words
Our handkerchief with embroidered words includes the embroidery of 9 or more characters (numbers or letters) on the handkerchief of your liking. This is typically used to personalize a handkerchief with a message to a loved one, to commemorate a special moment in your lives like a wedding, graduation, baptism or anniversary. Here again, you are welcome to choose the embroidery thread colour and can select a font from the options below (yep, these are different, as the text will typically have to be smaller to fit on the handkerchief!).
Note: for this option, I recommend opting for standard or larger handkerchief, as the embroidery will take up more space than the previous options!
If you do decide to get your handkerchief customized with embroidery, know that I’m happy to guide you if you need advice on colour and font options. I can also send you a mockup of the embroidery so you can make sure you ADORE the result before I start embroidering the handkerchief!
So, what makes a handkerchief GREAT? In my opinion, it’s a combination of softness, size, durability and sometimes personalization. What about you? Tell me about your dream handkerchief below!
