When I was younger no self respecting young buck would be seen without a neatly folded handkerchief in the breast pocket, kept for the exclusive use of maidens in distress. A silk one for the real dandies!

I have decided to do my bit to arrest declining standards and start wearing one again.

When the Christmas stocks build up I might even get a silk one - I already wear silk brocade waistcoats, so a silk hankie is a natural extension!

Quite agree with the wearing a hankie bit. Keep it up. Cheers Penny

OH always has a fresh, well ironed handkerchief to hand for damsels in distress and other emergencies, sometimes a silk one when he's feeling a bit flamboyant. I acquired the same habit when my offspring was small and always have a clean, man sized handkerchief in my bag for contingencies. What use are those silly little scraps of "ladies' handkerchiefs", anyway?

A hankie in your pocket is fine, just as long as it's not used for anything. I have never found the idea of blowing one's nose on a piece of cloth and then putting it in the washing machine anything but disgusting.
I'm thankful for the invention of tissues.

Quite agree, Monika! OH uses his to clean his specs. Mine sometimes gets used as an emergency towel when the dryers in a public loo aren't working. Whatever, they're washed after each use. But noses? No!!