Curse you, Kleenex, for making these so scarce

June 14, 2015 7:08 PM

I like functional, high-quality linen or cotton handkerchiefs, but which are neither plain white nor bandanas, nor flannel, synthetic, nor shiny. I don't want them to match a tie, I just want a piece of soft cloth with a fine hem that I can sneeze into which I don't have to make myself. Striped with white is fine. The boringest shade of blue possible would be ideal. Where do I buy this, preferably in packs of several?
posted by blnkfrnk to Shopping (15 answers total)

Etsy (you could even have them embroidered).
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:10 PM on June 14, 2015

Etsy returns a lot of lace gifty handkerchiefs on searching for "handkerchief", but I was able to find this seller who appears to have something along the lines of what you are looking for. She makes other items in plainer patterns, so a request for custom handkerchiefs in a plain pattern might work out for you.
posted by kellygrape at 7:27 PM on June 14, 2015

Amazon has several choices such as this one here.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 7:30 PM on June 14, 2015

Macy's does a patterned set, but one of them is white, and a white set with blue trim. It looks like Target sells some patterned/colored sets, but I'm guessing Macy's quality would be better. Brooks Brothers has these, but they're in a set of different colors.

You sometimes find white with a colored edging, but I think the ones my family had like that all came from England (probably Marks and Spencer).
posted by hoyland at 7:32 PM on June 14, 2015

JCPenney

I just bought a pack of these, they are pretty nice quality.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 7:38 PM on June 14, 2015

I got some about a year ago in the men's area at Target.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 7:38 PM on June 14, 2015

I like Muji's handkerchiefs.
posted by Jeanne at 7:43 PM on June 14, 2015

How about looking for vintage linen napkins on Ebay? There are lots of sets of stray napkins for sale quite cheap without their original matching tablecloths. Most are white, but you can find some colors and stripes, and the old linen is exquisite. And very absorbent.
posted by Corvid at 7:44 PM on June 14, 2015

Response by poster: These are all excellent answers. Muji is probably the winner in terms of color/style/ease of purchase, but I like the idea of Etsy!
posted by blnkfrnk at 9:35 PM on June 14, 2015

My husband really likes the hankies from Duluth Trading Company. We've had them for years and they never come apart. I finally bought more a couple years ago just because they get lost over time and our stash had dwindled, and they seem just as high-quality now as they've always been.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 8:35 AM on June 15, 2015

Do you have a TJ Maxx nearby? They almost always have lots of handkerchief packages, usually sold in groups of three (because I can't imagine these are generally hot sellers). I forget which brand I bought most recently, but it was something fancy (maybe a Nieman Marcus mark?)--all white cotton with blue stitching.

I grew up in the south with a very proper southern gentleman dad, so the thought of wadding up a paper tissue in my pocket instead of a hanky frankly offends my sensibilities to the core (said in my best drawl). I'm thankful that hankies aren't popular, though, because I feel like I get excellent ones on the cheap.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 8:35 AM on June 15, 2015

Also: this might be a slight derail because I know you're looking for plain hankies, but I love love LOVE hankies from Flying Needle Gallery. They are so gorgeous and special and I feel so indulgent when I use them. They last forever, too; I've had mine for close to 10 years and they're still like new.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 8:40 AM on June 15, 2015

I carry a hankie at almost all times. My everyday (plain white cotton) hankies came from the menswear section of Target and my fancy hankies came from TJ Maxx.

The plain hankies are frankly more useful; I don't mind destroying one by, say, using it to wipe up the blood my dog tracked across the floor at PetSmart after she broke off a claw while hiking (I went in PetSmart looking for a styptic pencil, another remnant from an earlier era.) I would have regretted the bloodstaining of a fancy hankie, but the Target hankies are practically disposable.
posted by workerant at 2:10 PM on June 15, 2015

Some time ago, a friend gave me some Liberty handkerchiefs. Possibly too busy for you but definitely well-made. They are the kind of thing one would be pleased to have at a funeral, to offer to a mourner as a small comfort. (I realize that this is a crazily specific purpose to carry an ostensibly practical item for.)
posted by Morrigan at 4:43 PM on June 15, 2015

As the wife of a man serious about his handkerchiefs, boxer shorts, and pajamas, I can vouch for the quality of all those items at Brooks Brothers.
posted by marylynn at 11:25 PM on June 15, 2015