The Printed Square: Vintage Handkerchief Patterns for Fashion and Design

Vintage handkerchiefs have been an unsung source of inspiration for many of the world’s most exciting brands. This volume written by vintage clothing and textiles experts, will appeal to collectors of printed textiles, fashion lovers and designers, and provide a visual feast for anyone with a passion for pattern.

Over 200 beautifully designed handkerchiefs have been selected to reflect the magnificent array of printed designs that emerged between the 1920s and 1950s, a particularly innovative period in handkerchief design that produced small squares exploding with colour and pattern. The book comes complete with a short history of the subject, an analysis of the fabrics used, a detailing of the design characteristics of each decade, information on where to find and collect, and advice on conservation, storage and use.

Organized for inspiration into 11 sections by colour, this is a fresh and covetable volume targeted at fashion professionals, designers, or a new young generation in search of old chic in new chic forms.

About the Author:

Nicky Albrechtsen was a costume designer and stylist and is the director of the vintage archive Vintage Labels Ltd, which sources inspirational clothing and printed textiles for fashion brands worldwide and costume designers in film and television. She is the author of several books, including Scarves (with Fola Solanke), also published by Thames & Hudson.