The Spring rain had been gentle and consistent that Saturday afternoon in March. The birds were rather raucous as if knowing that warming weather was on its way. Parisians were out walking, holding hands, and smiling. It had been a very long and frigid winter and all were ready for Spring.
Alicia was walking down the boulevard Rue du Seine in the 6th arrondissement in Paris when she dropped her linen handkerchief with the wind off the Seine. She remembered that the city of Paris has 37 bridges and the River begins at Marcilly-sur-Seine.
The handkerchief tossed with the breeze down the block until a fancy gentleman picked it up and looked around. Alicia blushed when she saw that he had it in his hand.
“Mademoiselle, is this yours?” he asked demurely.
Alicia bowed her head and nodded yes. He said in his introduction that his name was Rogere and that he sold hats in Paris to both ladies and gentlemen. His shop was close by and inquired if would she like to join him there for afternoon tea. He returned her handkerchief with a bow and a slight smile.
Alicia was quite taken aback by his boldness, but because it was daylight with many Parisians out and about, she said yes, she would.
They walked several blocks to his establishment, entered, and a lady clerk took Alicia’s hat and coat. The shop smelled of lavender with white roses in vases about the main salon. The scene was plush, opulent even. He asked the clerk to bring out afternoon tea for the lady and him and hung up his coat and hat.
The hour was delightful.
They enjoyed raspberry macaroons, egg salad sandwiches, fresh fruits, and hot tea. His manners were impeccable and Alicia decided she would, in fact, see him again. They agreed to meet at rue Chat qui Peche or as it was called “on the street of the fishing cat.” It was close by the rue Chanoinesse, which runs to the east of Notre Dame, between the Cathedral and the River Seine. Noon was agreed upon the following Saturday.
Close by on the Ile Saint-Louis were the Quai d’Anjou with its quiet quarters. Painter Paul Cezanne worked from here in the 19th Century. It was home to Theophile Gautier and Charles Baudelaire whose Floweur de Mal (Flowers of Evil) took the world of literature by storm in 1857.
For Alicia and Rogere it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship!
The term handkerchief came from two French words: Couvrir which means “to cover” and chef which means “head”. In ancient Greece and Rome handkerchiefs often were used the way they are today. In the Middle Ages, kerchiefs were usually used to cover the head.
Residents in Europe in the 16th Century began to carry kerchiefs in their pockets to wipe their foreheads or their noses. King Richard II of England, who reigned from 1377 to 1399, is believed to have invented the cloth handkerchief as surviving documents written by his courtiers describe his use of square pieces of cloth to wipe his nose. They were in existence by Shakespeare’s time and a handkerchief is an important plot device in his play Othello.
Pocket squares as a fashion accessory took off in the 1920s when Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, and Gary Cooper wore them regularly. Pocket squares are usually made in fabrics such as silk, cotton, linen, and wool.