Chiefly used as a decorative pocket picker-upper today, the handkerchief has made its comeback. Not so much for the nose, but definitely in the dress: A seemingly unforeseen trend this summer 2016, the handkerchief hem has hit the streets with a vengeance—and how!
The handkerchief hem trend is nothing to turn your nose up at, and certainly not your grandma’s hanky: the handkerchief hem gets its name from the fabric’s drape falling hankercheif-style unevenly around a garment from a square piece of fabric with a hole in the center. This draping was around long before the hanky itself, though—stretching back to Ancient Greece, then revived in the ’20s á la Madeline Vionnet and then again in the early 2000s. However, with the resurgence of the ragged hemline, this look’s gone up from just skirting by—literally: Though this hem is generally reserved for skirts and dresses, it’s getting its update, seeing a surge in handkerchief-hemmed tops now, too.
This Fashionista I spotted on the street happened to be a harbinger of this style. She followed the light and airy feel inherent in the hem’s cut throughout her ensemble, starting with her white, lace hankerchief hem top. By combining the classic style of white, light lace with the ‘kerchief cut—both throw (way) back summery styles—she brought a very modern, chic and surprisingly sleek sensibility to her look.
Going with the flow(iness), she paired her top with a pair of layered beige shorts (cousins to the all-the-rage envelope skort), keeping the look clean and simple, holding focus on the detail of her top. To “top” it all off, she kept it all very on-trend with a pair of especially striking Ray Ban mirrored brow-bar sunglasses and added another classic-meets-modern pair of lace-up flat sandals harkening to the handkerchief hem’s ancient Grecian roots (if it’s too old for throwback, do we call this a a throw-forward?)…yet, lace-ups are oh-so-so-in this season—another oldie with a modern twist.
Though handkerchiefs themselves might still be confined to menswear dandy pocket decor and in your grandmother’s dresser, the handkerchief hem is definitely an airy, etheral edge to try and rock the season—with so many options of this style, not only will you look cool, you’ll feel it (air flow!). The handkerchief hem: certainly nothing to sneeze at. Or into.
How To: An integral part to this take on the hanky hem is the combination of light, airy colors and semi-structured-fabrics, creating just enough contrast while still remaining cohesive, just like the up-and-down hem style itself.
