KERCHIEF (THOOVALA)
Dear friends
Writing on many other topics, the details kept for writing on kerchief was with my working files folder for a long time, I thought to make use of it today.
In my child hood days my mother used to cut and give a piece of my father's old dhothi to wipe out running nose. This was kept in the pocket of knickers and used when ever required. This was my first kerchief use.
My father was a person using snuff. He was a person wearing dhothi, on one side a kerchief, and other side the small snuff bottle (cylindrical in shape) were rolled to dhothi. I have not seen my father with out kerchief outside. He was stitching kerchief with local tailor.
There was a period, keeping kerchief on the shirt collar in my boyhood days. This saved the collar not getting dirty. But using it on face, it already carried sweat from neck and the practice gradually got stopped.
On later years I used to have two kerchiefs, one on pant pocket another on shirt collar on days in which hair dye was applied by me.
Rather than as a piece of cloth for cleaning body parts, it is part of dress along with marriage pant, shirt, and coat and in coat's pocket a folded kerchief. Even now Raymond displays coats with folded kerchief in the pocket in their showrooms.
The kerchief of ladies is smaller and is with attractive mixed colours and designs. The kerchief used by men is larger. Simple coloured and simple designed kerchief are used by men.
Today most people wearing pants, invariably there will be one or two kerchiefs with them in the pockets. People wearing dhothi too sometime keep kerchief in the shirt side pocket.
While I was studying in college I was wearing dhothi only and the side pocket in shirt was used to keep kerchief. Kerchiefs were displayed by 1960's in textile shops in a stand in the front to show their availability. Let me go over to Kerchief stories.
Sincerely
Gopala Krishnan 15-4-2011
1. Kerchief – other purposes
Other than cleaning face on sweating or after washing, or body parts like hand, it serves many other purposes at all times.
During college days most of us used to keep kerchief one number with in the books. Another will be for the above purposes. This kerchief normally applied with powder or scent was used to cover the mouth and surrounding areas of face NOT TO SHOW THE EXPRESSIONS. This helped very much not to exhibit to others many expressions like self or other's sighs, smiles of feeling uncontrolled smells and noises, noting lecturer's and other friend's expressions etc.
For many their kerchief served other purposes like leaving on floors and stairs, when desired persons coming so that they will pick up and give with a smile and ensure a talk. This was done both girl students and boys.
2. Kerchief – no use.
Though the kerchief is useful for cleaning sweat, slight water in face, opening tight screwing in vessels, pens etc by holding with kerchief for grip; it is not useful for cleaning the crow's kashtam or bird's kashtam or Palli eacham.
We have to search for some waste paper to clean and throw out. Then we can use the kerchief for final cleaning and then throw it of. The reason is the smell created of them, if we keep the kerchief using it for cleaning, even after washing. The kerchief smell will make others make a query about kakka kashtam on the day.
I had many instances of Kakka Kashtam falling on head or shoulder while going over to office at Trivandrum. There used to be three or four jackfruit trees inhabited by crows just before my way to office. As if waiting for my coming to pass the kastam selecting me, it used to fall.
After one or two instances of difficulty in searching more paper, I made it a habit to clean with a spare kerchief and throw it after well cleaning. Luckily the kerchief does not cost much.
3. Kerchief –size
Normally the kerchief of males used to be of 1-1.25' square and females use 0.75' square. Mostly it is hand bag they keep, unless working in a kitchen.
The kerchief, though the purpose is to clean the sweat and water, mostly is made of ordinary cotton.
4. Hand kerchief
A "handkerchief" or "hanky" primarily refers to a napkin made of cloth, used to dab away perspiration, clear the nostrils, or, in Victorian times, as a means of flirtation.
A woman could intentionally drop a dainty square of lacy or embroidered fabric to give a favoured man a chance to pick it up as an excuse to speak to her while returning it.( Friends- This I am reading from wikipedia too!!)
A handkerchief is a form of a kerchief, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric that can be carried in the pocket or purse, and which is intended for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping one's hands or face, or blowing one's nose. A handkerchief is also sometimes used as a purely decorative accessory in a suit pocket.
The material of a handkerchief can be symbolic of the social-economic class of the user, not only because some materials are more expensive, but because some materials are more absorbent and practical for those who use a handkerchief for more than style.
Handkerchiefs can be made of cotton, cotton-synthetic blend, synthetic fabric, silk, or linen. Now a day most use cotton.
5. Kerchief-around the neck or on the head
A bandana is a type of large, usually colourful, kerchief, usually worn on the head or around the neck of a person or pet.
Bandannas are frequently printed in a paisley pattern. Bandanas are most often used to hold hair back, either as a fashionable head accessory, or for practical purposes:
We can see children of scouts wearing a piece of cloth around the neck. Colours, and sometimes designs, can be worn as a means of communication or identification.
6. Hand kerchief as a bandage
They could also serve as a substitute for a bandage over a small injury in case of emergency. This is because many a time we do not apply kerchief unless warranted and hygienic.
7. White hand kerchief
Historically, white handkerchiefs have been used in place of a white flag to indicate surrender.
King Richard II of England, who reigned from 1377 to 1399, is widely 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.
8. Paper Handkerchief
The cotton handkerchief has a marginal percentage of lack of hygiene. Hence paper hand kerchiefs which are use and through has come like tissue paper. Initially the cotton handkerchiefs were used for make up removal and later for all other purposes.
9. Pocket's square
When used as an accessory to a suit, a handkerchief is known as a pocket square. There are a wide variety of ways to fold a pocket square. The name pocket square is new to me.
The Presidential, perhaps the simplest, is folded at right angles to fit in the pocket.
The TV Fold looks similar but is folded diagonally with the point inside the pocket to give two examples.
10 Othello and kerchief
In Shakespeare's play Othello, the handkerchief is used as a plot device.
In Spanish football, it is a common sight to see supporters waving white handkerchiefs as an expression of deep emotion, both positive in admiration of an exceptional performance by their team or a particular player
11. Origin
The wearing of various coloured bandanas around the neck was common in the mid- and late-nineteenth century among cowboys, steam railroad engineers, and miners in the Western United States
12. Head band
Headbands, or sweatbands, are worn around the forehead during physical activity to absorb sweat and keep it from reaching the eyes. Sweatbands are often made of a continuous loop of absorbent fabric. Folded bandanas, usually knotted behind the head, also serve this purpose. Headbands are usually used for sports but have not been popular since the late 1970s or early 1980s.
Head bands are nothing but the Thalekkettu in Malayalam. A bigger kerchief worn around the for head by many technicians during physical work. I have seen the AC technician, wiremen, plumber etc wearing it, mostly.
12a Specialised head band
Some specialized headbands are designed to be worn covering the ears, to protect from cold temperatures and snow. These tend to be broader and of heavier fabric. I recollect in picture Sangam, Vaijayanthimala wearing it like this now. These special headbands come in women's, men's and children's sizes. These headbands also come in many colours and are useful when doing winter activities
13. Head scarves.
Headscarves or head scarves are scarves covering most or all of the top of a woman's hair and her head. Headscarves may be worn for a variety of purposes, such as for warmth, for sanitation, for fashion or social distinction; with religious significance, to hide baldness, out of modesty, or other forms of social convention. Muslim women generally and Christian women specially while going over to church do it. This head covering habit is better known as a wimple in English.
13a. while undergoing treatment.
Many women with medical hair loss, due to chemotherapy, alopecia or other causes, utilize scarves as protective head coverings. It will look very bad after chemotherapy to look at head.
14. Nec-kerchief
Students in the United Kingdom traditionally wear academic scarves with distinctive combinations of striped colours identifying their individual university or college.
15. Scout scarves
I will conclude kerchief with this.
Members of the Scouting Movement wear scarves as part of their uniform, with different colours and logos to represent their scout group. They are also used at camps to represent units, sub camps or the camp as a whole.
I still keep as memoriam the skirt and scarf used by my daughter in scout camp at Trichy when she was about 13 years old.
Dear friends
Writing on many other topics, the details kept for writing on kerchief was with my working files folder for a long time, I thought to make use of it today.
In my child hood days my mother used to cut and give a piece of my father's old dhothi to wipe out running nose. This was kept in the pocket of knickers and used when ever required. This was my first kerchief use.
My father was a person using snuff. He was a person wearing dhothi, on one side a kerchief, and other side the small snuff bottle (cylindrical in shape) were rolled to dhothi. I have not seen my father with out kerchief outside. He was stitching kerchief with local tailor.
There was a period, keeping kerchief on the shirt collar in my boyhood days. This saved the collar not getting dirty. But using it on face, it already carried sweat from neck and the practice gradually got stopped.
On later years I used to have two kerchiefs, one on pant pocket another on shirt collar on days in which hair dye was applied by me.
Rather than as a piece of cloth for cleaning body parts, it is part of dress along with marriage pant, shirt, and coat and in coat's pocket a folded kerchief. Even now Raymond displays coats with folded kerchief in the pocket in their showrooms.
The kerchief of ladies is smaller and is with attractive mixed colours and designs. The kerchief used by men is larger. Simple coloured and simple designed kerchief are used by men.
Today most people wearing pants, invariably there will be one or two kerchiefs with them in the pockets. People wearing dhothi too sometime keep kerchief in the shirt side pocket.
While I was studying in college I was wearing dhothi only and the side pocket in shirt was used to keep kerchief. Kerchiefs were displayed by 1960's in textile shops in a stand in the front to show their availability. Let me go over to Kerchief stories.
Sincerely
Gopala Krishnan 15-4-2011
1. Kerchief – other purposes
Other than cleaning face on sweating or after washing, or body parts like hand, it serves many other purposes at all times.
During college days most of us used to keep kerchief one number with in the books. Another will be for the above purposes. This kerchief normally applied with powder or scent was used to cover the mouth and surrounding areas of face NOT TO SHOW THE EXPRESSIONS. This helped very much not to exhibit to others many expressions like self or other's sighs, smiles of feeling uncontrolled smells and noises, noting lecturer's and other friend's expressions etc.
For many their kerchief served other purposes like leaving on floors and stairs, when desired persons coming so that they will pick up and give with a smile and ensure a talk. This was done both girl students and boys.
2. Kerchief – no use.
Though the kerchief is useful for cleaning sweat, slight water in face, opening tight screwing in vessels, pens etc by holding with kerchief for grip; it is not useful for cleaning the crow's kashtam or bird's kashtam or Palli eacham.
We have to search for some waste paper to clean and throw out. Then we can use the kerchief for final cleaning and then throw it of. The reason is the smell created of them, if we keep the kerchief using it for cleaning, even after washing. The kerchief smell will make others make a query about kakka kashtam on the day.
I had many instances of Kakka Kashtam falling on head or shoulder while going over to office at Trivandrum. There used to be three or four jackfruit trees inhabited by crows just before my way to office. As if waiting for my coming to pass the kastam selecting me, it used to fall.
After one or two instances of difficulty in searching more paper, I made it a habit to clean with a spare kerchief and throw it after well cleaning. Luckily the kerchief does not cost much.
3. Kerchief –size
Normally the kerchief of males used to be of 1-1.25' square and females use 0.75' square. Mostly it is hand bag they keep, unless working in a kitchen.
The kerchief, though the purpose is to clean the sweat and water, mostly is made of ordinary cotton.
4. Hand kerchief
A "handkerchief" or "hanky" primarily refers to a napkin made of cloth, used to dab away perspiration, clear the nostrils, or, in Victorian times, as a means of flirtation.
A woman could intentionally drop a dainty square of lacy or embroidered fabric to give a favoured man a chance to pick it up as an excuse to speak to her while returning it.( Friends- This I am reading from wikipedia too!!)
A handkerchief is a form of a kerchief, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric that can be carried in the pocket or purse, and which is intended for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping one's hands or face, or blowing one's nose. A handkerchief is also sometimes used as a purely decorative accessory in a suit pocket.
The material of a handkerchief can be symbolic of the social-economic class of the user, not only because some materials are more expensive, but because some materials are more absorbent and practical for those who use a handkerchief for more than style.
Handkerchiefs can be made of cotton, cotton-synthetic blend, synthetic fabric, silk, or linen. Now a day most use cotton.
5. Kerchief-around the neck or on the head
A bandana is a type of large, usually colourful, kerchief, usually worn on the head or around the neck of a person or pet.
Bandannas are frequently printed in a paisley pattern. Bandanas are most often used to hold hair back, either as a fashionable head accessory, or for practical purposes:
We can see children of scouts wearing a piece of cloth around the neck. Colours, and sometimes designs, can be worn as a means of communication or identification.
6. Hand kerchief as a bandage
They could also serve as a substitute for a bandage over a small injury in case of emergency. This is because many a time we do not apply kerchief unless warranted and hygienic.
7. White hand kerchief
Historically, white handkerchiefs have been used in place of a white flag to indicate surrender.
King Richard II of England, who reigned from 1377 to 1399, is widely 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.
8. Paper Handkerchief
The cotton handkerchief has a marginal percentage of lack of hygiene. Hence paper hand kerchiefs which are use and through has come like tissue paper. Initially the cotton handkerchiefs were used for make up removal and later for all other purposes.
9. Pocket's square
When used as an accessory to a suit, a handkerchief is known as a pocket square. There are a wide variety of ways to fold a pocket square. The name pocket square is new to me.
The Presidential, perhaps the simplest, is folded at right angles to fit in the pocket.
The TV Fold looks similar but is folded diagonally with the point inside the pocket to give two examples.
10 Othello and kerchief
In Shakespeare's play Othello, the handkerchief is used as a plot device.
In Spanish football, it is a common sight to see supporters waving white handkerchiefs as an expression of deep emotion, both positive in admiration of an exceptional performance by their team or a particular player
11. Origin
The wearing of various coloured bandanas around the neck was common in the mid- and late-nineteenth century among cowboys, steam railroad engineers, and miners in the Western United States
12. Head band
Headbands, or sweatbands, are worn around the forehead during physical activity to absorb sweat and keep it from reaching the eyes. Sweatbands are often made of a continuous loop of absorbent fabric. Folded bandanas, usually knotted behind the head, also serve this purpose. Headbands are usually used for sports but have not been popular since the late 1970s or early 1980s.
Head bands are nothing but the Thalekkettu in Malayalam. A bigger kerchief worn around the for head by many technicians during physical work. I have seen the AC technician, wiremen, plumber etc wearing it, mostly.
12a Specialised head band
Some specialized headbands are designed to be worn covering the ears, to protect from cold temperatures and snow. These tend to be broader and of heavier fabric. I recollect in picture Sangam, Vaijayanthimala wearing it like this now. These special headbands come in women's, men's and children's sizes. These headbands also come in many colours and are useful when doing winter activities
13. Head scarves.
Headscarves or head scarves are scarves covering most or all of the top of a woman's hair and her head. Headscarves may be worn for a variety of purposes, such as for warmth, for sanitation, for fashion or social distinction; with religious significance, to hide baldness, out of modesty, or other forms of social convention. Muslim women generally and Christian women specially while going over to church do it. This head covering habit is better known as a wimple in English.
13a. while undergoing treatment.
Many women with medical hair loss, due to chemotherapy, alopecia or other causes, utilize scarves as protective head coverings. It will look very bad after chemotherapy to look at head.
14. Nec-kerchief
Students in the United Kingdom traditionally wear academic scarves with distinctive combinations of striped colours identifying their individual university or college.
15. Scout scarves
I will conclude kerchief with this.
Members of the Scouting Movement wear scarves as part of their uniform, with different colours and logos to represent their scout group. They are also used at camps to represent units, sub camps or the camp as a whole.
I still keep as memoriam the skirt and scarf used by my daughter in scout camp at Trichy when she was about 13 years old.
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