For those who want to take the term “international style” a bit literally, Australia-based designer Christian Kimber has been slowly building a collection of city-themed pocket squares that I think is both highly unique and appealing. The squares all feature original art by the designer, and are inspired by the different cities he’s been to. The London square, for example, features the Gherkin skyscraper that he used to pass by every day, while the Hong Kong square is inspired by the skyline he saw in Kowloon (where my shirtmaker Ascot Chang is based, coincidentally). I’ve been admiring the set for a while, but had to wait until the Kimber released his square for Vietnam – where my family is originally from – before I bought my first one.
The designs are great, and have a nice international flavor that I think most men can appreciate, but it’s the abstracted shapes that make them a bit more unique than my usual favorites from Drake’s, Rubinacci, and Holland & Holland. In the pocket, they take on a modern look, perhaps more in the line of Tom Ford than any of the aforementioned companies. Twist a little here or there, and you can show off different colors as you wish. The size, thankfully, is also big enough to not slip down the pocket (something that’s increasingly hard to find nowadays, unfortunately). Quality and make here are similar to Drake’s, and I believe both lines are produced at the same factory.
I’m told that more designs are coming. There will be one for Milan, Italy and one for Colombo, Sri Lanka. Those might not be out for a while, however. Kimber is a one-man operation and currently working on expanding his footwear line with some new sneakers from Italy and more Goodyear-welted shoes from Spain (suggesting, perhaps, that a Spanish square might be forthcoming). In the meantime, you can find five designs at Kimber’s website and Exquisite Trimmings, the second of which is having a 20% off sale with the checkout code BANK20. Unfortunately, the code doesn’t apply to these squares. I know cause I checked. If it did, I would have bought a few more.
(Photos from Christian Kimber’s website and Instagram, as well as me)
