Ĭolor Codes from Bob Damron's Address Book (1980) Examples Īround 1980, Bob Damron's Address Book published a yearly chart for the meaning of each colored handkerchief.
There was no single authoritative standard for the code. This table is drawn from Larry Townsend's The Leatherman's Handbook II (the 1983 second edition the 1972 first edition did not include this list) and is generally considered authoritative.
Implicit in this list is the concept of left/right polarity, left as usual indicating the top, dominant, or active partner right the bottom, submissive, or passive partner. Townsend noted that discussion with a prospective partner was still important because, people may wear a given color 'only because the idea of the hankie turns them on' or 'may not even know what it means'.
