Good Morning Towels
The perfect functional and aesthetic balance of a quality “GMT” (the affectionate acronym) is hard to beat. REMO has been obsessed with them for a very long time.
There’s something very appealing about Good Morning Towels, don’t you reckon?
They are simple white terry cloth towels emblazoned with a bright red “Good Morning” greeting in wonky script and some Chinese characters that say Zhu jun zao an, in Pinyin, read from right to left in the traditional manner. This roughly translates to “Wish you early morning”, a somewhat formal “Good morning” greeting.
The number below the logo refers to the size – 96 being the most popular.
The perfect functional and aesthetic balance of a quality “GMT” (the affectionate acronym) is hard to beat. The material absorbs well: it isn’t too thick, and the size is just sufficient that one could use it to dry off after bathing. Longer than a handkerchief, lighter than a bath towel, it dries in minutes under tropical heat and folds neatly into a pocket.
This is not a high end product. They are very inexpensive … around A$2 each from an Asian supermarket in Sydney last time we bought them. Even so, one should be aware of cheap(er) imitations. The originals are thicker and bear the woven blue edging.
Good Morning towels have a long history in South East Asia. They were originally produced for the Hong Kong market in the late 19th century, and were used widely in tea shops and noodle houses. The English greeting was added to appeal to the British who were then living in the area, and they were most likely produced by Shanghai Sanyou Industrial Co. Ltd, an enterprising Chinese factory that saw the opportunity. The towels are now made in state factories in Guangdong Province, and are still ubiquitous in Hong Kong SAR, e.g. they are the only towels allowed for use by inmates in jails and prisons.
In the Philippines, you’ll see them pretty much everywhere: strung around the neck of every jeepney driver and conductor within easy reach to mop up sweat; cut-up into rags to wipe down kitchen tables; and wrapped around the knuckles of the fist-fighting bad guys that inhabit old school Pinoy action films.
As early as the 1920s, the Good Morning Towel was also a staple in Singapore, then a British colony. The towel was often seen draped across the shoulders of rickshaw pullers and labourers who helped build modern Singapore. So, for Singaporeans, the Good Morning Towel is a nostalgic symbol of the hard work their forefathers put in to establish their country. Singaporeans love these towels and they have become retro chic there. Such is their cult status that there are deluxe versions (plusher, fancier with golden embroidery) sold as souvenirs. [Ed: Not sure about those. Not as appealing.]
Throughout South East Asia and elsewhere in the world, the towels have been reborn as pouches, mugs, scarfs and all manner of merchandise. There’s even a homage REMO design from 2022 that pays tribute to its iconic graphic imagery.
PS: Finally, here’s a bonus pic of Remo with his talented friend Stew Burchmore shopping for Good Morning Towels in Sydney’s Chinatown in 2022
REMORANDOM Chapter
