Pocket Square: Add color and style with a flick of the wrist
Take your handkerchiefs out of the back corner of your closet. Your jacket, which you have worn many times, immediately appears in a new light. An outfit cannot gain individuality faster.
A handkerchief gives every blazer and suit jacket that special something. Once you get used to it, without a pocket square it feels like you left the house without shoes.
When it comes to pocket squares, there are only two rules
Formal elegance in the evening
For very formal occasions, with an evening suit or a tuxedo jacket, a plain white pocket handkerchief in the classic straight fold (presidential fold) is always the right choice. With a midnight blue tuxedo jacket (think James Bond in Skyfall, sponsored by Tom Ford) it can also be a black handkerchief.
Every day
For all other occasions, the pocket square should not pick up the color and pattern of the tie or bow tie. On the contrary, the greatest possible contrast in colour, pattern and style is the order of the day here.
If you follow these two principles, it all depends on your mood, which pocket square you choose and which fold you choose. Extraordinary color combinations give your outfit that special something.
The dark brown tweed blazer looks like a breath of fresh air on the Scottish island with an apple green and orange pocket square. A navy blue suit gets a wonderful Riviera touch with a lemon yellow pocket square.
There is no limit to your creativity, because as a small accessory it can come across as self-confident. The pocket square will never be too intrusive as it only takes up a small amount of space — but it completes your outfit perfectly.
Try it in the shop to see if the handkerchief is stable
A little tip for your next purchase: it’s worth trying out the pocket square on a jacket you’re wearing or on a jacket that’s available in the store to check whether you get along well with the material. Silk, for example, is not just silk.
It may be that a silk handkerchief can be placed perfectly in the breast pocket, while a different quality of silk doesn’t get stuck at all, but always sinks down immediately. Just try it out and experiment with other materials, such as tweed or linen.
You can’t have enough handkerchiefs, because sometimes you want to appear more discreet, other days it can’t be colorful enough. Therefore, a pocket square is also an always welcome gift. With a small individual compliment on the gift tag, everyone is happy about it.
There are a number of different folding techniques for the pocket square. The simplest and universally applicable technique is the classic format folded into a rectangle, also known as the Presidential Square Fold:
Presidential Square Fold
Fold the square cloth in half to create a rectangle.
Now fold the rectangle in half again, this time from the other side, so that you get an even narrower rectangle.
Now fold this rectangle in the middle so that the oblong rectangle is bisected. Fold in an edge again so that the rectangle becomes smaller overall and you can use as much fabric as possible for a good hold when putting it in the breast pocket.
Insert the cloth with the folded edge in such a way that it protrudes slightly out of the breast pocket and fills out the entire width of the opening in the breast pocket. The open ends of the rectangle are hidden in the breast pocket.
Puff Pocket Square Fold
Within seconds, another popular way of wearing a pocket square, the so-called puff pocket square fold, can be displayed:
Hold the cloth in the middle and pull it up,
Form a circle with your thumb and forefinger and gently pull the loose ends of the cloth up into this circle – a bit like peeling a banana backwards.
Tuck the scarf in so that you can only see the puffed up scarf – the ends are pulled up to give the scarf a little more stability in the lapel.
However, if you pull the ends up further to let them protrude from the lapel, you’ve also mastered the third format: Crown Pocket Square Fold.
You are already well equipped for playing with colors and shapes. If you wear a conservative tie, contrast the conservative tie with a more striking pattern or a fancy contrasting color and vice versa.
If you are unsure, start by choosing a handkerchief that has a shade of white as its base color. Only the colors and patterns appear that way on the light background. you will be
enjoy it and gradually become a little more daring, to the delight of all who meet you.
Incidentally, without a tie, the handkerchief plays an even greater role. It instantly makes you look smarter.
