We will be talking about all things pocket square for this week’s of to work menswear inspo. Why you need one and how to choose a perfect piece to compliment your outfit. Most men don’t see the importance of including a pocket square in their already “perfect outfit” but a bit of spice never hurt anybody.
For those who aren’t familiar with the pocket square, we will start by explain exactly what it is. A pocket square is simply a piece of clothing, usually, silk, linen or soft cotton, small enough without creating bulk, placed in the breast pocket of a jacket.
Now we will move on to differentiate between a pocket square and a handkerchief.
Many people have argued that the handkerchief and pocket square are the same, but we disagree with this theory. The pocket square is a fashion accessory created for the main purpose of adding style and to compliment your outfit, while the handkerchief is a piece of cloth you use to wipe off sweat from your face, blow your nose, offer a damsel in distress, a handkerchief belongs out of sight, in your back pocket of inner jacket pocket. And your pocket square is more expensive than your hanky.
3 reasons why you need a pocket square.
- A suit without a pocket square makes your outfit look somewhat incomplete.
- Like we said earlier, it complements the rest of your outfit.
- It adds a certain kind of edginess and confidence to your persona. (so much responsibility for a tiny square piece of clothing.)
How to choose a pocket square
- Never match your pocket square and your tie with matching patterns and colors, in other words we are telling you not to buy matching pocket squares and ties, unless you intend to wear them on different days.
- If you are wearing a plain tie, simply choose a pattern pocket square that compliments the tie you have chosen and vice versa.
- Pick a pocket square that is a shade darker or lighter than the color it is complimenting from your outfit.
- If you are up to it, you can chose to pair a pattern pocket square with a pattern tie, but you need to careful because a mismatch can ruin your entire look.
Types of pocket square styles
- The straight fold
The straight fold is the easiest of the pocket square styles. All you have to do is, just like the name, fold the pocket square in half, then fold the bottom of the square but not all th way to the top, the fold it horizontally to fit your suit pocket.
- The one corner fold
Place the pocket square in a diamond shape, then fold the diamond in half to make it into a triangle, place the wings of the triangle to the back, then take the bottom of the piece and fold it about half way up.
- The puff fold
Lay the pocket square flat, and pinch the middle of the fabric, allowing the folds to come naturally, hold the middle of the pinch between your thumb and index fingers, then gather the bottom of the pocket square.
- The two peak fold
This style is almost like the one corner fold, follow the steps of the one corner fold, but when you fold the diamond into a triangle, slightly tilt the triangle over, instead of making both ends meet perfectly, and then continue with the other steps.
Other more advanced pocket square styles include: the rolled rose, the monarch, the bird of paradise, the modern fold, the scallop, ice cream fold, the armadillo, mountain path, and loads more.
