Fashion Advice 7:
Queries about Pocket Squares

Fashion Advice 7

Question:

I've worn simple white handkerchiefs in my breastpockets to balance white dress shirts. I've noticed many men don't wear anything in the pocket.

Matching coloured silk pocket squares has me utterly lost. Is the square coordinated with a coloured shirt or the tie? Is Irish linen too light for a square? Do I have to fold them in the various cavalier zigzags or is a crisp square fold still acceptable?

Answer:

You are right that most men nowadays do not wear anything in their breast pockets. It is quite rare to find men who actually know how to fold their pocket squares well.

Generally, you should coordinate similar or same hues of the pocket square against the tie, preferably having the same hues of the pattern on the tie rather than the background color of the tie.

If it is a solid colored pocket square against a solid colored tie, then creating similar/same hues of different shade between the pocket square and tie would be a better choice.

Alternatively, like what you are already doing, match the pocket square shade to the background of the dress shirt, the stripe, or pattern.

Some men can actually put together pocket square of similar/same hues with both the dress shirt and tie. This definitely creates an impressionable sartorial styling.

For you to understand better about color matching, just refer Mens Fashion Color Coordination for more info on coordinating similar hues and same hues.

Irish linen handkerchief should not be considered too light. It would be good to create irregular arrangement of the linen handkerchief. Then place it at an angle pointing toward the outward direction of the shoulder.

I would not say that doing the crisp square fold is not right. The reason is too few men are wearing pocket squares now to consider it unsuitable.

When you try both methods, which one did you like? Choose the one you are comfortable with. I personally would find the irregular arrangement helps to give more volume to Irish linen.

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