It’s always nice to see when a gentleman adds a touch of class to his ensemble with a pocket square. With so many variations in its fold, one less versed in the art of fashion may be overcome when deciding which style to choose. Fret not my friends; the answer is blowing in the wind. To me, the only fold you need to know is the TV Fold. In fact its elegance and versatility lies in its simplicity. The Square or TV Fold, sported by the likes of Don Draper is timeless. It works for formal and casual events; it will set you apart without looking like you have a BA in origami.
Like I said, the process is simple but the results are classic.
- Open up your pocket square. Your finish is as good as your start. For the best possible results, I recommend that you iron your pocket square.
- Fold it in half-length wise. Iron the resulting rectangle so that it has sharp edges. A steam iron works well but ensure you have the proper setting based on the material of your square.
- Now fold the bottom up to the top and about a ¼” below it. Now solidify the shape with another pass by the iron.
- Now simply flip it around and insert the square so that ‘tallest’ part is facing outwards.
So, how do you decide what color to wear? Whatever you do, do not match your square with your tie. I think it is extremely lazy and unimaginative and at its worst, it makes your work harder because it limits your options. I go about selecting the best color based on my shirt while keeping my jacket in mind. The good thing about using your shirt is that it widens the playing field for you. For dark attire I would use a lighter toned pocket square and vice versa. Also, there’s no reason to just use the standard silk pocket squares- don’t get me wrong they are nice but you could still get away with some tougher, textured and printed material. I should mention that the great thing about non-silk based pocket squares is that they tend to shift less in your pocket.
