Impossible for the gentlemen that we are to have a suit for every occasion (even though we would like to). Happily enough, that's why accessories are for! They bring a touch of diversity, originality and offer a second life to a beautiful jacket. If the tie is a staple in one's closet, the pocket square is more shyly used, even though it's a simple way to upgrade any outfit.
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How to wear a pocket square?
There are a million ways to wear a pocket square. Pocket squares are worn by young hipsters, fashionistas, old school dandies, elegant businessmen, our grandfathers, you, me... The only important thing to know is how to wear it elegantly. It's up to you to pick a colour, the pattern, the fold, and the clothes that you are going to wear with it. To wear a pocket square is before all a question of taste. But we do have some bits of advice for you on how to wear a pocket square, for you to avoid any kind of misstep.
To do or not to do:
1. A jacket is naked without a pocket square. To wear a pocket square every time you put on a jacket, that seems quite elementary to us.
2. A pocket square can be worn alone, it's sometimes enough to make your whole outfit seems elegant. If you are wearing it with a tie, make sure that the colours work well together (more on that below).
3. Have pocket squares made from different fabrics in your closet, like cotton, linen or silk. This will allow you to change your pocket square depending on the fabric of your tie, jacket... If you have just started wearing pocket squares, the first one to have is a white pocket square, whether it be silk, linen, or cotton. It's the easiest way to start wearing a pocket square without making any mistake.
4. Pair your pocket square with your shirt, your shoes, your socks, your belt, your hat, your gloves - but not everything at once.
5. Your pocket square and tie or bow tie should not be made from the same cloth. A pocket square is supposed to complement and bring contrast to your outfit. It is better to match a colour of your pocket square to a colour of your tie. Play around with fabrics. If you're wearing a silk tie, pick a cotton or linen pocket square. If you're wearing a cotton bow tie, choose a silk pocket square, a choice that will show that you know how to dress well. This rule should also apply to your jacket. If you're wearing, for example, a tweed jacket, the lightness of a silk pocket square will make your outfit shine.
6. Carry yourself with confidence when you are wearing a pocket square.
7. Don't use overly complicated folds when wearing a pocket square, you will look overdone.
8. Be creative and remember, the simpler the better.
How to pair pocket square, tie and bow tie?
As we previously talked about, and before everything else, there is a rule that you should never disobey: never, please never, wear a tie (or a bow tie) with a pocket square made of the exact same cloth, it's a style mistake. You can usually find those in high street stores, and they are more of a marketing ploy than a sign of good taste. To try to guide you, we are going to evoke three points to wear elegantly a pocket square with a tie or a bow tie: how to pick the fabric, the colours, and maybe the hardest one, how to choose the patterns.
The fabric
One of the first pieces of advice we could give you is to play with the fabric of your accessories. If you make the choice of a silk tie or bow tie, pick a cotton or linen pocket square, which will bring contrast to your outfit. A contrario, if you make the choice of a cotton tie or a cotton bow tie, a silk pocket square will be your best option. Of course, those are only suggestions which may vary according to your preferences.
If a silk pocket square is a bit too out there for you at work, there is nothing holding you back from wearing a cotton or linen pocket square, with a tie made in the same kind of fabric, while being careful to play with the asperities of your accessories. A linen used for a handmade tie won't be the same used for pocket squares, and this pairing will be a great choice.
This advice mostly applies to traditional ties and bow ties. Knitted ties and knitted bow ties have an overall different rendition. The knit will always bring this oh so peculiar finish that we like so much. If we recommend staying away from accessories made with synthetic fabric such as polyester, which you will only be able to keep for a few months at best, every other fabric is available to you: silk, cotton, wool... If wool can be seen as more winter-ish, the cotton or silk knit can easily be switched around, according to your personal taste.
You should also play with the fabric of your suit or jacket. If you decide to wear a light linen jacket and a cotton tie, a silk pocket square will bring a touch of panache to a casual outfit. If you have slipped on your favourite wool jacket, maybe use a linen pocket square, a choice that is quite elegant. A pocket square should stand out, and be visible. Without that, it will not only be useless but may harm your overall outfit.
Colours
It is sometimes difficult to know how to assort a suit, a tie and a pocket square. One of the first questions that you should ask yourself is the overall harmony of your outfit, the objective being that it should be a coherent look. First, know your colours. While using a colour wheel (or common sense really), some colours are complementary (blue and orange, green and red...), and others are analogous (blue and purple, pink and red...). Every gentleman should pick his accessories according to these complementary and analogous colours. For example, a blue tie will work wonderfully with a pocket square that has shades of orange; a pink pocket square will complement nicely a grey tie with red stripes... As a rule, you have to pick a shade of pocket square that you can also find in another part of your outfit: a shade of your shirt, your tie, your watch, your shoes... If your tie has more than three shades, the safest bet is to pick a plain pocket square, or at least a sober one, which will subdue your outfit.
To pick the colours of your accessories, you also need to know how formal your outfit should be. If you're going to a casual event, you can wear colourful accessories, and especially a colourful pocket square. If the event is more formal, make sure that you don't have too many colours in your outfit. To close this chapter, if one of your accessories is a neutral colour, like grey or beige, you have more freedom regarding the choice of your pocket square, as neutral colours can be easily paired.
Patterns
To pair patterns is maybe the most difficult task, as you have to consider at the same time your suit or jacket, your tie and your pocket square. If you have several patterns with your suit, your shirt or your tie, it may be safer to pick a sober pocket square. What is important if the confidence that you'll have while wearing your outfit, you should not feel as if you were dressed up. If you decide to wear two accessories with similar patterns, be careful to pick patterns with different sizes. For example, if you're wearing a tie with wide stripes, pick a pocket square with thin ones. This attention to the size of the pattern is necessary, or you are at risk of creating an optical illusion that will be quite unsettling to those who admire you.
If you decide to wear two different patterns, you should also vary the size of those patterns. You can wear a striped tie with a polka dots pocket square: if the stripes of your tie are thin, pick bigger polka dots and vice-versa. Of course, those are only small tips, what matters is for you to feel great in your outfit. If you have questions, our always elegant team are at your disposal to answer any questions you may have.
