Wearing a nicely folded pocket square in your breast pocket will add an elegant touch to your attire. Most men like the look of a wearing a pocket square, but often times don’t wear one simple because they don’t know how to fold it the right way. Pocket squares are not only well suited for black tie events in combination with bow tie, and tuxedo, but are also great for when wearing traditional suit and tie.
How to fold a pocket square:
There are many different ways to fold a pocket square, and the most common ones are:
- Pocket square fold: One corner up
- Pocket square fold: Two corners up
- Pocket square fold: Three corners up
Pocket squares originated from linen handkerchiefs that men used for personal hygiene. For over 600 years handkerchiefs have been used for this purpose. Records show that King Richard II of England (1367-1400) invented the handkerchief “as a little piece of cloth for the lord king to wipe and clean his nose”. Initially only the upper class in England used such a handkerchief, but by the 17th century the use of a handkerchief spread through all classes in society, and throughout most parts of Western Europe.
Initially handkerchiefs were not a fashion accessory, but were solely used for practical purposes. Also, they were not worn in the jacket’s, but in the pant’s pockets. It was simply considered unclean to show a “used” ocket square. In the first partof the 20th century 2-piece suits for men came into fashion. At the beginning of the day, many men used to place their clean white pocket square in breast pocket of their jackets to protect them from any dirt. Then after use, they were moved to the pants’ pockets. The look of a dark 2-piece suit with a white pocket square sticking out of the breast pocket was soon considered a classic and elegant look. Specific folding techniques were created, and the pocket square slowly became more of a fashion accessory. Later on, linen handkerchiefs were viewed as unhygienic. In 1924 the Kleenex company invented the tissuehandkerchief, and by that point the linen pocket square was almost exclusively used for decorative purposes.
How to tie a tie: Easy to follow instructions on different necktie knots from the simple Four in Hand tie knot to the Double Windsor. Learn how to fold a pocket square, how to tie a bow tie, and how to make a perfect dimpled necktie knot.