Photo: LIFEI've really been having fun exploring Google's archive of LIFE magazine photos. In this 1999 shot of newscaster Peter Jennings with musician Max Roach, Jennings is wearing a pocket square that complements but otherwise has no visible relationship to the rest of his clothing.
And that's the best way to do it, in my opinion.
And that's the best way to do it, in my opinion.
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There is a great story about Peter Jennings when he was on assignment in Beirut, Lebanon, the first time the country was in flames, back in the early 80's. Peter had invited some other journalists out for dinner and drinks, but they were all pretty worried about the incessant snipers and, for the most part, were hunkered down in their hotels, and dressed for a war zone. When it came time for dinner, they looked out the lobby windows, and here comes Peter, walking through the rubble, ignoring the snipers, and in a perfectly cut navy blazer, tie and, of course, a pocket square. I guess moral of the story is that if "courage is grace under pressure", then perhaps style is always remembering life's little details :D
I love the fact that Jennings’ pocket square has no relationship to his ensemble…
Too much thought...too much study about rules...pocket square corollaries...a functional sleeve button unbuttoned or buttoned….an inch and five eights cuff versus an inch and a half or god forbid…two inches for a turn-up…double breasted for a man under five eight…most men of style and panache don’t know enough or give a da_n about the aforementioned to get caught up in it and risk screwing it up!
I still smile at the idea of a sleeve button unbuttoned being gauche. Only those who are too sartorial studied would waste cerebral energy pondering the issue.
The superb Jennings picture simply reinforces the truth that style is incredibly individual and most often, impossible to learn.
I think George Frazier called it duende.
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