In my opinion. the white linen pocket square should be a man's default choice for his suit jacket's breast pocket. Unlike silk squares, which out of their natural odd jacket element carry some risk that the wearer will be perceived as too interested in his clothing, white linen adds to the look of an ensemble without negative connotations. In particular, the color complements traditiional business dress combinations such as the patterned shirt with a white ground.
That said, spare me the overly regular look of a tv folded square. Hold the handkerchief by its center, fold it in half and stuff it into the pocket. Rearrange until it looks satisfyingly irregular. And then forget about it.
Photo: Confidustria Sondrio
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Great advice on how to deploy the white square. There's something robotic about the precision engineered folds. The other fold with the matching row of triangular peaks makes even the TV fold look relaxed. -Aaron
"Rearrange until it looks satisfyingly irregular."
This seems as predetermined as the method which it is trying to counter. Please say more...
I find the TV gives the wearer a sense of no-nonsense empowerment, whereas the stuffed square exudes easy-going joie de vivre. So they both have their place; it just depends how you want to feel and how you want others to feel about you.
Alas, I can't get to success with that more cavalier stuff yet, the size of my Irish Linen squares makes it look like I might have a picnic lunch wrapped up and in my pocket. So I fold. Maybe I need some ASW "sized-linen."
Well said, Michael Hoffman. Whilst the gentleman at leisure or the artist would be well advised to follow Will's advice here, the serious professional intending to express precision and skill at work can express that better with a neatly folded pocket square. In some traditional circles in the City, some professions, and in Sloane-Ranger-land pocket squares are even avoided as too much of a dandyish item of clothing, betraying indeed the wearer's self-indulgent interest in his own clothing. Whilst the total avoidance of pocket squares is probably too extreme an approach outside those circles, the TV is a happy compromise that avoids the boringly gaping breast pocket whilst looking neither untidy nor overly self-indulgently creative. Off duty its messy and more relaxed cousin can replace the TV.
MCCVI: The idea is in sprezzatura - way of making something looking irregularly and randomly beautiful in a natural way - "it just happened to drop in there and looked perfect" kind of way. While, in reality, people put a lot of time to make something look effortlessly and randomly beautiful.
So, yes, it is predetermined, but it doesn't look rigid and stiff.
I wouldn't go out for a drink with a TV-fold guy. But I'd trust him to do his job - but wouldn't expect him to do any extra or perform anything creatively.
This is truly a subject that will garnish many different views. One that I would take is even in a city/professional setting you can stuff and if onlookers seem to look askance or unapproving, I am not bothered one bit. I exude this is who I am, and what I wanted to wear today.
As RL says in a famous quote about personal Style, "Personal style is about having a sense of yourself and of what you believe in, which is basically self-confidence. When you have that confidence, you can wear whatever you want and project something personal about who you are and how you feel."
Problem is, many men do not have that confidence or sense of self yet, so they are not able to project style well enough. So it's Gap Khakis and a polo shirt and J&M loafers every day.
When Ryan Seacrest appropriates your style, you know its time to move on. While the straight fold looks terrific, especially with a 60s inspired narrow lapel jacket, I have indeed moved on. The five pointed Truman fold is a bit too deliberate and I think the devil-may-care stuffed square is a bit country club.
I found my favorite fold when I simply took out my MadMen fold and turned it upside down, creating a slightly uneven isosceles triangle. Works like a charm, and if you look closely, its the fold preferred by JFK. Thats good enough for me.
A thin line of hankie is nice.Please! Not Luca again!
Dear jessduncan, RL expresses in this quote a - historically seen - more Italian self-centredness – I am aware that this is a generalisation and that many Italians are different – focusing on individuality, creativity and gaining attention for oneself. From a more cosmopolitan point of view one can incorporate the English approach that emphasises the collective approach, i.e. style as an expression of the social group I belong to and identify with without disallowing discrete expressions if individuality and creativity. For the professional who applied skills and rules of an profession and who is less intent on expressing creativity and self-centredness, the English approach fits better, whilst for the artist and the urban gentleman at leisure the Italian approach might provide a bitter outlet of self-expression. Hence Jussi is right that – unless these are after-work drinks with colleagues – going out for drinks with a TV fold guy for drinks might be less fun…unless he eventually stuffs it.
+ White as the go to
+ Linen as opposed to silk
+ Stuffed and not folded
You're spot on with this one!
Has anyone ever seen Will wear a white pocket square?
I love pocket square as it is and all the stuff or squeeze term doesn't really work for me.
For me, pocket square is to match your shirt & compliment your tie.
My style is 65% James Bond & 35% Sprezzatura. Sorry Will.
Blogadier General, two salient examples are the blogs of 31st December 2008, and of 30th September 2008 - in the latter the texture of the tie was an issue, but the pocket square was an excellent choice.
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