How to wear a pocket square ~ Academie de Bernadac : Academie de Bernadac

Dear Gentlemen (and curious Ladies), accessorising your outfit can upgrade your look effortlessly for any occasion. Therefore, knowing the pocket square etiquette is essential. Take out your squares and let’s learn together!

Pocket squares rules

To do

Choose a secondary colour from your shirt or tie as the primary colour for your pocket square or the opposite.

Over 40cmx40cm otherwise, anything smaller will slip down into the pocket.
A white pocket square is always the go-to colour for any business occasions, but you can also go for pocket square with colour without but not extravagant.

Match the fold to the occasion, see the section below.
You may use a square holder to make sure it remains permanently inside the breast pocket without moving.

To avoid

Do not match your tie and pocket square in colour, fabric or same pattern.

Do not let your pocket square clashes with a tie.

Types of fabrics

It is all about the texture as each fabric has its own properties, you can play with the contrast between the fabric of your square and the rest of your outfit.

Silk

The fabric is not as rigid as cotton or linen, we suggest you mostly use it for the puffing fold and not for any structured foldings.

The silk fabric goes well with a wool suit or jacket or with a knitted tie.

Cotton

The stiff edges of this fabric will allow structured foldings.

Paired with the same fabric as your shirt and a silk necktie, it will draw all the attention to the tie and give an elegant look!

Linen

This fabric is between cotton and silk, rigid enough to be used for structured foldings, but at the same time it is supple enough to give a great effect to a simple puffing fold.

You can pair a linen pocket square with a silk tie and it is mostly used during the spring/summer months.

Patterns matching

Consider your shirt, jacket/suit, tie/bowtie and pocket square at the same time:

If they have patterns better go with a sober square.

If you wear 2 accessories with similar patterns, the patterns should be a different size (e.g. tie with wide stripes and pocket square with thin ones).

If you wear 2 accessories with different patterns, you should vary the size of them (e.g. checked tie with wide lines and polka-dot square with smaller dots).