Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette!
In today's video, we discuss pocket squares; how to wear them, how to combine them, and
how to match them with your shirt, and your tie, and your jacket.
Accessories are not just an add-on to your outfit, they actually can make it or break
it.
To achieve something that's pleasing and flattering, you need to create a harmoniuous look.
For example, look at my combination here.
It's a navy jacket paired with a pastel and blue striped shirt, those colors are picked
up by the tie, blue and yellow, orange and red, and then complemented by a pocket square
that is likewise yellow.
This combination on the other hand has an orange knit tie, a gray jacket, a pastel yellow
or orange shirt,a nd then paired with a patterned pocket square that does not have the exact
color tone but it picks it up somewhere in between and it creates a harmonious overall
experience.
When you out an outfit together, you have to consider different degrees of formality.
You have to look at the texture of your cloth; for example here, we have a pinpoint jacket,
we have a knit tie, we have a bold pocket square in silk.
They're all different so you also have to consider the different color palettes that
you combine into your outfit.
Now, the easiest way to combine an outfit that looks great is to start with the suit
or the jacket because that dictates where you go.
If you have a charcoal suit in worsted flannel, it's a more formal outfit.
If you go with something in a brown glen check, it's a more casual outfit.
Once you have that down, choose a shirt.
It's easiest to choose either a solid white, off-white, or light blue shirt because then
you can really go wild with the different ties you wear, pocket squares, and maybe a
boutonniere if you want or cufflinks.
As the third item, you want to choose the tie because that defines what color accents
you set and as a fourth, choose the pocket square which complements the tie.
Last but not the least, you can opt for a boutonniere or the cufflinks.
When you're starting out, keep the ground rules in mind because they help you to create
better, more dashing outfits.
You don't want to incorporate more than three different patterns in your outfit otherwise,
it easily gets overwhelmed.
Of course, there are very dapper men who can combine four or even five patterns in one
outfit but that requires a lot of experience, skill, and a good eye.
When you're just starting out, it's over the top and chances are it looks bad and very
odd.
Obviously, this is a bold jacket but the overall look is harmonious and flattering because
the tie, and the pocket square, and the shirt are toned down.
For example, imagine if you have this tie which is a shantung silk tie paired with a
pocket square.
Well on its own, it's a good combination let's say with the suit I'm wearing here right now.
It's a bad combination with this jacket because it's simply over the top.
We have one pattern, two pattern, three pattern, they are all different textures ad it just
does not look elegant any more.
The same is true when you decide to go with a bold shirt such as this green and white
striped one or something in orange.
If you do that, try to stay in the same color palette roughly or go with something darker.
For example, with a green and white striped shirt, a dark solid navy tie or a knit tie
is best.
With the orange striped shirt, you can go with an orange knit tie but something solid.
On the other hand, if you have a navy solid jacket or navy gray jacket, something with
a little pin point pattern, you can really be much bolder with your pocket square and
with your tie.
That is where we suggest the 10 clothing items every man must have.
You should invest in a dark suit and in items that you can pair with lots of accessories
because accessories are a lot less expensive and you create a lot more different looks.
To learn more about the 10 items, please check out this video here.
To show you how easy it is to change a pocket square in a suit like this, I'm just exchanging
my silk yellow pocket square for a pale yellow cotton pocket square.
It's almost the same color, it's slightly different but it has a tip so a different
fold makes for a different outfit.
Let's look at this buff madder silk pocket square which I can use as well and since I
have a solid jacket on and the color tone is picked up by the tie, I can exchange a
lot of things and it always looks great but distinctly different.
So why should we invest in a pocket square in the first place?
After all, it doesn't serve any functional purpose other than making you look great.
As you just saw, the pocket square can really give your entire outfit a different look and
feel and it's just a little piece of fabric that you can fold in a few seconds and it
can take an otherwise average outfit and make it look awesome.
To learn different pocket square folds, please check out this video here.
On top of that, a pocket square has the ability to tie entire outfits together that otherwise
may not work really well.
Usually a pocket square achieves that effect by having a number of different colors that
pick up one in the outfit and then tie it together in an elegant manner.
You'll find that pocket squares are always printed and not jacquard woven because it
just gives a better look and you don't want an extra texture and it's also less likely
that you pull threads with your fingernails.
You can also add a lot of different colors to a pocket square and it helps to create
a harmonious outfit with a lot of different ties.
A good pocket square will always make you look polished and complete and if you want
to show the edges of your square, make sure it has hand rolled edges because it's a true
hallmark of a gentleman who knows how to dress elegantly.
Avoid machine stitched or hem pocket squares because they're not elegant.
Also, it's important to have the right size of your pocket square and depending on the
fabric and the thickness of it, different sizes work best.
You always want to avoid having a pocket square that is so small that it just disappears in
your pocket because it can't stay up.
It's very important to never match a pocket square exactly to your tie because it shows
that you really don't have any sense of style or elegance and that you lack the confidence
to put together a well coordinating harmonious outfit.
I know there are lots of sets out there you can buy but I suggest you stay clear of them
and rather invest in a pocket square that you can combine in different ways.
if a matching pocket square is all you have, I suggest not to wear one at all.
Maybe go with a boutonniere instead because it just looks tacky otherwise.
The first pocket square you should invest in is a plain white solid linen pocket square.
We offer those with initials in our shop here.
You can also get a pocket square with a color contrast edges such as here in pale green
or in different colors such as red or blue.
The advantage is you can either wear them with the color or you just fold them so you
can't see the color; that way you can get two pocket squares in one.
The white linen pocket square is a gentleman's wardrobe staple because it works with any
kind of white shirt, you can wear it with a tuxedo, you can wear it to an interview,
to a wedding, to a funeral, you name it.
It's a formal look that goes with everything and it's simply the first one you should have
because it goes with so many outfits.
Do not wear it with a light blue shirt because the color is too close and it simply doesn't
work out.
I also suggest not to wear it with a tweed jacket because it's too casual and white is
just too formal for that.
I would stay clear of silk pocket squares because oftentimes they are very thin silk
ones that disappear in your pocket and the linen has a crisp look that is very elegant.
For a selection of perfectly sized linen pocket squares with hand rolled edges and your first
name initial, please check out our selection here.
Now, when you coordinate colors between your pocket square and your ties; let's say you
have fifty ties and fifty pocket squares, that's a whopping 2500 outfit combinations.
Of course, we can't show you all 2500 combinations however, there are a few basic principles
that you can apply in your every day outfit combination process.
To start, it's easiest to go with solid neck tie and a pattern pocket square or do the
other way around and you go with a patterned tie and a solid pocket square.
The advantage of this combination is that you can pair the solid tie with a number of
different pocket squares.
For example, this one has many different colors and although none of them is the exact orange
of the tie, it creates a harmonious look because it just picks up that color.
Now, if we choose a different pocket square with a crown fold, this is our wool challis
polka dot square, you can see again that the orange is not exact but because of the green
in it, it just works well overall.
Now orange is a really favorite color of mine for fall/winter and spring outfits because
it's so versatile and here you can see why.
Let's say we use this other pocket square which is a silk wool blend, you can first
of all create a look with purple, blue, and green that works really well but you can also
take the pocket square and maybe just show a different part of it so you just get more
orange for example, with just a light pattern.
Overall, it's very easy to combine your pocket squares in that way.
Apart from sticking with a color, you can also choose to go with something contrasting
or a complementary contrast that just gives a different look to the outfit but it's still
harmonious.
For example here, take this pocket square with a medallion, it's a silk wool with a
beautiful blue, I pop it in there and obviously, there's no real orange but there's some traces
and so it works well together.
If both your tie and your pocket square have patterns, you should avoid going with patterns
in a similar size.
For example here, this macclesfield neats tie and then something very similar in a small
paisley pattern and it's just clashing because it's too close in size.
The same is true if you go with a polka dot square, it's slightly different, a little
contrast, a little better but still off.
Alternatively, you can go with an oversized pattern such as this one which is a silk wool
pocket square, we tuck it in, voila!
much more elegant.
The same goes with a much smaller pattern which is kind of like a glen check or Prince
of Wales check.
Even though it's not the same color of red, it still looks harmonious and elegant.
Of course, you can also go the opposite way and go with a much bolder paisley pattern
that picks up on the colors of red and green.
Last but not the least, a medium sized paisley with some bronze and orange tones just works
fine as well.
Voila!
That's how you combine pocket squares and ties with patterns so make sure to go with
different sizes in your tie patterns and your pocket square patterns so it all looks well
put together.
Also bear in mind that colors too close but not the same will clash and so it helps to
have pocket squares in patterns with many different colors rather than a solid color.
That being said of course, you can have sometimes a solid pocket square that works really well
with a patterned tie because it picks up on one of the colors and it just creates a really
good dapper look.
Furthermore, keep in mind the way you fold a pocket square can have a huge impact on
the way it looks.
For example this medallion pocket square, you can have just the medallion showing like
so, or you can have just the tip show or you can have something in between which shows
part of the medallion and part of the red.
Obviously it's a same pocket square but you can create three different looks with it.
If you have a solid pocket square that's not really possible because you can just get the
crown fold or puff fold.
here, it's different folds in different areas so it's particularly good for travelling when
you just have to bring very few pocket squares that create a lot of different outfit options.
Once you've mastered pocket square combinations that pick up on the color, you can also take
the next step and go for pocket squares that don't have any color in common.
For example, this pocket square here has beige tones, yellow tones, green tones, purples,
which are not present at the tie yet they go well together because they're both not
extreme colors and warm colors.
For example, if I would have chosen a bright green or bright blue, it would have clashed.
In that case, that madder silk tie goes well with a wool challis color palette and it's
also more subdued.
Obviously, pairing pocket squares in that way is a lot more difficult but when you keep
in mind that if you have a bold color to go with other bold colors and if you have subdued
colors to go with other subdued colors, you may yield some very interesting outfit combinations.
Of course, not every time will be a winning combination but you have to make mistakes
to improve your outfits over time, there's no way around that.
At the end of the day, you have to be comfortable in your skin and comfortable with your outfit
and once you're confident with your choice, it will show and your overall look will be
even better than if you are unsure about the combination you chose.
As I said before, first start with your jacket and your shirt and then with your ties.
So if you don't have any ties yet in your wardrobe, I suggest you start with the 12
essential ties every man should have and once you have a few that you like, you can buy
pocket squares that go with them based on the things we discussed in this video.
For a selection of quality pocket squares in different sizes so they stay up and never
disappear as well as ties in three different lengths for short, regular, and tall men,
please head over to our shop and take a look.
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