How to Fold your Pocket Square

The right pocket square adds a touch of colour and a splash of personality to men’s suits. In fact it elevates style to a whole new level. The true fashion connoisseur will have a collection of pocket squares to match not just different suits but different occasions and moods. There are three main things to look out for:

Fabric: It doesn’t need to match the material of the suit but pocket squares made of lightweight fabrics needs to be slightly bigger, otherwise they will eventually sink inside the pocket.

Colour: The easy option is to buy matching ties and pocket squares but that’s not what a sartorially adept gentleman would do. Instead, match the pocket square to secondary colours from your outfit palette.

Fold: There are so many options, depending on how much of your pocket square you actually want to show and how flamboyant you feel. To help you find the perfect fold, we have prepared a video showing classic folds that will get you through most occasions.

The 4 most stylish pocket square folds

1. Presidential fold (aka straight or flat):
A sign of understated elegance, suitable for all occasions and the only acceptable fold for tuxedos. When done well, it should only leave a narrow band showing above the pocket, which is why most gentlemen will choose white pocket squares for this fold.

1. Lay the pocket square flat with the patterned side down. Fold in half.
2. Then fold in half again and continue folding in half until you end up with a square that has the same width as your pocket.
3. You can either insert it in the pocket with the folded side up, which is the most common, or with the borders protruding from the pocket, for a more modern look.

2. Puff:
If you own a really nice pocket square, and some are absolute works of art, you wouldn’t want to hide it inside your pocket. In comes the puff. It’s a very common fold but extravagant puffs may be a bit too much for job interviews and formal occasions.

1. Lay the pocket square flat with the patterned side up. Pinch the centre and lift it up.
2. Form a circle with the forefinger and thumb of your other hand and run the pocket square through that circle.
3. Twist it
4. And then fold the bottom half towards the top.
5. Now insert it in the pocket with the puff showing

3. Reverse puff:
This is very similar to the puff, the only difference being that rather than placing it in your pocket with the puff side up, you reverse it so that the edges of the pocket square stand out. It adds a touch of flair to the outfit and is the fold of choice for pocket squares that have particularly interesting borders.

1. Lay it flat with the patterned side up. Pinch the centre and lift it up.
2. Form a circle with the forefinger and thumb of your other hand and run the pocket square through that circle.
3. Twist it
4. Reverse your grip so that the puff is at the bottom and the borders are at the top and fold the bottom half (puff) towards the top (borders)
5. Now insert it in the pocket, making sure that it is the borders, rather than the puff, that protrude.

4. The 3 point fold:
This is a bit more elaborate than the previous three folds and might seem out of place in a casual outfit. It’s best suited to pocket squares with stylish borders and it will introduce you to the world of pointed folds, e.g. 2 point, 4 point etc.

1. Lay the pocket square flat, in a diamond shape and with the patterned side down.
2. Fold the bottom half upwards, as if you are trying to form a triangle, but make sure the bottom corner falls slightly to the right of the top corner.
3. Then, take the bottom right corner and fold it towards the top but make sure it lands slightly to the left of the top corner. This should give you your 3 points.
4. Take the left bottom corner and fold it all the way around
5. Adjust the bottom half of the pocket square so that it is roughly the same width as your pocket but make sure the 3 points stay intact
6. Fold the bottom half towards the top
7. Tuck in your pocket and adjust the 3 points so they look neat.

Practice makes perfect and the more folds you master, the more different looks you will be able to create. In fact, why not take a look at our collection to see how we matched our 3 piece suits to different pocket square patterns, colours and folds?