It’s evening time. You’ve donned that perfect sports jacket, and you’re ready to rock that date. Or cigars and drinks with your buddies. The chinos fit perfectly. The shirt is crisp, and made from a two ply cotton. And the sports jacket looks good. Damn good. You’re ready to step out that door. Except you know that there’s a finer detail missing – something that could really elevate your look.
You step back into your room, open your chest of drawers where some of your accessories are elegantly laid out, and stare at your massive pocket square collection. Which one do you choose? Ah yes, the pocket square conundrum. It seems to have plagued all of us sartorialists at one time or another. With an ever growing range of exquisite pocket squares in the market place, it is no wonder that we are often left confused as to which one to wear.
And sometimes, when things get confusing, it is best to simplify. To know that we have three to five go to pieces that will serve us across the year, across seasons and across a range of functions. So whether we are dressing dapper for work, a cocktail reception, a date night or an evening out with friends, we know that our go to set of pocket squares will save the day when push comes to shove.
With that said, here is our list of five essential pocket squares that every man should own.
1. Blue Paisley Pocket Square
Given that we often wear pocket squares with ties, choosing pocket square patterns can often seem problematic. With ties ranging from solids to stripes, abstracts to polka dots, and plaid to animal prints, what pocket square pattern do we opt for? Paisley, with its larger spacing, acts as the perfect complement to virtually any tie pattern (with the exception of paisley, of course). This larger spacing contrasts perfectly with tightly held patterns such as stripes, abstracts, animal prints and polka dots, and of course, solids! And as we all know, blue is a highly versatile color, pairing well with navy, pink, burgundy, purple, lilac and grey silk ties! So when in doubt, always opt to have a blue paisley pocket square ready to go!
Additionally, a blue paisley pocket square, providing it is not overtly loud, will serve you well across a range of functions and settings, whether you are dressing for work, a cocktail party, an evening out with friends or date night.
Courtesy of www.johncraighclothier.com
2. Burgundy Polka Dot Pocket Square
Nothing balances out a dapper suit and tie, or sports jacket and checkered shirt combination like a polka dot pocket square. With polka dot spacing fairly widely spaced apart, it is a great complement to solid, stripes, abstract or paisley silk ties. Burgundy provides a sense of elegance and panache that will help elevate your style game to the next level.
Are you looking to make an impression with daily work, your next business meeting or an important presentation? The burgundy polka dot pocket square will provide you with the perfect level of balance for the rest of your attire. The burgundy polka dot square also serves as a great finishing touch on date night or an evening out with friends!
Not wearing a tie out in the evenings? Pair your pocket square with a blue or grey sports jacket and solid, striped or micro checkered white, light blue, light pink or grey shirt.
Courtesy of www.lookastic.com
3. Grey Foulard Pocket Square
Looking for a neutral colored pocket square that will complement any of your ensembles? Cue the grey foulard. Whether you are wearing a blue, burgundy, pink, purple or lilac silk tie, the grey pocket square will complement your attire. A foulard pocket square (repeating pattern) will work best with a solid, striped or polka dot tie. Alternatively, you can strut this pocket square with a blue blazer and a solid, striped or micro checkered white or light pink shirt.
Whether you are dressing for work, an important meeting, a presentation or a social night out, a grey foulard pocket square will provide you with a level of refined elegance that will have your peers gawking.
Courtesy of www.thedarkknot.com
4.The Floral Pocket Square
Also known as the celebratory pocket square, a floral pocket square will allow you to make a statement at those occasions that matter most – such as your wedding, a best friends wedding or a dapper day time event such as The Kentucky Derby. Bucking the more conventional trend of the four other pocket squares in this list, the floral pocket square will truly make you stand out. With wide pattern spacing, pair this with any suit attire, or blazer and shirt option, and you are good to go!
The Dark Knot's Lake George Linen Blue / White / Navy Pocket Square infuses this ensemble with considerable pop and is ideal for events such as your best friend's wedding or The Kentucky Derby!
5. The White Linen Pocket Square
Last, and most important, is the crisp white linen pocket square. A definite staple in any dapper man’s wardrobe, a white linen pocket square offers you several defining characteristics – plain white color that complements virtually any ensemble (with our without a tie), a linen texture that provides textural variation to the rest of your ensemble, and an elegant look that is worth of even the most formal occasions, including a black tie event.
A white linen square will elevate any look, whether with a blazer, a suit or a tuxedo. When paired with a white shirt, it brings back the white in the shirt, which makes for an elegant repetition of color. While a white silk pocket square is best reserved strictly for black tie (and even that is debatable given its excess sheen), a white linen square is far more versatile. A linen pocket square also holds shape better, given the stiffness of the fabric. For this reason, a white linen pocket square is best worn with a presidential / square fold, even though it can be worn with a nonchalant puff fold.
An exquisite ensemble, featuring The Dark Knot's Linen Tuxedo White w/ Burgundy Hand Rolled Contrasting Edges Pocket Square. A White Linen Pocket Square will complement virtually any ensemble and infuse it with a sense of refined elegance.
And that's a wrap for this one! I hope that you have enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it!
Please feel free to view The Dark Knot's exquisite range of Hand Made Linen & Silk Pocket Squares.
