The pocket square: five folds, step by step
A guide to the pocket square with photos and steps: the flat fold, one, two and three points and the puff - plus the colour rules, and why it should never match the tie.
House of Vinterberg · · 3 min read
The pocket square is the smallest investment in the wardrobe with the largest effect. A silk pocket square moves a jacket from correct to personal. Here are the five folds that cover every occasion - each shown with a photo of the result and of the steps - and the rules for choosing it.
The flat fold: formal and calm
The flat fold is the most formal: a narrow, horizontal edge a centimetre or so above the pocket, parallel to it. It is the answer for the suit at the office, for meetings, and for everywhere the square should be seen without becoming a topic. White or cream in a flat fold belongs at weddings and with dark suits.
One point up: the classic triangle
One point up is the triangle: a touch more life than the straight edge, still perfectly calm. It is the natural middle ground for the suit when the flat fold feels too strict - and the fold that is hardest to get wrong.
Two points up: a little asymmetry
Two points up gives the pocket two peaks and a hint of deliberate asymmetry. The fold works for the blazer and the freer suit days, when the whole is allowed to show that someone thought about it.
Three points up: the fold for the party
Three points up is the fold with the most life - a small mountain range above the pocket edge. It flatters patterned squares especially, where the points show the colour of the edge, and it belongs to the party and the bright months.
The puff: silk's own fold
The puff is silk's natural expression and the most forgiving fold: pinch the square at its centre, let the corners fall, and place it in the pocket with the soft curve upwards. It is allowed to look effortless - that is the point. For the blazer, and for evenings without a tie.
The colour rule: never match, always converse
The pocket square should share a tone with something in the whole - the ground of the tie, the blue of the shirt, the rust of the knit - but never match the tie one to one. An identical tie and square set looks bought, not chosen. If you own only one, make it white or cream with a discreet edge: it is never wrong. More on the interplay in our guide to ties and pocket squares and in the tie and suit colour guide.
Silk and the occasion
Silk folds softly, catches the light and belongs with the suit and the celebration; cotton and linen hold a sharper edge and suit the relaxed blazer. Our pocket squares are silk and can be seen in the Showroom at Skoubogade 2 in Copenhagen, held up against both tie and jacket before you choose.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you fold a pocket square for a suit?
- For a suit, use the flat fold or one point up: a calm edge or a single triangle above the pocket. The puff and the multiple points belong to the blazer and the party.
- Should the pocket square match the tie?
- No. It should share a tone family with the tie or the shirt, but never be identical to the tie. Never buy a tie and square as a set.
- Which pocket square should you own first?
- White or cream in silk. It carries the dark suit, weddings and the blazer alike, and it is never wrong.
Talk it through with us at the Showroom.
Book a no-obligation appointment and get advice that starts from your occasion and your wardrobe.
