Q. My question is about colored handkerchiefs or what seem to be called pocket squares.
Are they appropriate with a sports jacket and, if so, how much should show?
I have checked the Internet and am confused by the information I found there.
A. I can certainly understand why you would be confused. The Internet gives a lot of conflicting as well as wrong information on this subject.
Some sites suggest that a man is not fully dressed if he does not wear a pocket square. Wrong!
Some say it is an item of clothing that's designed to be "used," and not that it is truly a decorative item. Wrong!
Some suggest that adding a pocket square is essential, whether or not it is well coordinated with the other clothes the man is wearing. Wrong!
And some say that a large white linen handkerchief is the same as a small silk pocket square and that's just wrong on its face.
Wearing a silk pocket square or a linen handkerchief in the breast pocket is a matter of preference. It can add a dash of color and a bit of polish to a combination. Pocket squares are generally silk, in solid colors or all-over patterns, usually paisley or a small, neat foulard. Handkerchiefs, on the other hand, are white linen or cotton, freshly laundered, and always ironed.
Both can be great for those who like them but are certainly not required. A man once told me that if he forgot his silk square, he would return home to get one. Some men, who would never wear a silk pocket square because they think of it as foppish, are comfortable with a white handkerchief in their breast pocket. Other more conservative dressers will wear neither. Alan Flusser, the men's clothing designer responsible for the Gordon Gekko look (played by Michael Douglas) in Wall Street, once told me, "The pocket was put there for a purpose -- and it was not to collect debris."
Your aim with a colored square is to complement the color and pattern of something else you are wearing. While it could be the jacket or the shirt, usually it is the necktie. Never match the patterns exactly. In men's clothing, matched sets are considered tacky, a sure sign of a lack of sophistication. If you have a matching tie-and-pocket-square set, split it up and wear each part separately.
So, how do you coordinate but not match? Here's an example: Consider a blue suit, a white or light blue shirt, and a red tie with a blue polka dot or foulard pattern. A good choice for a silk pocket square would be a navy background with a large-scale red paisley pattern.
Another possibility: a tan suit, blue shirt, blue-and-brown striped tie with a pocket square in a dark brown and light blue small neat pattern or a pindot.
My usual advice is to limit the number of patterns you wear together to two. But, with a pocket square you can experiment a bit by introducing a third pattern. If you're wearing a subtly striped suit or shirt, you can wear a patterned tie and pocket square. The amount of pattern showing above the pocket is so slight and can be so well coordinated that the avoid-three-patterns rule can bend enough to allow it.
Other subtle points: You do not need to be wearing a matched suit. A pocket square goes just as well with a blazer or a tweed sport coat. You don't even need to be wearing a tie. But without a tie, you must pay even more attention to how well you coordinate your pocket square with the jacket and the shirt.
Regarding "how much to show," there are three ways to fold and wear a pocket square, each displaying different amounts. Perhaps the most common one is my least favorite: It involves inserting a white handkerchief folded in a square shape into the pocket so that a small straight sliver shows above the pocket. Yes, it is a finishing touch, but it doesn't offer much flair.
The second and third ways are accomplished by opening up a colored silk square, grasping it by the center and allowing the four corners to fall naturally. Fold this in half. Poke the pocket square into the pocket with the folded part down so the points are up and showing slightly, but not a lot. Do not work too much at arranging these points. (It should not look like a picket fence.) Or, after folding it, place the square into the pocket with all four points and the center pushed down into the pocket, allowing the slightly puffed fold part to show.
Remember not to arrange it too precisely; a jaunty, slightly casual air is the effect you are trying to achieve. When you do that, a pocket square can be the biggest bang for your buck; at less than $20, it is the least expensive accessory a man can wear.
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High Profile on 04/03/2016