Hip to be square

When famed architect Jun Antonio came to Davao to build our house when I was in my teens, he wore a light jacket and a pocket square. A pocket square? I didn’t even know what that thing peeking out of his breast pocket was back then; I just found it fascinating. Can you imagine how I felt when he came back for another site visit wearing an ascot?

Such was the gentleman architect’s dress sense — very dapper. But I couldn’t help wondering back then what purpose the pocket square and the ascot actually served. They looked very sharp, but were they just the grown man’s version of the Birds’-Eye diaper burp pads our yayas used to put on our backs as kids to soak up our sweat? Where they for wiping sweat off the brow or blowing runny noses? 

Much later, I learned that those square pieces of fabric used to wipe a man’s sweat with and blow his nose are strictly known as handkerchiefs and belong nowhere else but the trouser pocket.

In college, when I worked at Ralph Lauren, I learned from my boss, Katie, that the origin of the pocket square goes way back to the ancient Greeks. She said that wealthy Greeks carried around perfumed hankies as early as 500 B.C. English and French noblemen carried perfumed and embroidered hankies in order to cover their noses from the stench of the streets and other (unwashed) people. This was before the flush toilet, indoor plumbing and sewage systems, of course, so the pocket square actually served a specific purpose. 

Online journalist Brett McKay, in an article on artofmanliness.com, says: “In the early 1900s, a proper gentleman would never leave the house without a pocket square tucked neatly into his suit’s breast pocket. Yet by the latter half of that century, the pocket square began to go the way of the hat.”

Through the years, the pocket square has become an accessory — optional — and not the necessity it once was. I’ve heard some male friends claim that pocket squares are superfluous, even girly. These men are of a mind that anything without clear purpose is meant for the ladies. But when I see photos of fashion icon Tom Ford and the Daniel Craig sporting pocket squares, the adjective “girly” is farthest from my mind. 

There’s something about this fabric square that spells sartorial gentility. The best size for it is a 16- to 18-inch square and, like the subtle hand-stitched edge of a finely tailored jacket lapel, its exposed points and edges need to be rolled and stitched by hand for genuine refinement. But the trick is to make the whole business of wearing a pocket square ever so nonchalant. In other words, one must not over think this. Wearing one is supposed to make a man look stylish, not clownish, so beware of those advanced origami folds that bloom on your breast pocket. Stick to simple, straightforward folds. The trick is to be cool; don’t try too hard.

I’ve turned my attention back to pocket squares recently because a friend had a what-to-wear dilemma. He called on the eve of his brother’s birthday bemoaning the annoyance of having to wear a tie yet again. â€œI’m tired of wearing ties. I want to do something different.” 

“I doubt there’s much that can be done overnight in terms of fairy godmothering a brand new outfit,” I said. 

“Not to that extent. I just don’t want to wear a tie but I also don’t want to appear underdressed or lazy.”

“Do you have a pocket square?” I asked. 

“What’s that?” Of course: why would he know, right? This is someone who thinks Christian Louboutin is a religion.

“Basta,” I said, “Do you have anything at home that resembles a square piece of fabric — plain and white?” 

“Yes, panyo, I have that.” 

“Where did you get it?” I asked.

“Why? Is this a trick question? I don’t know — SM?”

“That will do,” I said. â€œGoogle Tom Ford (I had to explain who he was), then wear your black suit exactly as he does — with a crisp white shirt, no tie and a white pocket square folded neatly into a stark straight edge peeking out about a quarter inch from your breast pocket.”

The next day, he reported with much pride: “I rocked that Tom Ford look.”

According to McKay, there are ways to properly rock a pocket square: “The general guideline is that your pocket square color should complement some color on your tie. So, if your tie has a bit of red, rock a solid red pocket square or a patterned one with some red in it. Avoid matching the colors exactly. It looks like you’re trying too hard.”

Wearing a pocket square is an art; it’s not a science. It should simply complement your tie, not match it. Better yet, if the event is not strictly formal, lose the tie and rock the pocket square on its own. 

There’s always the question of whether to use a plain or patterned pocket square and when you opt for patterned, the options become endless. So due to personal taste and a desire to keep things simple, I would say stick to plain. But then there are patterned squares out there that are simply adorable. I’ve seen plaid, paisley, polka dots — big and small, floral, geometric, miniature animal prints. I’ve even seen the world map on a pocket square — but no, maybe not that. You’d need a microscope to even make sense of it. Again, to avoid confusing yourself, the pocket square mantra is: wear one that echoes a color in your tie or shirt, operative word being “echo.” 

With regard to material, pocket squares are available in pure cotton, silk, cashmere, or a blend of any two of these threads. I would recommend getting 100 percent of either of the three. Whatever you choose, please stay away from synthetic or polyester as these have static cling and cannot be folded in any decent way.

Next question is how to fold it. What follows are McKay’s tips one the three simple folds that every man should master:

 The Straight Fold

 The Straight Fold is the most simple of the pocket square folds. You should end up with a small rectangle — a clean straight line — peeking out of your suit pocket. Here’s one way how to fold it:  1) Lay your pocket square flat; 2) Bring the left side to right side; 3) Bring the bottom towards the top, but don’t fold it all the way; 4) Fold the fabric in thirds horizontally so that it will fit your suit pocket.

The One-Corner Fold

 With the one-corner fold, you’ll have a small triangular peek of fabric pointing upward coming out of your pocket. This is McKay’s favorite of the three. Here’s how to fold it:  1) Lay your pocket square on a flat surface, with one corner facing up and one corner facing down so it looks like you have a baseball diamond in front of you; 2) Bring the bottom point to the top point so that you create a triangle; 3) Bring the left corner of the triangle to the right corner, and the right corner to the left corner. You should end up with a long rectangle with a point at the top. It looks sort of like a fence slat; 4) Fold the bottom towards the top, but not all the way; 5) Place it in your suit. Adjust until you get the desired amount of point coming out of the pocket.

The Puff Fold

 The Puff Fold is probably the simplest of the folds. The desired result is to have a small puff of fabric coming out of your suit pocket. Here’s how to fold it: 1) Lay the pocket square flat; 2) Pinch the middle of the fabric, allowing the folds to come in naturally; 3) With one hand firmly holding the pocket square, use your other hand to gently gather it together; 4) Now gracefully gather up the bottom of the pocket square;  5) Place it in your suit. Fiddle with it until you get the desired puffiness.

Please remember that it is called a pocket square, not a pocket volcano. Please don’t get carried away and do all sorts of elaborate manipulations of peaks and valleys or curlicues with the simple square. You want to look cool, not clownish.  Clownish is great for entertaining children for a living with that red cloth deftly arranged in your breast pocket for easy retrieval for a magic trick; not for fashion. So keep it simple. 

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Thank you for your letters.  You may reach me at cecilelilles@yahoo.com.