Guide: How To Fold A Pocket Square

Pocket squares are an accessory every man should wear. They effortlessly take an outfit up a notch and are quickly added into a suit or blazer jacket. They add style and sophistication to almost any outfit. Another added bonus, they quickly add a small detail of color and can enhance other accessories. There are three quick and easy folds everyone should know, and wear!

The Straight Fold
The One Triangle
The Reverse Puff

Top Three Pocket Square Folds

We are demonstrating all folds with the Warren Pocket Square with the Kitty Hawk Bowtie. This pocket square is 15x15 in size. If your pocket square is slightly smaller, adjust the folds slightly to create the same look. Try ironing your pocket square before folding to get rid of any previous creases and create a polished fold.

The Straight Fold ( TV Fold)

This is the most classic, and easy to fold, pocket square styles. You might have even seen Don Draper sporting this style in Mad Men. This fold can be worn formally or with a more casual look. It is a very classic, universal fold. After folding your pocket square, the final look should be a slim rectangle showing out of the top of the pocket.

You can make this fold with a two sided pocket square or one with a pattern on a singular side. If two sided, lay the desired pattern facing down. When folding a one-sided square, make sure the pattern faces down.

To start make sure the pocket square is facing the correct way and lay flat on a table or other surface. Fold the right side of the pocket square about 1/2 of the way towards the left. Take the left side and also fold it into the middle. From the right side, fold the square in half using the newly created line in the middle as your guide. Once it is in a long rectangle, fold the bottom towards the top leaving about an inch. You will want to fold the bottom upwards again, this time about half way to the last fold. This last fold helps you place it easily into your pocket in addition to eliminating it bunching with too much fabric at the top of the fold.

The One Triangle

Another simple and classic fold is the one triangle, getting it's name from the singular corner showing from the pocket. Again, make sure the pattern faces down when starting this fold or it could end up backwards!

Start with your pocket square flat on a table, this time in a diamond shape. Fold the bottom corner to the top corner and line up perfectly. Take the right side of the triangle and fold about 3/4 of the way to the left. This fold leaves just the top of the triangle showing with straight edge on the right. Repeat this step with the left side but continue past the newly formed right edge. You want the top of the triangle to be symmetrical. Fold the tail of this side back to the left to keep it nice and neat. You should be left with a triangle with a rectangular long bottom. Take the bottom and fold to the bottom of the triangle, where the two sides fold downwards. This creates a pocket for your hand to slide into when placing into your pocket. This fold leaves the top of the triangle with two layers of fabric for a clean finished product. If your pocket is slightly narrower, modify this fold in the beginning by folding the two sides inwards more.

The Reverse Puff

This simple fold is a slightly more casual look but can still be worn almost anywhere. The fold can show off different patterns in the pocket square, depending on how the folds fall. It is less rigid and much more playful than other folds. It features 3-4 corners of the pocket square poking out of the top of your jacket pocket. Plus, this fold only has three steps, making it one of the easiest to fold!

Lay your pocket square on a flat surface with the pattern facing up. It is recommended to have it in a slight diagonal to you, this will create the best finished look. Using your dominant hand, pinch the middle of the pocket square. Try pinching with all of your fingers, this creates more folds in the fabric. The last step of this simple fold is to fold up the bottom slightly, where your hand was pinching the fabric, to create a sleeve for your hand when placing into your pocket. This last fold also helps keep the fold in your pocket without excess fabric pushing upwards, creating an oversized reverse puff.

Final Thoughts

Remember pocket squares differ in size and fabric. You might need to experiment with the folds to make it work best for your pocket square and for the size of your pocket. Iron your pocket squares before folding to eliminate wrinkles and creases, making folding much easier. Continue to play with your folds to get the perfect look for your outfit. Try flipping around some of these folds to create new looks. Pair the pocket square with a great self-tie bow tie for a finished look.

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