My Pocket Square Collection

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In the past, we showcased my accessories such as my ring collection, or my cufflink collection, as well as my shoe collection. Today is about my pocket square collection.

I always found that adding a pocket square to a jacket instantly upgrades the look, makes it more stylish, and so I always collect them whenever I found one that I liked and added it to my collection because I wanted to be able to have different ones for different situations, in different shades that work with my jackets, especially if they’re patterned; not every pocket square always works with every jacket.

White Pocket Squares

If you don’t have any pocket squares yet, investing in a simple white linen pocket square with hand rolled edges is the best money you ever spent. Because it’s such a wardrobe staple, we have a whole range in our shop with different initials so you can either use them for yourself or as a gift or have them even as a handkerchief that you need in your back pocket. It’s a worthwhile investment and most men have at least three white linen pocket squares in their collection. White pocket squares work well with any kind of dark suit as well as tuxedos or tailcoats for evening wear.

If you wear a lot of business suits, you may not always want to wear a simple white pocket square and then it pays to have white with a dash of color. So for example, in our shop, we have a whole range of white pocket square with hand rolled edges and an embroidered colorful edge. It really makes everything pop if you have a crown fold which just shows off the different colors of the tips and it creates some visual interest but you still have the white background.

Pocket square with a hand rolled edge in a contrast color
Pocket square with a hand-rolled edge in a contrast color

Alternatively, you get a white pocket square with a hand rolled edge in a contrast color which is very popular and it is likely not going to go out of style anytime soon.

While these white with contrast edge pocket squares are almost mainstream among clothing aficionados, going with the contrast stitch especially an X stitch is very different and it gives you the same effect, yet it has that craft element in it because it’s a fine X stitch stitched in both ways and it’s very unique.

White pocket square with brown paisley
White pocket square with brown paisley

Other white pocket squares in my collection are this one in white with some brown paisley.

Off-white with polka dots and a contrast blue edge
Off-white with polka dots and a contrast blue edge

Also this slightly off-white with polka dots and a contrast blue edge. Of course I have all the pocket squares we offer in our shop in my collection, however, I only want to show you a few of my favorite ones.

Another more unusual white pocket square is this one with hand embroidered blue polka dots and it’s just a fun little accessory. It’s not something you usually see. Usually, polka dots are printed, they’re never embroidered, especially not hand embroidered, and we make those with skilled artisans in Italy. I really like to wear it with any kind of navy suit or navy or blue blazers because it really makes it pop in a sophisticated yet not super formal way.

Printed silk pocket square
Printed silk pocket square

It’s also nice to have a white silk pocket square and I don’t like the solid white silk ones simply because they have a tendency to look flatter, they’re a little shinier and so I prefer linen but if there are other printed elements on there such as the photo above, it works well with darker suits.

Personally, I try to avoid white pocket squares with any kind of casual garments such as tweed jackets, sport coats, or suits, because they just don’t work well together. The easiest way to pair a white pocket square is with a white shirt because that way, you don’t have to pick up the color in any other parts of your outfit and it’ll always look classic.

If you decide to go with white silk pocket squares, make sure they’re thick enough because the thinner silk is quite flimsy and it will likely collapse on you in your pocket or sometimes also come out easily. So if you go with a silk, go with a heavier silk, otherwise, linen specifically made for pocket squares is your number one choice, even better than cotton. Linen is crisper, it has a nicer look, and it wrinkles in a different way than cotton. Cotton is usually too thin and too lightweight and just doesn’t look as sophisticated and dapper.

Blue Pocket Squares

Blue is a very popular color in menswear, particularly for men’s ties and suits and because of that, blue pocket squares pick up those colors and make for a sophisticated overall outfit as long as there are other colors incorporated into the blue.

One of my favorite blue pocket squares is probably this kind of turquoise mohair blue one from Fort Belvedere. It is a mix of silk and wool which makes it different than wool, it’s softer than just wool, but it’s also not as flimsy as silk and it is the perfect middle ground, in my opinion. It also has a bunch of different colors such as red which is another dominant color in menswear, as well as green, yellow, and gold tones, so it’s very versatile and I like to travel with it because chances that this pocket square will look good with any kind of jacket I bring are very high.

Turnbull & Asser
Turnbull & Asser

Otherwise, I have a bunch of silk pocket squares such as this one from Turnbull & Asser with again, white and red, which work well with classic business outfits.

Blue pocket square with small patterns
Blue pocket square with small patterns

Another one I really like is this kind of medium dark blue one with little printed patterns on it. I’ve worn it with a lot of different outfits and it gets the scale quite right so I can wear it even with a patterned tie or with a solid tie and it also stands out from a patterned jacket.

This paisley inspired one is made of a dark navy with tones of orange and green. I like it because it has different areas on the square so depending on what my outfit looks like, I have a visible color that is either more orange, or blue, or more green, and so it’s quite versatile.

This pocket square is another favorite of mine. It’s a light blue with small paisley prints in white, brown, and dark blue. It goes with a lot of things especially with blazers, business outfits, as well as brown tones.

Blue & yellow paisley pocket square
Blue & yellow paisley pocket square

This blue paisley pocket square is a little louder, has yellow tones aqnd it’s a nice classic paisley print.

Next up is a different kind of blue with greenish printed rabbits that are based on old tapestries. It’s that same silk-wool blend that I like so much because you can pair it with business suits, as well as tweed sport coats, and it will always look debonair but not shiny and cheap.

Darker colored pocket squares with white edges
Darker colored pocket squares with white edges

Just like with the white linen pocket squares with the colored edges, you can find the reverse. A darker base color with a white edge and I sometimes like combining this one especially if I have a more summery suit. Ideally, you do this with a lighter jacket, otherwise, it just doesn’t look as good on darker jackets.

Linen paisley pocket square
Linen paisley pocket square

Here is another linen paisley print one which I wear in a puff hold which is unusual because usually, linen is crisper and it’s more suited to a crown fold.

If you’re a friend of subdued colors, you will like this one. It’s a dark navy one with blue polka dots, it’s another wool challis and because of that, the size is smaller. The wool challis is simply thicker and so it needs a smaller size. Traditionally, pocket squares are cut so they yield the most number of pocket squares per width of the fabric, however, I realized that that doesn’t always lead to pocket squares that are ideal for your chest pocket. So all of the pocket squares you can find in our shop are sized exactly for a regular men’s chest pocket so they look the best and even if that means we’re wasting some fabric, we still do it because ultimately, the pocket square is about how you look and not about how many pockets squares I can cut from a piece of fabric. Interestingly, that is not often talked about but I was sick and tired of super large linen pocket squares that just bulged up in my chest pocket so I decided I needed to size those down. The silk ones, on the other hand, are thinner so they need to be bigger. Wool challis needs to be even smaller and so with every fabric, we try to get the size exactly right.

Christian Dior Pocket Square
Christian Dior Pocket Square

This pocket square I bought early on, it’s kind of a very dark navy from Christian Dior with some printed motifs. I wear it very rarely because it’s so dark and it only goes with lighter jackets.

Here’s another rabbit motif pocket square in navy with more yellow rabbits very similar to the other ones.

Petrol blue jacket with Fort Belvedere pocket squares

Sometimes the contrast white edge is too hard so here is a light grey that’s a little more muted. I like to wear it with for example a petrol blue jacket.

Teal and mustard yellow pocket square
Teal and mustard yellow pocket square

This pocket square has interesting colors in teal and mustard yellow. It’s definitely a vintage piece and sometimes it’s nice to have something that is different than a modern one because the color palette is just different and makes your whole outfit unique.

If you’re looking for a blue classic staple pocket square, I’d say this is it because it has a slightly off-white polka dot on a simple navy. It’s wool challis so it doesn’t wrinkle, perfect when you travel and it’s just an all-time classic that will never go out of style.

Fort Belvedere prototype pocket square with an open weave
Fort Belvedere prototype pocket square with an open weave

This is an interesting pocket square; it has an open weave, it’s kind of a prototype we looked into but I didn’t quite like the feel of it and rather I’m looking into some linen ones right now so, stay tuned.

Purple and yellow pocket square
Purple and yellow pocket square

Here’s an interesting pocket square with tones of purple and yellow. It’s surprisingly versatile and I wear it sometimes when I want some typical checks in my outfit, works well with solid jackets.

When it comes to white and off-white you can probably have 30 different shades. When it comes to blue, you can have all kinds of different shades so because of that, we added some pocket squares in different blues with different hues. I also have other ones that add a little more texture with a twisted yarn so you get more color flecks. Overall, I think you can hardly ever have enough blue pocket squares.

Pocket square with orange edges
Pocket square with orange edges

This pocket square here is rather loud but I distinctly remember buying it in 2005 while I was doing an internship in Frankfurt, Germany. At the time, my style was louder and bolder and so I thought this was quite a good investment, turns out, I hardly ever wear this pocket square anymore simply because it’s too loud

Instead, I now wear a pocket square like this one above, again silk wool fabric that picks up tones with purple, brown, green, and off-white. It’s much easier to combine with your outfits, it always looks debonair.

Brown & blue paisley pocket square
Brown & blue paisley pocket square

This is an interesting square here with brown tones and blue. Two colors which are very dominant in menswear and so having those two combined in the pocket square is always advantageous because you have brown shoes or maybe a blue suit, or a blue shirt, and it will always look harmonious.

For summer, I really like this kind of light blue linen fabric with a contrast yellow X stitch. Works particularly well with all kinds of yellow ties, for example, yellow knit ties.

Light blue pocket square with red edges
Light blue pocket square with red edges

Some other good combinations are red and light blue. Again, red is very dominant in menswear and so is blue, so having them both together in a pocket square makes it pretty easy to combine things.

Red Pocket Squares

This one has the same rabbits you could see before.

Red Prince Of Wales check pocket square
Red Prince Of Wales check pocket square

This one is quite interesting, it has a Prince of Wales check or a Glen check pattern with a contrast edge and kind of a silver gray. I found that I wear this one a lot particularly with solid jackets in gray, or a navy, so I’ll try to reproduce it so we can offer it to you in the shop.

Vintage red pocketsquare with bronze & blue tones
Vintage red pocket square with bronze & blue tones

This one here is a classic dark red pocket square that I found vintage. It has this kind of bronze tone that is rich with some blue in there and I just like to combine it with madder silk ties or bow ties because it has darker muted yet rich colors.

Wine Red, Yellow,Blue, Green, Orange Silk Wool Medallion Pocket Square - Fort Belvedere
Wine Red, Yellow,Blue, Green, Orange Silk Wool Medallion Pocket Square – Fort Belvedere

Another great pocket square in the same pattern as the turquoise teal one is this one in red. It picks up the same color tones but it’s slightly different when you fold it and again, I like to travel with it because it enables me to create very classic combinations that are easy to combine.

Red, green, blue paisley pocket square
Red, green, blue paisley pocket square

This is an older Fort Belvedere pocket square that we initially used to sell we currently don’t have it in stock. Maybe I’ll reprint it at some point in time. I liked it because the red was a little stronger yet there were green and blue tones in it and so it was easy to combine. Overall, I think it was a little small so the next iteration will be a little bigger.

Bright red pocket square with white contrasting edges
Bright red pocket square with white contrasting edges

This is a pocket square I bought years ago. It hasa white edge, it’s a bright red, it’s linen, but it is a little too bright for my taste now so I hardly wear it at all anymore unless I have a very muted outfit.

Polo Ralph Lauren polka dots pocket square
Polo Ralph Lauren polka dots pocket square

This one, on the other hand, is a really nice pocket square. It has exactly the right tone which is like a deep burgundy with off white polka dots. I think it’s from Ralph Lauren but you can find them in many places and I’ll definitely want to add one of those to our collection because it’s a real good staple to have.

Orange Pocket Squares

A really underrated color for pocket squares is orange and orange is underrated in menswear, in general.

Orange herringbone pocket square
Orange herringbone pocket square

For example, here we have kind of an orange white herringbone that is a little more reddish. It works well with fresco jackets or any kind of solid jacket where you want to add a little more texture to the outfit.

We also have these three different orange linen pocket squares with different contrast edges from Fort Belvedere which are very easy to combine in the summer because it’s a warm color, it’s contrasting, and it’s different than red.

For fall/winter, having orange and green such as in this wool challis pocket square with polka dots from Fort Belvedere is really great.

I also like this kind of salmon orange toned one which is very similar to the blue one we saw before but with different colors so it works well in a different context. Big fan of it during the fall-winter season.

Probably the most versatile orange pocket square I own is this one. It’s the same pattern as the red one or the turquoise blue one. Silk wool blend, different colors, works with business suits, casual garments, sport garments, it’s just wonderful.

Yellow Pocket Squares

Other than orange, I’m a big fan of yellow pocket squares because they’re soft, warm, but they’re not quite as harsh as white.

Buff yellow pocket square
Buff yellow pocket square

This one here comes in a color that’s also known as buff which is a soft yellow with a hint of beige mixed with some red and black and they work well with madder silk ties.

Mustard Yellow Linen Pocket Square with Brown Contrast Embroidery - Fort Belvedere
Mustard Yellow Linen Pocket Square with Brown Contrast Embroidery – Fort Belvedere

This mustard yellow pocket square with brown accents from Fort Belvedere is really nice during the summer because it’s very rich and almost like a Sunflower.

This one is very perfect to combine with all kinds of casual garments. I don’t like it as much with suits because it’s too clashing but with any type of brown or green tones, it works really well.

I found these yellow linen fabric that I knew would look phenomenal with the contrasting yellow X stitch and so we added it to our shop. It’s a perfect size, this is among my number one choices of yellow pocket squares in the summer.

Now apart from those color palettes, I also have a bunch of different ones which I can’t just group so I just want to walk you through them one by one.

Brown with blue contrast edge pocket square
Brown with blue contrast edge pocket square

First, this kind of a beige one with a blue contrast edge. It works well with any kind of brown and blue, very easy to combine. Unfortunately, it’s cotton so it does not wrinkle as nicely.

So with this one here, you get it in linen with the blue X stitch. Another one of my favorites.

Burnt pale brown pocket square
Burnt pale brown pocket square

If you like paisley patterns, you probably like this. It’s kind of a burnt pale brown with a very soft off cream tone and it’s just very nice. We used to sell them years ago, we may add it to our program again, we’ll see.

 

This printed English silk pocket square has nice tones of blue and brown. Again, combinations which make them very easy to combine.

Orange brown with purple dots pocket square
Orange brown with purple dots pocket square

This one I thought was a cool color combination because it has this kind of orange brown with purple dots that are rather bold, so if you have a tie with finer stripes, it works quite well to balance the scale and the size of patterns.

Brown vintage fabric pocket square
Brown vintage fabric pocket square

This one here is an interesting vintage fabric I came across that we sold out of. It had threads of orange in it so it was a very rich. We also made ties out of it, of course, I would never combine them together.

Another great pocket square is a madder silk one here from Fort Belvedere in brown with tones of bronze, gold, blue, red. You can always tell it’s madder silk if you look at the back because you can see the color of the dye and discharge. It has this kind of blue tone which is very characteristic of the madder silk. It takes a lot more steps and is a lot more complicated to print and because of that, madder silk is more expensive than regular silk.

In that same vein, we have this kind of brown, orange, and green pocket square. Again, it’s a madder silk pocket square and you can see it in the back.

This pocket square is also from Fort Belvedere with green tones and very bright oranges. I always try to only have a little peek of the orange pop out, otherwise, it’s too overwhelming for my personal taste but some people like it louder.

Cashmere green pocket square prototype
Cashmere green pocket square prototype

Here’s an interesting pocket square, it was kind of a prototype we did. It’s a cashmere pocket square with a slight pattern. I found that it just doesn’t look quite right in the pocket and it was a little too soft which is why we never brought it into production. This color is also too bright and I don’t find any use for it.

Green pocket square in green with purple dots and edge
Green pocket square in green with purple dots and edge

Instead, I like more muted greens such as this one with purple dots, easy to combine yet different.

Ralph Lauren purple label pocket square
Ralph Lauren purple label pocket square

This pocket square is from Ralph Lauren purple label. It has a very chalky and musty feel almost like the very old madder silks you could find. It’s almost like a washed effect and it works with lighter jackets when you want something that’s contrasting that is not too over the top

 

Another great versatile pocket square is this one here with tones of blue, green, red, and brown, makes it easy to combine with all kinds of things without being boring.

If you like a bit more classic, this Macclesfield neats print is the way to go.

Floral linen pocket square
Floral linen pocket square

This is a sample pocket square in green. It has the same kind of print, the same kind of color scheme, just printed on linen which is really nice for summer because it wrinkles differently and it stands up in a different way.

Olive Green Linen Pocket Square with Dark Brown Contrast Embroidery - Fort Belvedere
Olive Green Linen Pocket Square with Dark Brown Contrast Embroidery – Fort Belvedere

Here we experimented with an olive green and purple edge. I don’t wear it as often but it’s very unique and if you want something different, this could be it.

Green dotted pocket square
Green dotted pocket square

Here’s a pocket square that I found and liked because of the dot spacing. It’s very wide and that’s something you don’t usually see so I thought it was a good idea to pick it up so we could create our own dots and the pattern. The color is a little too bright for me but again, it’s nice to have different options in your wardrobe.

Purple Linen Pocket Square with Silver Grey Contrast Embroidery - Fort Belvedere
Purple Linen Pocket Square with Silver Grey Contrast Embroidery – Fort Belvedere

Here’s another purple pocket square from Fort Belvedere, fun during the summer.

Madder silk purple and brown pocket square
Madder silk purple and brown pocket square

This one is one of my favorite purple ones. Again, it’s madder silk with the backside that you can see on the front. It has colors of orange, rust, bronze, and maybe green, makes it easy to put together an outfit in a very sophisticated way.

Here’s an interesting pocket square with a base of black or charcoal, which is not something I usually wear, but when you fold the pocket square, you see the center medallion and it doesn’t look black at all. You can also fold it so you just see the edges or just the black, so it’s like three pocket squares in one.

Brioni brown paisley pocket square
Brioni brown paisley pocket square

This is a very old pocket square from Brioni. I always liked the pattern, it was an all-over brown Paisley.

Fine rib silk purple pocket square
Fine rib silk purple pocket square

Here is one of the first pocket squares I bought. It has kind of a fine rib silk pocket square in solid purple. I wore it with a tuxedo and I think that’s pretty much the only way I still want to wear it because it’s quite bright and the shine is only appropriate for evening occasions, so keep that in mind. If you get shiny silk, it looks oftentimes cheap and you can only wear it in the evening where the sparkle of the light really makes sense.

Mustard, green, purple pocket square
Mustard, green, purple pocket square

Here is another cool pocket square that I came across and I really liked the color combinations of the mustard, green, and purple tones. It is sometimes hard to combine or to conceptualize them, so whenever I come across something that I like, I pick it up so we can play with it and maybe make it into a different pattern. Because at the end of the day, having different pocket squares and different colors makes it really easy to create a different unique looking outfit on a day to day basis.

So here is a silk pocket square, it’s not quite as shiny. Yes, it has some shine but it’s not as shiny as the purple one I showed you before. Also, it’s in yellow with boldly printed motifs in red and blue, as well as green, and I like to wear it sometimes without a necktie or a bowtie because it’s bold on its own.

Bright Orange Linen Pocket Square with Pewter Contrast Embroidery - Fort Belvedere
Bright Orange Linen Pocket Square with Pewter Contrast Embroidery – Fort Belvedere

This one here’s a pocket square that we offer in our shop. It’s quite bright and honestly, it turned out too bright for my taste. I thought it was darker and more muted but some people really like that color and so we’re still carrying it.

 

Instead, I would go with an orange like this which is kind of golden and you can mix it with yellow tones, with orange tones, it has the blue, green, and white paisley printed on it, as well as black. Makes it easy to combine and it and always looks phenomenal especially with like navy or blue jackets.

 

A pocket square color that is really underrated is this kind of copperish bronze. It’s a madder silk with a kind of green and red printed pattern, it is oversized. It’s just fun to combine, it works with all kinds of brown tones, as well as fresco jackets, and you can even pull it off with businesswear. It’s just not a color you typically see in menswear and I think it’s super underrated. So if you want something special, consider a bronze or copper bronze pocket square.

For the summer, I also like these large oversized paisleys in kind of summery and lighter colors.

Hermes pocket square
Hermes pocket square

Some people also like the color pink. Now I’m not a huge fan of pink in menswear but I still do have some pocket squares. This one is a printed one from Hermes, it has kind of a basket weave pattern on it with blue and yellow elements. Honestly, it’s quite bold and so I hardly ever wear it.

Pink pocket squares
Pink pocket squares

I also have different pink cotton pocket squares in different shades. They are cotton and very thin so I only wear them in a crown fold when I want to just have a slight accent in a pink color which is rarely the case for me.

Pink pocket square with white contrast edge
Pink pocket square with white contrast edge

I also have this linen one with a white contrast edge which is not something I wear too often, however, if you’re into pink shirts, having pink pocket squares is definitely a good way to put together an outfit.

I hope I didn’t overwhelm you. I didn’t quite show you every single one I had but overall, you get the gist, you get the color combinations, and to learn how to fold pocket squares and how to combine them, please check out these videos.

Outfit Rundown

I wore a Glencheck jacket with a slight kind of reddish-orange over plaid. My pocket squares were changing. My shirt is plain white, I skipped the necktie or bow tie. My pants are quite bold it’s kind of a Nantucket red and I combined them with chukka boots in sand color with a belt that picks up those sand tones but also has dark brown elements in it that work well with the jacket and the sole of my boots. The socks are contrasting there are light gray and light blue shadow stripes.

Raphael wearing a Glen check jacket paired with red pants and sand-colored boots
Raphael wearing a Glen check jacket paired with red pants and sand-colored boots.
Burgundy Silk Pocket Square with little Paisley Motifs

Fort Belvedere

Burgundy Silk Pocket Square with little Paisley Motifs

Shadow Stripe Ribbed Socks Light Grey and Light Blue Fil d'Ecosse Cotton

Fort Belvedere

Shadow Stripe Ribbed Socks Light Grey and Light Blue Fil d'Ecosse Cotton

What are your favorite pocket squares? What do you think of my collection?

Reader Comments

  1. If there’s such a thing as pocket square envy, this article just gave it to me. Sven’s collection beats the “stuffing” out of mine, proving beyond a reasonable doubt that it’s hip to be square. Bravo Sven! (Now as my eyes fill with tears at my sartorial inadequacy, can anybody spare a hankie?) :-)

  2. Wow – nice collection!

    I don’t wear pocket squares myself, but I love your collection. Does your wife have as many clothes as you? :-)

  3. The Brigadier presents his compliments and begs to suggest that you could use your fondness for handkerchiefs to overcome your irrational fear of dancing if you study the Morris Dance

  4. > most men have at least three white linen pocket squares in their collection.

    I highly doubt this is true (it’s much more likely that most men don’t own a single pocket square of any color or material). Even among the menswear crowd it seems unlikely. I would believe “most men who are into #menswear own a white linen pocket square”.

  5. Good morning to all gentleman. Thank for this interesting article Sven. In reading this i felt like I was Reading a fort Belvedere advertisement. Which is legitimate for your own blog. Very nice collection you sell and still very informative. Vielen Dank für diesen Artikel. Trotz der Werbung. Ich komme übrigens aus wien. Alles gute. Chaim

  6. Could you be so kind to specify good sizing of linen, silk and wool chaley pocket squares?
    I have noticed that pocket squares often come in size 12-13 inches and 16-17 inches.
    In the article/video you stated that linen hankies should be smaller and silk pocket squares bigger.
    Any measurements?

    1. My personal view on this is that it depends on the size of the breast pocket. Some Neapolitan jackets or patch pockets are smaller and thus will only take a 13″ square without unsightly bulging.

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