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Pocket Squares: The Fold That Finishes the Jacket Without Shouting

The jacket fits. The tie is right. The breast pocket is empty, and the jacket looks unfinished.

A pocket square is a small square of fabric in the breast pocket, and its job is to finish the jacket without competing with it. The fold you choose decides how much of it shows and how formal it looks. The presidential fold is the most formal. The puff fold is the most relaxed. Most of the time, one of those two is enough.

The fold that does nothing, on purpose

The presidential fold is the most formal pocket square fold, and it is the one that does the least. The square is folded into a rectangle, placed in the pocket so that a straight horizontal edge shows, about half an inch to three-quarters of an inch above the pocket. It does not billow, it does not point, and it does not draw attention. It finishes the jacket and then it stops.

That restraint is the point. The presidential fold is also called the square fold and the TV fold, and it is the only fold that is universally accepted for strict black tie. The reason is that it does not compete with anything else the wearer is wearing. The bow tie, the shirt, the jacket, and the square each have their place, and the square's place is to be a straight line.

The fold works best with linen or cotton, because those fabrics are stiff enough to hold the edge. Silk slips, and a silk square folded in a presidential fold will slide down into the pocket or lose its edge during the evening. The fabric is part of the fold. Choose the fabric for the fold you want, not the fold for the fabric you have.

The puff, and when to use it

The puff fold is the opposite of the presidential. The square is gathered in the middle, pushed into the pocket, and left to billow into a soft dome above the edge. It shows one to one and a half inches of fabric, and it looks relaxed, because it is. The puff is for evening wear, for weddings, and for occasions where the jacket is meant to look easy rather than formal.

Silk is the fabric for a puff fold, because silk drapes. A linen square will not puff. It will hold a shape, and the shape will look stiff. A silk square will fall into the dome and stay there, because the weight of the silk holds it. The puff is the fold that shows the fabric, and the fabric is the point.

The mistake with a puff fold is to make it too big. A puff that shows two inches of fabric looks like the square is falling out of the pocket, and a puff that is too tight looks like a ball. The right size is a soft dome that sits just above the pocket edge.

The folds in between

Between the presidential and the puff are the pointed folds: the one-point, the two-point, and the three-point. The one-point shows a single triangle above the pocket. The two-point shows two. The three-point shows three, and it is the most elaborate of the three. The pointed folds are less formal than the presidential and more structured than the puff, and they suit a jacket that is neither a business suit nor a dinner jacket.

The one-point is the most useful of the three, because it is simple, it holds its shape, and it works with linen or cotton. The two-point is the one to try when the one-point feels too plain. The three-point is the one to avoid unless you are confident, because it is easy to get wrong and hard to fix once it is in the pocket.

There are more than 50 named folds in total, but most of them are variations on these few shapes, and learning more than four of them is a hobby, not a requirement. The presidential, the puff, the one-point, and the two-point cover almost every occasion, and the difference between them is the difference between formal, relaxed, and in between.

The rule that matters more than the fold

The rule that matters more than the fold is that the pocket square should complement the tie, not match it. A square in the same fabric and pattern as the tie looks like a set, and a set looks like it was bought together. The square should pick up a color from the tie or from the jacket, but in a different pattern or a different texture, so that the two pieces relate to each other without repeating each other.

The second rule is about how much shows. For a presidential fold, half an inch to three-quarters of an inch. For a puff fold, one to one and a half inches. More than that looks like the square is falling out. Less than that looks like it is hiding. The square is a detail, and a detail that is too large stops being a detail.

The third rule is the simplest. If you are not sure which fold to use, use the presidential. It is never wrong, it is never too much, and it finishes the jacket without saying anything about itself. The pocket square is not the point of the outfit. The jacket is. The square's job is to finish it and get out of the way.

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Frequently asked questions

Which pocket square fold is the most formal?

The presidential fold, also called the square fold or the TV fold, is the most formal. It shows a straight horizontal edge, it is the only fold that is universally accepted for strict black tie, and it works with a linen or cotton square, which holds the shape.

What is a puff fold?

The puff fold is a relaxed, rounded fold that shows a soft dome of fabric above the pocket. It is for evening wear and for occasions where the jacket is meant to look easy, not formal. It works best with silk, which drapes into the shape.

How much of the pocket square should show?

For a presidential fold, show about half an inch to three-quarters of an inch above the pocket edge. For a puff fold, show one to one and a half inches. More than that looks like the square is falling out, and less than that looks like it is hiding.

Which fabric should I use for which fold?

Use linen or cotton for a square fold, because the fabric is stiff enough to hold the edge. Use silk for a puff fold, because silk drapes and slips, and the puff needs a fabric that will hold a soft shape rather than a sharp one.

Should my pocket square match my tie?

No. The pocket square should complement the tie, not match it. A square in the same fabric and pattern as the tie looks like a set, and a set looks like it was bought together. Choose a square that picks up a color from the tie or the jacket, but in a different pattern or texture.

How many pocket square folds are there?

There are more than 50 named folds, but most of them are variations on a few basic shapes. The presidential, the puff, the one-point, and the two-point cover almost every occasion, and learning more than those four is a hobby, not a requirement.