How do you get a SUPER crisp presidential fold that lasts all day?

[tcmquincy]

I wear a sports jacket almost every day for work and with a pocket square 90% of the time. I almost exclusively wear silk pocket squares in a "puff" fold or a white linen pocket square with a presidential fold. However, with the linen presidential folds I find myself re-adjusting more often (generally raising it back up if it falls a bit). Additionally, I have a hard time getting it to stay super straight, flat, and crisp like I see other men wearing it. I have tried ironing which helped a bit but still doesn't quite get me the look I am hoping to achieve. I will also add that for my white-linen pocket squares I am using pretty cheap ones from thetiebar but want to make sure I am not missing something else before I invest in a different brand.

Any advice on presidential folds is appreciated!

 

[Egdon Heath]

You presume we know what a presidential fold is, but I don't though I assume it's just something straight across so cut out a piece of cereal box the width of the breast pocket and a little bit higher, then fold the cloth around that and staple it at the bottom.

 

[ter1413]

You presume we know what a presidential fold is, but I don't though I assume it's just something straight across so cut out a piece of cereal box the width of the breast pocket and a little bit higher, then fold the cloth around that and staple it at the bottom.

Staple it?

 

[Egdon Heath]

Staple it?

Absolutely. Four are suggested. Leave marks when undone? Probably, so don't undo it, what else are you using it for?

Shouldn't you be watching tv?

 

[ter1413]

Absolutely. Four are suggested. Leave marks when undone? Probably, so don't undo it, what else are you using it for?

Shouldn't you be watching tv?

That is a ridiculous suggestion.

And I can multitask.

 

[Egdon Heath]

^
Explain yourself.
Have you done this? Of course not, it's difficult to do while watching TV. I've done this a half dozen times, taken necktie cloth, really nice stuff but I've got too many, cut apart, wrapped it around a piece of a Cheerio box, stuffed it in the breast pocket and voila, la, la.

Now don't go getting all New York hissie, you're my go to guy for Dead People News, don't wanna lose you.

 

[te0o]

Stapling your pocket square to a piece of cardboard, just to make it stay up, is utterly idiotic. In fact, using contraptions such as carboard, pocket square holders, etc, etc. is just as idiotic, and very contrived.

1) Get a white linen pocket square for your presidential fold. It will be heavier than your silk one, more robust, and will stay in place more easily.
2) If your in-breast pocket is too deep, then invest in a larger pocket square.
3) Don't obsess over perfect evenness. You move throughout the day, your clothes will move with you and that's normal.

The charm of pocket squares, even when they're folded in a smart way, is that they're imperfect. Embrace that.

 

[Andy57]

Nothing much to add, except heavier, stiffer linen will work better for what you're trying to accomplish than lighter weight linen will.

 

[Son Of Saphir]

Pay for a quality linen pocket square.
Sam Hober should fit problem.
He make it very good.

 

[Daniel Hakimi]

However, with the linen presidential folds I find myself re-adjusting more often (generally raising it back up if it falls a bit).

You could try a larger square (Kent Wang makes two sizes). Or you could try to make the last fold uneven -- fold the bottom half so that it hits the bottom and the top half still peks out. That might or might not work.

Additionally, I have a hard time getting it to stay super straight, flat, and crisp like I see other men wearing it.

These other men might not be wearing linen pocket squares. Hell, they might not even be wearing pocket squares at all. Some brands do weird lining that's supposed to stick out, others sew in an extra white bar over the pocket... all that **** is terrible. Real linen wrinkles and moves. You'll be okay.

I will also add that for my white-linen pocket squares I am using pretty cheap ones from thetiebar but want to make sure I am not missing something else before I invest in a different brand.

I doubt this is the problem.

 

[Egdon Heath]

Stapling your pocket square to a piece of cardboard, just to make it stay up, is utterly idiotic. In fact, using contraptions such as carboard, pocket square holders, etc, etc. is just as idiotic, and very contrived.

I would have thought I would have to have made much worse suggestions than I did to have been called idiotic twice in one paragraph, but apparently not.

Pocket squares are totally for show, right, we all agree on that and not very much shows, do we agree on that? So you could probably take any small hank of cloth to which you've taken a fancy and fold to your liking knowing that only a small portion will peek out, but to do that you need something beneath, like a filler of extra cloth or hey, how about a piece of Cheerio box. And if the idea of a staple makes you horrified, then you can actually, with a strong needle, hand sew the cloth to the cardboard, as I do. And what's really fun is to get a little drunk and shove it in upside down so only the Cherrio end shows, which unfortunately abstinence prevents me from doing, anymore.