• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Expensive pocket squares

BostonRussell

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2008
Messages
93
Reaction score
0
Purchasing an expensive pocket square (unless you absolutely adore the design and can't find it anywhere else) seems silly to me.

That said I would have told you the same thing about suits a couple of years ago. SO basically my question is regarding what you get for your money. Is there some gain to superior construction that benefits an accessory that receives absolutely NO wear and tear? Noone touches it so quality silk shouldn't matter.

For that matter what does the board think of going to straight up handkerchiefs? If well ironed wouldn't they function much the same? I've always romanticized the idea of being as old school and practical with my accessories as possible, plus it would be pretty amazing to whip out a linen handkerchief for a crying woman.
 

Manton

RINO
Joined
Apr 20, 2002
Messages
41,314
Reaction score
2,879
There is something to be said for a fabric -- whether cotton, linen, wool or silk -- with some body. No matter how you fold it, you want to show the right amount. Flimsy squares tend to sink into the pocket and disappear, and or droop in an unattractive way. I have a few like this, and I find that I reach for them less frequently than the ones I know to be good.

Also, a tight, neat hand rolled edge looks nice, and it will cost more.
 

JLibourel

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2004
Messages
8,287
Reaction score
501
Originally Posted by Manton
There is something to be said for a fabric -- whether cotton, linen, wool or silk -- with some body. No matter how you fold it, you want to show the right amount. Flimsy squares tend to sink into the pocket and disappear, and or droop in an unattractive way. I have a few like this, and I find that I reach for them less frequently than the ones I know to be good.

Also, a tight, neat hand rolled edge looks nice, and it will cost more.


I find that, irrespective of price, puffed silken squares want to creep out of the pocket. Folded cotton and linen squares tend to sink.

I bought a few expensive squares when I first got into wearing them after reading Flusser's "Dressing." These days I would be disinclined to spend more than $25 on a square, maybe $30 as an absolute maximum. I am inclined to agree with the OP.
 

JustinW

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Aug 18, 2008
Messages
10,511
Reaction score
1,810
As far as I know, a "pocket square" is just bastardized American for a gentleman's handkerchief.

Sometimes it's worth paying a little more for a nice fabric or a pattern you really like (for those in corporate uniform, this is often their only opportunity for free-style self expression). However, when you see the hankies with triple-digit price tags ..... try to remember that their real purpose is as a portable snot rag!
 

SkinnyGoomba

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Jan 3, 2008
Messages
12,895
Reaction score
2,402
i thought the same thing until i received a RL Purple Label linen square as a gift, its practically the only one i wear anymore.
 

Nouveau Pauvre

Distinguished Member
Joined
May 21, 2008
Messages
7,413
Reaction score
304
It seems that there is a world of difference between a 5 dollar one and a thirty dollar one, but after that you are just paying for the brand name/design. And with Kent Wang's offering on the forum its seems there is no need to spend more then 30 bucks for a quality square.
 

Manton

RINO
Joined
Apr 20, 2002
Messages
41,314
Reaction score
2,879
Originally Posted by JLibourel
I find that, irrespective of price, puffed silken squares want to creep out of the pocket. Folded cotton and linen squares tend to sink.

I bought a few expensive squares when I first got into wearing them after reading Flusser's "Dressing." These days I would be disinclined to spend more than $25 on a square, maybe $30 as an absolute maximum. I am inclined to agree with the OP.


I find that Irish linen never sinks. The French linen tends to. Cheap silk sinks. Good gum twill does not. That's how it happes with me, anyway.

The best reason to buy a nice square in any case is the quality of the printing and the design. My favorites were all probably around $50.

Then again, lately, I have mostly been wearing BB Irish linen that cost $15 for a three pack in the early '90s.
 

dpw

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2006
Messages
385
Reaction score
3
same thoughts on high quality irish linen, absolute fav of mine.
 

Film Noir Buff

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2005
Messages
6,113
Reaction score
19
Originally Posted by JLibourel
I find that, irrespective of price, puffed silken squares want to creep out of the pocket. Folded cotton and linen squares tend to sink. I bought a few expensive squares when I first got into wearing them after reading Flusser's "Dressing." These days I would be disinclined to spend more than $25 on a square, maybe $30 as an absolute maximum. I am inclined to agree with the OP.
I dont wear the cotton or linen ones as much myself anymore. Although a nice white linen pocket square can be very sharp, I find that the same issues dont arise that used to with silk pocket squares, namely that you will clash the texture of the silk with that of the tie. We live in a woven tie world now and the printed silk square is a terrific companion. I also get woven pocket squares which due to their stiffer construction work better in smaller square sizes. About the puff coming out. Although I dont know how much you mean, unless you have very shallow breast pockets, they dont come out that much if you double them over, with the points upward but hidden behind the "puffy center" of the silk. I think that the age when only a slight bit poking out was a sign of gentility has disappeared and the current way of dressing is to let more show anyway. Remember the current impetus for wearing tailored clothes is pageantry and not work uniforms.
 

TheFoo

THE FOO
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Feb 11, 2007
Messages
26,705
Reaction score
9,841
It's with regard to sinking in and falling out that I think larger squares have the advantage. The extra volume tends to keep a square in place on way or another.
 

voxsartoria

Goon member
Timed Out
Joined
Jan 18, 2007
Messages
25,700
Reaction score
180
The disappearing pocket square, like the flaccid tie knot, is one of life's tragedies that seems to have skipped me.

A pocket square, even an expensive one, is still a somewhat trivial sartorial cost, so why not be relatively extravagant?

For silk squares, the quality of the prints (the silk, the number of dyes used, etc.) and the fineness of the sewing in the rolled edge seem to me not to top off until you get to the realm of the most pricey.

282793144_TxCoS-XL.jpg


For other fabrics, the differences are still meaningful:

8013-1(001).jpg


bayadere.jpg


As is mining the past:

284002362_aGBpu-L.jpg


- B
 

Gus

Stylish Dinosaur
Dubiously Honored
Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2007
Messages
18,575
Reaction score
8,070
Originally Posted by Manton
There is something to be said for a fabric -- whether cotton, linen, wool or silk -- with some body. No matter how you fold it, you want to show the right amount. Flimsy squares tend to sink into the pocket and disappear, and or droop in an unattractive way. I have a few like this, and I find that I reach for them less frequently than the ones I know to be good.

Also, a tight, neat hand rolled edge looks nice, and it will cost more.


+1
 

TintinATL

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2008
Messages
426
Reaction score
7
I was in Ralph Lauren today and saw pocket squares for $125. I did a double-take and went back to check... yup, one hundred and twenty five dollars. Had there been a sales assistant around I would have asked for an explanation of what made those ones so much better than the others at $75 (which I still find pretty steep).
 

Manton

RINO
Joined
Apr 20, 2002
Messages
41,314
Reaction score
2,879
Damn, I remember when $125 was an expensive tie. I can't imagine paying that for a square.

I think the most I have ever paid was $60, but I can't remember.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.7%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 39.3%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 15 10.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.3%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.3%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,140
Messages
10,578,729
Members
223,896
Latest member
vocalkeny
Top