How much would you pay for a pocket square?

[TexasToast]

See, here's the thing. You can get great pocket squares for cheap. I have two from a drake's sample sale, one from a robert talbott sample sale, one Drake's from a J. Crew bargain bin, one from Kent Wang... And these are all new, you can always thrift.

If you want to pay $120 for a pocket square, if you just need that square, go ahead. But you can build a collection of very nice squares at ~$20-30 per, with enough patience.

Wow now we're talking lol, I do have a bit of patience saved up.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

My limit is ~$80. I used to find some really interesting pieces when kamakura was still open.

 

[dieworkwear]

If you're interested in cheap squares, look up Tammis Keefe. She was a midcentury fabric designer who made very charming designs, some of which were printed onto pocket squares. The squares are unfortunately small -- often 12- or 13-inch squares -- which is the only downside. But you often see such sizes among niche companies such as Kent Wang (this is because fabric is printed on 59-inch width sheets, which results in either three 16 or 17-inch squares, or four 13 inch squares).

Tammis Keefe squares commonly go for $40 or $50 on eBay. You get a unique design, rolled edge, and a bit of vintage provenance.

 

[Pax Britannica]

I spent about 10 pounds on dozens of cotton handkerchiefs.

 

[Verve]

The squares are unfortunately small -- often 12- or 13-inch squares -- which is the only downside.

Why are larger PS’s preferable? Thanks for the answer in advance.

 

[dieworkwear]

Why are larger PS’s preferable? Thanks for the answer in advance.

Smaller squares tend to slip down the pocket more easily.

That said, I think it's a combination of fabric thickness and size. If you have a very thick fabric, then you may want a smaller square since it won't bulk up too much. A 16" x 16" square made from a thicker twill might be very bulky in your breast pocket.

Most of the larger companies don't supply their own fabric. They simply submit a design to one of the remaining Como or Macclesfield printing houses, and those get printed on fairly standard materials -- often a wool-silk blend. So if you see a wool-silk blend fabric made into a 16" x 16" square, you have a pretty good idea of how it will sit in the pocket.

But when you look at smaller companies, they're using off-cuts (fabrics they found from a jobber, which may have been produced for other purposes). If that company is good, they will take into account the thickness of the fabric before making the square. But not all do. Have seen some companies use thin silks that are 13" x 13", and then the square just slips down in your pocket throughout the day.

 

[wumpyfish]

bump, Flash sale at Rampley, I got these two, actually cheaper to buy them in euro's