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Pocket Squares: Framed or Not?

Sam Hober

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Pocket Squares: Framed or Not?

Do you prefer pocket squares with a frame/border.

or


Pocket squares that are frameless as in solid or repeating pattern that goes up to the edge.

Also please tell us why. For example does a frame look more complete or does a pocket square without a frame look more natural and classic?

Or is your preference simply a personal choice as in I like blue over red without a special reason

Or do you not have a preference (I forgot to add this to the poll and do not see how to add it in now)
 

Manton

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Printed silk or wool squares should have a border.

Linen, I can go either way, but in any case the border is not the same.
 

itsstillmatt

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Originally Posted by Manton
Printed silk or wool squares should have a border. Linen, I can go either way, but in any case the border is not the same.
What he said. Unframed silk looks shoddy IMO, though I do have a couple I like.
 

Sam Hober

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Originally Posted by Manton
Printed silk or wool squares should have a border. Linen, I can go either way, but in any case the border is not the same.
Thank you, but why? Simply a personal choice?
 

Sam Hober

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Originally Posted by iammatt
What he said. Unframed silk looks shoddy IMO, though I do have a couple I like.
Thank you. What about a lack of frames looks bad to you? Perhaps unfinished or not complete?
 

Piobaire

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If they are framed, does anyone else have problems folding a "tips showing" fold, that still manages to display the nice pattern? Other than a puff, I have problems displaying the pattern. Why bother with something it is problematic to display?

This said, I have numerous silks prints with borders. Maybe I just need to learn some new folds?
 

Manton

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Originally Posted by Sam Hober
Thank you, but why? Simply a personal choice?

They just look composed and complete to me. Like Matt said elsewhere, ones without borders look like they were cut indiscriminately out of a roll of tie silk.
 

Sam Hober

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Originally Posted by Will
Linen should always have a border IMO. I don't care about other materials. The Holland & Holland prints that I like are bordereless.
Will, An interesting comment. Why borders for linen but not other fabrics? What about solid linens do you still prefer a border?
 

koolhistorian

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Gives me more choice in combining colors - e.g. a blue with red border, I can go with both colors in combination.
For linen, it brakes the "all white" very formal, so I can wear them with more casual jackets or suits - summer ones for example.
 

Sam Hober

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Originally Posted by koolhistorian
Gives me more choice in combining colors - e.g. a blue with red border, I can go with both colors in combination. For linen, it brakes the "all white" very formal, so I can wear them with more casual jackets or suits - summer ones for example.
Thank you for your reason which is a practical one.
 

Sam Hober

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Originally Posted by Manton
They just look composed and complete to me. Like Matt said elsewhere, ones without borders look like they were cut indiscriminately out of a roll of tie silk.
Thank you. I like the sound of "composed and complete" a good reason. And wanting a silk to be specially and clearly designed just for pocket squares is an interesting point of view which is new to me and I thank you and Matt for your thoughts.
 

Manton

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I also agree that they make the square more versatile. Though I don't often bother, I sometimes like to play with showing more of the center, or of the border, with different combinations.

There also seems to me to be a corollative effect of good designs and borders. They really nice designs seem to have a clear center a composition that it is not repeating. They are "finite." They end somewhere, and need a frame to set them off.
 

grimslade

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David, stop talking pocket squares and start sewing ties!
 

Sam Hober

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Originally Posted by grimslade
David, stop talking pocket squares and start sewing ties!
No worries I am good at multi-tasking ... and I do not do any sewing my wife Noina is the artisan, supported by her staff. She is also an artist and in charge of our dyes and color choices. I ask questions and listen, which is why I love the internet and forums. Actually, we have been putting a good team into place and our waiting time for ties will soon be a thing of the past. Which is why I am asking design questions and getting some great answers which are very helpful. We are not currently setup to do our own printing but down the road this is something that I am very interested in as it will allow us to expand our ability to do very small experimental runs of new designs and explore the use of more natural dyes. In the past I have heard an interest in printed pocket squares using old hunting scenes and unicorns etc which require lots of colors and I am really not sure about borders for this type of print. As mentioned it could provide a nice complete and centered feeling yet there is also the danger of distracting the eye from the main design. The majority of our clients do not prefer framed pocket squares but we are in the bespoke business which is all about listening so perhaps next year we will offer many designs with borders?
 

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