Pocket Square Review: an Ongoing Series

Originally Posted by Will C.

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So you mean plain shirt, tie, and PS? The all-solid look is not good for day clothes. (As said before, black tie is a different game).

I think that this is a viable and attractive day look assuming that you have some variation in texture -- perhaps a linen or cashmere tie, silk square, and so forth.

Foo - I think follow your argument and so far have yet to see anyone convincingly contradict you, except by way of red herrings and personal attacks, which don't count.

You've made me think about this more than I usually do. I will be the first to admit that I used to match my PS to my shirt or tie. I actually recognise this was probably out of laziness or the desire to wear a PS for the sake of it while 'playing it safe'. More recently I've come to appreciate that subtle harmonisation of PS colours and textures is superior to colour matching with shirt or tie.

I believe that a PS with a close colour to a shirt can look good. But I agree with you that a more sophisticated approach where the PS is in harmony with, but not matching, the shirt/tie, is better.

It's also a lot harder to do and the risk of 'failure' is more real than if you just match your PS to your shirt. I think this puts many people off. It perhaps also requires a level of ability in dressing and an eye for colour which only few people possess (and I'm not necessarily saying I'm one of them).

Originally Posted by PandArts

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This.
+1 Don't be foolish, Prince. Despite what Foo (or some others) may say here, there is nothing wrong with matching your shirt with your PS and to do so isn't being lazy, it's simply your choice on the day. Nothing wrong with it, nothing wrong with having differing shirt/PS combos either. Both are valid, both are stylish (when done well), neither is lazy or anything of the sort. Neither side of the argument has proved a thing, because there is nothing to prove. It's opinion, a matter of individual taste, nothing more, nothing less. And as I just said, both can work well when done well. Enough with the BS "this is right, that is wrong, nothing has been proven to contradict you" nonsense.

Originally Posted by DerekS

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just buy a white PS. goes with everything.

This may be good advice for a beginner, but if you are a beginner maybe you shouldn't be wearing a pocket square at all, which I think is Foo's point.

"Pocket Candy for the man on the go"

http://www.pocketsquarez.com/

Originally Posted by Lightbringer

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I think that a white pocket square goes well with a white shirt as it "echoes" the shirt cuff showing under the jacket sleeves. I am not sure that I am explaining this well, however.
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It seems to me that foo's taste is very balanced based. Not that I have a problem with that, it just echoes why he supports cream pocket squares with white shirts. This tries to bring all parts of the ensembles closer to a color equilibrium. I am not going to lie, I am like this at times. However, saying that the white pocket square "echoing" the shirt cuffs is not part of color balance but of a sharper look.

But this definitely explains why foo's tastes (cream pocket square/white shirt, no plain shirt/plain pocket squares/plain ties, no patterned ties/patterned shirts/patterned squares, etc.). I, too, am tired of this arguing because it can go on forever. It is a matter of taste: color balance based or contrasting sharp based.

People have said that old celebrities have been known to wear white shirts and white pocket squares. Do they look great? Why wouldn't they? They're sharp with a lot of bright white highlights from their shirt and square. But are they colorfully balanced? No. This has nothing to do with class. To be honest, this is the point where I think this isn't a discussion of class or dressing well but personal color tastes.

Originally Posted by Prince of Paisley

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This may be good advice for a beginner, but if you are a beginner maybe you shouldn't be wearing a pocket square at all, which I think is Foo's point.

Utter nonsense!

..

Originally Posted by Prince of Paisley

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This may be good advice for a beginner, but if you are a beginner maybe you shouldn't be wearing a pocket square at all, which I think is Foo's point.

Wrong. Why wouldn't you wear a pocket square? Foo's just sharing his opinion on color balance.

Originally Posted by GBear

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It seems to me that foo's taste is very balanced based. Not that I have a problem with that, it just echoes why he supports cream pocket squares with white shirts. This tries to bring all parts of the ensembles closer to a color equilibrium. I am not going to lie, I am like this at times. However, saying that the white pocket square "echoing" the shirt cuffs is not part of color balance but of a sharper look.

But this definitely explains why foo's tastes (cream pocket square/white shirt, no plain shirt/plain pocket squares/plain ties, no patterned ties/patterned shirts/patterned squares, etc.). I, too, am tired of this arguing because it can go on forever. It is a matter of taste: color balance based or contrasting sharp based.

People have said that old celebrities have been known to wear white shirts and white pocket squares. Do they look great? Why wouldn't they? They're sharp with a lot of bright white highlights from their shirt and square. But are they colorfully balanced? No. This has nothing to do with class. To be honest, this is the point where I think this isn't a discussion of class or dressing well but personal color tastes.

I think this is very fair and accurate.

I will only add that prioritizing contrast is arguably a riskier affair, since mistakes will naturally be more obvious.

In before another Foo thread goes viral.

It even brought Vox out of retirement/banishment.

Originally Posted by TheWraith

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Utter nonsense!

+1 I'm a graphic designer and understand pattern/colour/texture relations quite well. I used to use the PS to introduce a tertiary colour/pattern that would compliment the primary and secondary ones...and while these elements may have been in harmony with eachother, they were not in harmony with me, my personality and my own personal style. A white/basic PS is not necessarily/exclusively for beginners...sure, it's a great place to start, but by the same token, it's not a bad place to end up. After experimenting, I've found that my style favours basic linen squares either solid or with a one colour basic pattern. In the end, it's an individual thing and to say that there is one hard and fast rule is a rediculous this to propose, as I find the OP's examples to actually work quite well.

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

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- B

Sock it to 'em my brutha!

Originally Posted by mafoofan

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I think this is very fair and accurate.

I will only add that prioritizing contrast is arguably a riskier affair, since mistakes will naturally be more obvious.

Oh well, of course it will. But then again, contrast when done right ends with great results as long as there is balance.

Damn Foo. I think this whole balance thing is from our Asian heritage; yin and yang and all that stuff.

Originally Posted by GBear

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Wrong. Why wouldn't you wear a pocket square? Foo's just sharing his opinion on color balance.

You wouldn't wear a PS if you couldn't wear it tastefully. PS are not mandatory.

Cf:

Originally Posted by mafoofan

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A pocket square is just another layer of your outfit--on top of your shirt, tie and jacket. Moreover, it is the most superfluous of them all. So, if you're going to include it, it really needs to be sufficiently distinct. If you can't come up with a happy balance between matching your shirt (or tie or jacket) and incohesive randomness, just don't wear one. The lack of a pocket square has never ruined an outfit.

Well put I thought.