Pocket Square Review: an Ongoing Series

Originally Posted by SpooPoker

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We are counting by the gross now, FYI.

Doesn't your Kent Wang rack only have 100 clips?

I know this because I just ordered one due to your influence, you terrible man.

Originally Posted by Metlin

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[/SPOILER] Never too old to kick ass.

^I agree. Some of those looked great, particularly the one w/ the blazer and the last one. But some could be improved, imho, like the one w/ all burgundy. Btw, I think Moo's solid burgundy square looked good w/ the suit but not w/ the sport coat. I think what people call the "rules" should be treated as guidelines or principles in the sense of virtue ethics. While we're training to become virtuous or virtuosos, we need to follow the traditional rules. Once we've mastered these rules, we can break them in ways that preserve the value/spirit behind the rule while breaking its letter. The rules aren't perfect 100% of the time, but they're very helpful the majority of the time. This is true since concrete reality is very complex, with each particular situation being comprised of particular conditions. But situations also show some degree of overlap. So we rule out absolute universalism and absolute relativism. Usually we think of this more in terms of weighty, ethical matters, but I think it applies to more trivial things like PS wear as well. Of course, in both types of cases, no one is perfectly virtuous, we all make our mistakes, including imho OD/OT and Foo, who are much better at this than I am.

Originally Posted by CaymanS

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oldog's swag is off the meter. NASA tried to devise a meter that could accurately measure the swag and it exploded as soon as oldog rolled into the testing facility rocking the distressed Levi's jacket, the muscle T and cowboy bandanner.

This. I think the pictures are so wonderfully illustrative.

Originally Posted by emptym

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I think what people call the "rules" should be treated as guidelines or principles in the sense of virtue ethics. While we're training to become virtuous or virtuosos, we need to follow the traditional rules. Once we've mastered these rules, we can break them in ways that preserve the value/spirit behind the rule while breaking its letter. The rules aren't perfect 100% of the time, but they're very helpful the majority of the time. This is true since concrete reality is very complex, with each particular situation being comprised of particular conditions. But situations also show some degree of overlap. So we rule out absolute universalism and absolute relativism.

Usually we think of this more in terms of weighty, ethical matters, but I think it applies to more trivial things like PS wear as well. Of course, in both types of cases, no one is perfectly virtuous, we all make our mistakes, including imho OD/OT and Foo, who are much better at this than I am.

Very well put.

Originally Posted by emptym

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I think what people call the "rules" should be treated as guidelines or principles in the sense of virtue ethics. While we're training to become virtuous or virtuosos, we need to follow the traditional rules. Once we've mastered these rules, we can break them in ways that preserve the value/spirit behind the rule while breaking its letter. The rules aren't perfect 100% of the time, but they're very helpful the majority of the time.

True. In this, as in many other cases, the rules are not there to help ordinary people do extraordinary things, they're there to prevent ordinary people making extraordinary f*ups.

Originally Posted by DerekS

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Id tend to agree on the exception of white...a white PS with a white shirt will never look bad.

+1

Originally Posted by mafoofan

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I think the principle applies equally well to white-and-white. I personally can't stand a white shirt paired with a white square. Too sharp and searing. Even mild variation would be a vast improvement. A cream square would work wonders. The little bit of added warmth softens the outfit and marries the white shirt to the other things you're wearing, which are probably not white.

Sorry Foo, but the white square is just too classic to ever look bad. Agreed that cream might make a slightly better subtitute on many occasions, but you simply can't go wrong with white.

I hate to say this ( ) but I agree with foo here on the white/white combo. Way too stark and formal for business wear IMO. That's probably the only thing we may agree on regarding pocket squares - I wear a lot of different ones (would not be happy with a OneSquare) and never think about the day's pick analytically (I'm just not an analytical dresser at all). I open the PS drawer, look, pull one that just stands out as "going" with today's outfit, puff it, fold it once, stuff it, and go. It's probably never perfect not it is the optimal square for the day but that's OK because nothing else in my outfit is perfectly optimal either.

Originally Posted by gdl203

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I hate to say this (

) but I agree with foo here on the white/white combo. Way too stark and formal for business wear IMO. That's probably the only thing we may agree on regarding pocket squares - I wear a lot of different ones (would not be happy with a OneSquare) and never think about the day's pick analytically (I'm just not an analytical dresser at all). I open the PS drawer, look, pull one that just stands out as "going" with today's outfit, puff it, fold it once, stuff it, and go. It's probably never perfect not it is the optimal square for the day but that's OK because nothing else in my outfit is perfectly optimal either.

I wear a white/white only if the white has a border -- I've a white linen PS with navy border that I usually wear with a white shirt. Of course, that makes it more stark, but whatever.

Originally Posted by CaymanS

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oldog's swag is off the meter. NASA tried to devise a meter that could accurately measure the swag and it exploded as soon as oldog rolled into the testing facility rocking the distressed Levi's jacket, the muscle T and cowboy bandanner.

Originally Posted by emptym

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And I think it's fine if people want to voice their disagreement w/ Foo, to an extent. But at some point, if a person disagrees, that person and SF in general are better served by people starting their own PS review threads instead of polluting Foo's. Let's let him have his thread. It may become as helpful as his "Foofed" thread.

wait .... what?

i respect you emptym, but this is ridiculous. you do realize this is a forum right? the thought process is similar to the slippery slope thought process that initiated racial segregation in america.

anyone can say anything they want on any thread, as long as they are not breaking the rules set for all members on SF.

Originally Posted by SpallaCamiccia

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I am either fan of your pedantry.

A guy with 13.000 post and even just one is good. Why don't you ask for a real job on the NBA ?

Originally Posted by SpooPoker

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You cant help but just chuckle a little at watching a new Foo thread fall completely off the rails.


Its about time to unmask this tall pedant, as I did succesfully with the Rubinacci brand and his tacky son. PERIOD

Originally Posted by TheWraith

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Excellent! Sam Hober has to be one of the best stores around, period.


Yes

Originally Posted by CaymanS

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I am quite fond of the classic, artistic pocket squares produced by LH.

They are elaborately detailed and basically designed to go with nothing, which means they look smart with everything.

As far as personal preferences, I love a white linen pocket square, even with a white shirt - it is the standard for looking smart in board meetings, etc., where looking too sartorial will make you stand out (in a bad way).

I fully agree that matching the tie to the PS, even a little bit, looks overdone and matchy-matchy.

Tie and PS cut from the same cloth? Lethal. Forget it. Just revert to clip-on ties with short-sleeved white dress shirts and then leap off a bridge.

The Rubi's:

Originally Posted by SpooPoker

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You cant help but just chuckle a little at watching a new Foo thread fall completely off the rails.
There's no good reason this thread should have gotten off track. I thought Foo made good points and had good examples to back them up. Then the FooFighters assembled to shout him down for having strong opinions.

This thread could easily get back on track if a few more people would follow the lead of Moo and OD/OT by posting combo pix so that we can discuss what we think works and what doesn't.

Originally Posted by Metlin

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Hober carries them.
Them? I only see one.

Originally Posted by The Louche

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Sorry Foo, but the white square is just too classic to ever look bad. Agreed that cream might make a slightly better subtitute on many occasions, but you simply can't go wrong with white.

+1 agree totally.

Originally Posted by niidawg3

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wait .... what?

i respect you emptym, but this is ridiculous. you do realize this is a forum right? the thought process is similar to the slippery slope thought process that initiated racial segregation in america.

anyone can say anything they want on any thread, as long as they are not breaking the rules set for all members on SF.

+1 again. Very well said.

Originally Posted by Threadbearer

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Them? I only see one.

Well, I thought I remembered seeing more. I could just be getting old, though.

I love white squares in the TV fold. I like white shirts too. And I even like them together. Maybe it's the Trad in me.

Frankly, most guys who are really into clothes -- myself included -- could do with more minimalist restraint, not less.

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

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Frankly, most guys who are really into clothes -- myself included -- could do with more minimalist restraint, not less.
Right you are, Doc. Maximize minimalism. That's my new bumper sticker.