I have a hard time finding linen pocket squares. Are other cloths ok, or should I have a tailor make me a linen square?
Community Answers
282
3-30-12
Geoffrey says:
Linen has a reputation for making very nice, crisp white cloth like fine napkins, so it’s a natural choice for pocket squares — but hardly the only one.
For your plain white squares good cotton will work just as well as linen, though it won’t have quite as much of a textured look on close examination. You can still press it to a wicked point if you want to, though, and it’s quite a bit cheaper and more durable. A bit of polyester in the blend won’t hurt, but be sure it’s not so much that you can’t iron the squares yourself.
For colored squares I’d recommend silk. It has a bit more of a shine to it, which stands out nicely against wool jackets, and it’s finer than cotton so you don’t get a bulge in your pocket if you go for a deliberately careless-looking puff or flower fold rather than a sharply-creased peak or straight fold.
It’s always nice to contrast the texture of the square with the texture of your jacket. Smooth silks go nice on thick wools, while a rougher linen or cotton looks great against superfine wools.
Linen has a reputation for making very nice, crisp white cloth like fine napkins, so it’s a natural choice for pocket squares — but hardly the only one.
For your plain white squares good cotton will work just as well as linen, though it won’t have quite as much of a textured look on close examination. You can still press it to a wicked point if you want to, though, and it’s quite a bit cheaper and more durable. A bit of polyester in the blend won’t hurt, but be sure it’s not so much that you can’t iron the squares yourself.
For colored squares I’d recommend silk. It has a bit more of a shine to it, which stands out nicely against wool jackets, and it’s finer than cotton so you don’t get a bulge in your pocket if you go for a deliberately careless-looking puff or flower fold rather than a sharply-creased peak or straight fold.
It’s always nice to contrast the texture of the square with the texture of your jacket. Smooth silks go nice on thick wools, while a rougher linen or cotton looks great against superfine wools.
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