Pocket squares with a tuxedo: white silk or linen

With a tuxedo the pocket square should be white, and two cloths are worth choosing: white linen is the classic, matte and crisp, while white silk carries a soft sheen and a gentler drape. Both are correct. More important than the cloth is that the edge is hand-rolled, the size fits the breast pocket and the fold is clean.

Why white

The pocket square on a tuxedo echoes the shirt and gives one small point of light on a dark ground. In formal wear it is the only detail on the jacket front that is allowed to be light, so white is the default. A white square with a white shirt, black bow tie and satin lapel gives three clear levels of light and dark.

Coloured or patterned squares (stripes, dots, paisley) go a different way, suited to a creative dress code or to a coloured tuxedo. That is covered in coloured and patterned pocket squares. For serious black tie, white is the standard.

TUX-092 is a tidy example: a black tuxedo with satin-faced shawl lapels, a single button, a black bow tie and a white pocket square. The cloth is flat black, the lapel carries a soft sheen and the white square is a small but refined point of light, in the minimalist spirit of black tie.

White linen: the classic

Linen is the traditional pocket square cloth. It is matte, slightly dry, with a distinctive fine grain, and it holds a fold and stands up in the pocket without help. Against a tuxedo with glossy satin lapels, the matte quality of linen makes a good contrast: shine at the neck, matte at the chest.

One thing to note is that linen creases. Linen creases are often accepted as natural, but if you want a razor-sharp fold on a tuxedo, press the square before folding it. A good white linen softens with washing and looks better with age.

White silk: a soft sheen

Silk gives a gentler light, drapes naturally and puffs slightly. A white silk square suits a formal evening because its sheen echoes the satin of the lapel and bow tie. It also folds into softer shapes such as the puff.

The drawbacks are that silk is slippery, can slide in the pocket and holds crisp corners poorly. Some very shiny squares look cheap, when the light comes from a synthetic cloth rather than real silk. Choose a silk of medium weight with a gentle glow rather than a glare. If the lapel is already very glossy, linen will balance it; if the jacket is matte, silk adds life.

The hand-rolled hem

The edge is what separates a good square from an ordinary one. A hand-rolled hem is a very narrow roll stitched by hand, giving a rounded, soft edge with a slight thickness. When folded it makes a smooth line with no machine stitching showing.

A flat machine hem or a plain cut edge is typical of cheap squares; it curls easily and gives a stiffer fold. On a tuxedo, where every detail is studied under evening light, a rolled hem is a standard worth keeping. Even so, a neat linen square with a small, even straight hem is acceptable.

Size

A pocket square is normally a square of about 30 to 40 cm a side. Too small and it sinks into the pocket; too large and it swells, overwhelms the breast pocket and looks fussy.

• Linen suits a medium size, around 33 to 40 cm, enough to fold into a neat shape.
• Silk can be a little smaller, around 30 to 35 cm, because silk thickens when folded.
• The part showing should be about the width of the pocket opening, with roughly two finger-widths standing above the edge.

The fold decides the final shape; see pocket square folds for a tuxedo. Ready-folded versions also exist and are discussed in pre-folded pocket squares.

From the Mon Amie workroom

A pocket square should be tried with the jacket, because the weight of the cloth and the size of the breast pocket change which square suits it. You can book a fitting at a showroom and let an advisor try linen and silk in the pocket of your own jacket.