How to Fold Pocket Squares With a Handkerchief

Pocket squares, or folded handkerchiefs displayed in the pocket of a suit, are one of the few ways a man can easily alter his look without spending a lot of money on an extra suit. While there are many elaborate, origami-like ways of folding a handkerchief into a pocket square, three simple folds--the presidential, one point and puff pocket square folds--are all you need to add a stylish accent to your suit on short notice.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

The Presidential Pocket Square

1. Lay your square handkerchief out on a flat surface.

2. Fold the left side of the handkerchief over to the right side and crease the fold.

3. Fold the bottom of the folded kerchief up toward the top, stopping about 1 inch short of the top edge. Crease the fold.

4. Fold the left edge of the handkerchief two-thirds of the way toward the right side. Fold the right side over the left side so that the edges line up.

5. Fold the bottom edge of the kerchief up toward the top edge once more, stopping about 1 inch short of the top edge again. Once more, crease this fold.

6. Place the folded handkerchief in your pocket. It should be displayed with the folded side in against your body and the last crease you made at the bottom of the pocket.

7. Tuck any loose flapping material from the top edge of the handkerchief in against your body so that there's a flat, even horizontal edge across the top of your folded pocket square.

The One Point Fold Pocket Square

8. Lay your square handkerchief out on a flat surface.

9. Fold one point of the handkerchief over to the opposite point, making a triangle. Orient this triangle with the point facing away from you.

10. Take the left corner of the triangle over toward the right, making a vertical crease about an inch short of the middle point. Then fold the right corner over to the left, again making the crease about an inch shy of the middle point and wrapping any extra material around the outside of the left-hand fold.

11. Bring the bottom of the folded handkerchief up toward the top, folding it so that the bottom corners line up with the bottom corners of the point.

12. Display the folded handkerchief in your pocket, point up, folded side in against your body.

The Puff Pocket Square Fold

13. Lay your square handkerchief out on a flat surface.

14. Grasp the very center of the handkerchief in one hand and lift it off the surface. The corners of the handkerchief should naturally fold in on themselves and hang straight down.

15. Make a loop from the thumb and middle finger of your free hand and run this down the pocket square, starting from where you're holding the center and stopping about two-thirds of the way down. This helps to make the natural folds neater.

16. Fold the bottom of the gathered folds up, making the crease where your fingers stopped about two-thirds of the way down.

17. Place the folded bottom of the pocket square in your pocket, with the "puff" from the gathered center poking out the top of your pocket.