How Pocket Squares are made...

Even though pocket squares could be considered glorified handkerchiefs, they are much more than mere square pieces of cloth. Being epitomes of styles and generally being worn by fashion-conscious men, it is but natural that pocket squares are required to meet certain quality standards. A pocket square is mostly worn to excessively formal events folded and slipped into the left breast pocket of a suit, with a certain portion being visible above the rim of the coat. Therefore, looks are all important as far as these clothing accessories are concerned. Thus, the manufacture of pocket squares is carried out under strict attention to detail.

A pocket square, in its most basic avatar, is a square piece of cloth that is either plain or sporting an elaborate design. The first step in making pocket squares is to choose the material to be used. Common materials used to make pocket squares include silk, linen, cotton, or sometimes synthetic fabrics. The fabric is chosen keeping in mind the looks, strength, and durability. Another consideration in the choice of the material is the availability of the material in a particular area. If the manufacturer intends to sell the pocket square at a cheaper price, he usually opts for a lesser priced fabric.

After the material is selected, squares are cut out. Since the pocket square would incorporate a border or be folded at the edges, squares are cut out having dimensions around half to three-quarters of an inch longer than the final length and breadth of the pocket square. Usually, pocket squares range from around 12 to 18 square inches.

The edges of this fashion accessory are either machine-folded or hand-rolled. In the case of machine folding, the edges of the pocket square are tightly and efficiently folded. Hand-rolled pocket squares are treasured as the edges are accurately rolled by hand. The edges of the pocket square are tightly rolled by hand and then stitched into place with around 4 to 6 stitches per inch. Both types of edging ensure that there are no ‘loose ends’ or undue shredding of and slack fibers.

Sometimes when pocket squares are made of excessively soft materials, they are starched so as to retain a semblance of stiffness when folded and placed in the pocket. For added convenience to today’s busy executive, pocket squares are sometimes pre-folded. Pre-folding implies that the pocket square is priorly folded into the required fold.  These pocket squares can be directly fitted into the pocket and also require negligible maintenance. While the breadth of a pre-folded pocket square would remain constant, the height could be adjusted in the pocket by pulling it out of the pocket to the desired level.

On completion, a typical pocket square weighs between 0.5 to 3.5 ounces. Different types of pocket squares include the silk pocket square, pink pocket square, men's silk pocket square, tuxedo pocket square, monogram pocket squares, paisley pocket square, blue pocket square, Celtic squares, gladson silk pocket square, and the ivory silk pocket square.