Pocket Square vs Ηandkerchief

A debate on a classic stylistic mistake. At first glance they look pretty similar but they have substantive differences, which make them differ.

A pocket square cannot replace a handkerchief and vice versa

Usage

Pocket Square

Used for aesthetic and sartorial elegance. Posititioned in the left pocket of your jacket at the hight of your heart. It is a sign of male elegance and upgades a gentlemans image.

Handkerchief

Used for practical reasons, such a wiping sweat, blow your nose or for the more romantic ones to wipe off your girlfriend’s tears!

“Hankerchiefs, are used to wipe off sweat and .. girlfriend’s tears”

Fabric

Pocket Square

Made of various fabrics, mostly from cotton, linen and silk fabrics. It can be handrolled or hand emroidered

Handkerchief

Made solely by cotton fabrics, to be soft at touch, obsorbing and enduring. it is usualy simply handrolled.

Size

Pocket Square

The size of a pocket square is always smaller of that of a handkerchief. Actual dimennsions vary, but at 33cm x 33cm you have a comfortable fit in your chest pocket and unparalled style.

Handkerchief

A handkerchief is larger in size and heavier than a pocket square, justyfying their position in your trouser’s pocket.

“A pocket Square made of linen fabric, hand emrboidered with traditional Greek embroidery”

Price

Pocket Square

Price can vary and depends on the material and weave of the fabric, whether that is egyptian cotton and french linen or authentic silk from Como and of course the hand work that has been put into it. A pocket square with your monogram or with hand embroidery requires more working hours to be completed, hence it tends to be more expensive.

Handkerchief

A handkerchief is not expensive and it is jystified by its use.

Summing up…

Unparellel quality of fabric and the artisan work will add an elegant finishing touch to your image and this can only be achieved by a quality pocket square in your jacket’s chest pocket.

You can view some pocketsquares here

A secret..

Quality of construction can be identified at the hem of a pocket square. A truly handmade pocket square can be recognised by the assymetric seams on a plain handrolled pocket square (machine “handmade” seams are at accurate regualr intervals) or the very high detail of hand embroidery, which can take hours of painstaking hand work.

View here a short video on making a pocket square