Patterns And Prints

If you were so inclined to listen to the fashionable folk over at GQ (I miss men.style) you are probably currently stocking up on your plaid or plain white cotton pocket squares for Summer. Whilst I do love a crisp folded white pocket square to give my suit that extra dash of elegance, I am a print man at heart. Or more specifically, a floral print man. Or...even more specifically, a Liberty floral print man, but alas my wallet does not always indulge me.

There is nothing nicer than using your pocket square to play against the colour of your tie, shirt or other accessories. Although stylists and gentleman's magazines seem to regard men who mix prints (unless incredibly subtle) with the same disdain as men who pair brown belts with black shoes, I have always found where the pocket square is concerned, the flash of print allows for far greater freedom than the dreaded shirt and tie mixed print fiasco. Whereas clashing prints in close proximity occupy a very precarious area, your suit provides a nice break between your tie and breast pocket, so mixing up those respective prints is more flexible.

As regular readers can attest to, I love colour, and where you may only be wearing a grey suit with white shirt and navy tie (and pale blue or lilac socks perchance?), a little blue and lilac floral print pocket square goes a long way in adding a nice impact. Of course a pocket square can also be worn when you are donning a suit sans tie, in which case simply playing off of the colour of your unbuttoned shirt and a casual fold or puff is always fun.

Again if you follow the advice of that previously mentioned magazine, you are perhaps strictly bound to a folded pocket square à la the painfully stylish Don Draper. It is indeed a rule hard to go wrong with, but then again, rules are meant to be broken. I always find it a shame to square off a wonderfully patterned and colourful pocket square, so why not give it a puff?

Consider this a sample of a collection in progress...

...Tie Rack (well you need to start somewhere!)

Grayson Perry for Liberty

Liberty (Betsy, J)

Liberty (Meadow, C)

Vintage

Vintage

Obviously no collection is complete without some block-coloured pocket squares, and indeed mine most prominently features white cotton. Simple but effective.

It is all about showing that fun additional piece of individuality.


P.S. I would like to extend a MASSIVE thanks to the wonderful Steve and Eliza of Style Salvage for featuring me in their Style Stalking series. Click here to see a little style diary from yours truly.

P.P.S. Click here to bid on the first pair of 1460 Dr Martens boots to be made in their Wollaston factory on their 50th anniversary on 1st April 2010. The winner will be the proud owner of a wonderful pair of DMs and an iconic slice of history. All proceeds go to the Footwear Friends Charity.

Currently playing: Beautiful - Under The Influence Of Giants

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