How to Fold a Handkerchief for a Suit Pocket

Wearing a suit is a good way to dress up and look nice for an occasion. When you really want to make an impression, you can add a handkerchief to the ensemble. Suit-pocket handkerchiefs add class and personality to your look. There are several ways to fold your pocket square, depending on your taste.

Here are three ways to fold a handkerchief for a suit pocket.

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The Straight (or Square) Fold

  1. Spread your handkerchief out on a flat surface.
  2. Fold the cloth in half, bringing the left side over to the right.
  3. Fold the handkerchief in half again, bringing the bottom up to the top. You should have a square that's one-quarter of the original size.
  4. Fold the handkerchief in half again so it will fit in the breast pocket of your suit jacket. If it's too wide, redo this step folding the handkerchief in thirds.
  5. Place it in the breast pocket, leaving between half an inch and an inch (1.27 and 2.5 centimeters) sticking out.

[source: ATailoredSuit]

The One Corner Fold

  1. Spread out your handkerchief on a flat surface with one corner up, so it looks like a diamond.
  2. Fold the bottom corner over to the top corner. You have a triangle.
  3. Fold in the two side corners so they meet in the middle along the bottom fold. Now your cloth should have two long parallel sides running vertically and a point at the top.
  4. Fold the bottom up so the rectangular part of the shape is halved, leaving the point protruding up.
  5. Insert into suit pocket with desired amount of point peaking out.

[source: McKay]

The Puff

  1. Spread out your handkerchief on a flat surface.
  2. Pick up the handkerchief by pinching the center firmly.
  3. Hold up the handkerchief so the cloth hangs down loosely.
  4. Gather the hanging fabric with your other hand.
  5. Loosely fold the gathered portion of the handkerchief up to about two inches (five centimeters) below the top.
  6. Insert into suit pocket with a puff sticking out. Play around with your puff until you like the way it looks.

[source: McKay]

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