How to Dress

Contrasts and Balance

How to create the perfect tie and pocket square pairing

There’s one simple rule when assembling a tie and pocket square combination or when shopping for the perfect Holiday gifts – opposites attract.

Ties and pocket squares come in a myriad of colors, fabrics and motifs – the secret to the perfect pairing lies in how they contrast with each other. If you have a silk tie with a decorative motif, choose a solid-colored pocket square in an opaque fabric like cotton or linen. However, it is also important that these contrasts are balanced – if a tie is multi-colored, the pocket square should have at least one shade in common. Motifs can be mixed or matched as long as they are not too different.

Once you’ve created the perfect pairing, all that’s left to do is choose how to fold your pocket square – one, two or three points, flat or puff folds – each with its own aesthetic and character to create a number of different looks.