When it comes to formal weddings, you simply can’t go wrong with a classic black tuxedo. Although a black tuxedo is good on its own, it’s always a great idea to bring a touch of personal style to your wedding outfit, and the best way to incorporate personal style into standard men’s formal wear is with the right tuxedo accessories.

Add a dash of color, panache and a dose of personal style to an otherwise boring outfit by slipping a pocket square into your tuxedo jacket.

The Pocket Square

The pocket square is a hanky or a handkerchief that is folded and placed in the jacket’s pocket to decorate a suit or tuxedo. A tiny part of the handkerchief’s fold or pinch is made to peek out of the pocket, adding style and flair to an ordinary suit or tuxedo.

Pocket squares come in different designs, colors, patterns and fabrics. While most handkerchiefs are either made of silk or cotton, it’s not uncommon for you to find pocket squares made from silk blends, wool and even cashmere.

When picking the perfect pocket square, you have to make sure that it matches your other wedding accessories, namely the vest or the cummerbund and your chosen tie or ascot. It’s highly advisable to pick pocket squares that are 16 to 18 inches in size.

Folding Pocket Squares

There are different ways to fold your pocket square. Popular styles include the Peaks, the TV Fold, the Three Point Fold, the Puff, the Four Point and the Puff and Point. Read on to learn more about folding pocket squares.

The Peaks Fold: Start with an open handkerchief, and fold diagonally to create a perfect triangle. Make sure the flat side of the handkerchief is on the right. Take the bottom edge of the pocket square and fold it up a little higher to the right edge that is farthest from you. Take the left edge of your handkerchief and move it a little higher than the other two peaks that you’ve made; this should give you three triangles. Fold and insert into your pocket in such a way that the triangles peek out of your pocket.

The TV Fold: Take your handkerchief or your pocket square and fold it to about an eighth of its original size. Insert the pocket square into your pocket with about an inch of one edge appearing above your pocket.

The TV Fold

The Peaks Fold:

The Puff

The Tree Point Fold: Take your pocket square and fold it diagonally to create a perfect triangle. Make sure that the flat side of your triangle is closest to you. Take the lower left corner and move it to the right side of your triangle. Then take the lower right corner and bring it towards the left part of your top point. Make sure all the points or peaks are even. Fold the bottom of your handkerchief by a quarter and insert into your pocket.

The Puff: Lay down your pocket square evenly and pick up the center of the square. Make sure all the points are hanging down. Fold the handkerchief over and insert the whole thing into your pocket in such a way that only the points are visible. Spread the pieces to create a puff that occupies the entire pocket opening.

The Four Point Fold: Spread the pocket square evenly on a table or any flat surface. Take the four points of your pocket square and fold them over, make sure that the points are all higher than the middle. Insert into your pocket with only the points showing.

Puff and Point: Take all four corners of your pocket square and fold them in half. Insert the handkerchief into your pocket showing the puff center and both points of the folded pocket square.

Here is a video on how to fold a pocket square.