If you are hoping to dress to impress, then the first lesson to learn is that every little detail matters. If the occasion or event you’re attending calls for you to wear a jacket, there are few less accessories that can compliment an outfit like the pocket square does. Pocket squares can be as formal or as casual as you need them to be, meaning they are fitting and will look great for any social outing.

But before you go and place any old handkerchief in your pocket, there are a few things you should know. After all, anyone can wear a suit; but it takes a special kind of man to add a pocket square that turns heads, and garners attention from everyone in the room.

History

The history of handkerchiefs and pocket squares dates back to the Ancient Egyptian times. Worn among only the elite, the material was made of silk, and the Egyptians would change the color of the handkerchief with dyes and natural bleaching material.

As expansion began towards Europe, handkerchiefs made their way through Greece, Rome, England, France and other countries. And while the styles and reasons for wearing them varied, the fact that they symbolized wealth and greatness remained the same.

It’s quite astonishing that after all these years, as wearing pocket squares still represents some of the same social norms for different social classes. After all, when is the last time you saw a blue-collar worker wear a pocket square to work? Yet as expansion towards America became the trend for people around the world during the 1900’s, the trend of the pocket square slowly made its way to the United States.

During the 1960’s and the rise of corporations and large business in America, pocket squares went hand-in-hand with snazzy suits and Italian loafers. If you were a high-level advertising executive, the CEO of a company, or simply someone who had to wear a suit for an entry-level position, pocket squares represented that you were ready to work and ready to be taken seriously.