Solid tie and a pocket square

[newguy12]

first off I'd like to say that this is my first suit and so I don't know really much about suit etiquette.

So, for my formal, I am wearing a black/black pinstripe suit with a deep/royal blue shirt and solid silver tie. I want to get a pocket square but I am not sure what to do for coordination. Should i just get a solid silver square or try to find silver and blue?

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Try to post a pic. You will get a better assessment that way. Welcome

 

[Son_of_Atropos]

I think the "guideline" is that a pocket square should reflect a color of the tie, vest, or jacket. People usually have the pocket square reflect/echo the color of the tie.

By reflect/ echo I mean that the pocket square should not match exactly. Don't match the colors exactly because supposedly you will look like a poor dresser.


I'd say a dark silver or blue pocket square but you should experiment and see what works.

 

[Geesie]

I've heard a lot of things.
One is that the pocket square should coordinate with the shirt.

Definitely stay as far away as possible from looking like you got a tie/square set.

And you can't go wrong with a pressed white linen handkerchief.

 

[ortega76]

I'm not normally one to recommend matching the tie and pocket square exactly, but a solid silver tie with a solid silver square for an evening event would look fine. A square with blue and silver would be great. You might try hitting a fabric store to find a cool pattern and use a small swatch of it to make your own pocket square for relatively little money.

 

[newguy12]

Ok, thanks for the advice; i couldn't figure out how to post a picture so I just put it as my avatar. Sorry I can't put it on right now.

 

[Maguire]

I've only got white hankies and one silverish one which i wear when i wear my grayish/silver shirt. I'd like to eventually add a few more but they are frankly the last detail i'm interested in investing in.

 

[Orsini]

Generally speaking, the pocket square must not match any of the other items in your dress, in either color or pattern. To do so is considered quite unsophisticated, so I suggest you be sure to avoid this.

The pocket square should coordinate in color and pattern with the jacket, shirt, and tie. A color in the pocket square may match a very minor tone in the tie or jacket, but no more. I recommend the application of the other standard guidelines for combining color and pattern as described by Flusser and Manton, et. al.

It is tough to go wrong with a white linen handkerchief or a white silk with contrasting edge handkerchief. These two are always good. You can apply the above mentioned guidelines to the contrasting edge.

I usually use the pocket square and/or tie to accent eye color.

 

[adamjaskie]

I'd go toward the shirt with blue, but an obviously different shade of blue. You can't match it exactly (nor should you), so don't make it look like you tried. Not navy, though, because it won't contrast enough with your suit. You want to go lighter, perhaps a robins-egg blue? It could work to bring in something toward the purply end, I think. Lavender or even more of a lilac color. Not too dark, though, again.

You can bring in some silver from the tie in a pattern, but if you do that go for a rather small pattern so it won't clash with the pinstripes. I don't think a check would work in blue/silver, but you might be able to pull off polka dots. If you go for stripes, be careful; you need to contrast with the pinstripes, so you'll need to go for some REALLY fine and close together stripes, and I think that would bring in too much silver. You want the silver to be an accent color in this; something like that would be more like 50/50 blue and silver, which I don't think will work as well.

 

[armod]

my opinion (at times known to be foolish)

perhaps a white square with a blue pattern or piping.

I'd suggest silk or linen as cotton is a bit casual.

 

[armod]

as far as suit ettiquette goes unbutton when you sit down and keep it buttoned at all other times. never button the bottom button.

it's more practical than polite as it merely allows you to move comfortably

 

[boushi_mania]

first off I'd like to say that this is my first suit and so I don't know really much about suit etiquette.

So, for my formal, I am wearing a black/black pinstripe suit with a deep/royal blue shirt and solid silver tie. I want to get a pocket square but I am not sure what to do for coordination. Should i just get a solid silver square or try to find silver and blue?

I just replied to your other thread, but I suppose I'll respond here, as well.

I don't know exactly what's expected at your school when it comes to "formal", but do be aware that a pinstriped suit does not technically qualify as such. A suit is business dress, which is on the formal end of the uselessly broad "informal" category.

On the other hand, the most formal is white-tie-and-tails, which is also probably unlikely for a prom. Your mileage my vary, of course, but unless a specific mode of dress is prescribed, you'll get the most mileage out of semi-formal wear, which is your standard tuxedo: black with a white shirt and black bow tie. It has the benefit of not needing to worry about coordinating everything, and you won't have to cringe when you look back at those pictures later on (choice of date notwithstanding).

Please understand that I don't mean to insult your choice of clothes; I'm just trying to gently nudge you in the direction of something a bit more classic for a formal event. After all, it's a party, not a day at the office. With that in mind, both The Black Tie Guide and the Formal Wear Primer thread are useful resources for putting together a proper rental ensemble (or even purchasing your own set of clothes, should the need arise).

 

[newguy12]

This thread was actually from last year... I just come here whenever I need dress-wear advice.
Also, my suit is a contrast pinstripe, so unless you are very close you cannot tell. But anyways, for our school events a suit is the norm. There may be one, possibly two guys, who will show up in a tux, but most will wear a suit with the occasional pair of jeans making an appearance.

 

[boushi_mania]

This thread was actually from last year... I just come here whenever I need dress-wear advice.
Also, my suit is a contrast pinstripe, so unless you are very close you cannot tell. But anyways, for our school events a suit is the norm. There may be one, possibly two guys, who will show up in a tux, but most will wear a suit with the occasional pair of jeans making an appearance.

Heh... I should have realized that. In my defense, I vaguely recalled you asking a similar question to your other one recently, which I thought I might as well reply to at the same time;I just didn't realize it was from last year. I blame old age (time flies when you're out of school).

 

[Bugsy]

first off I'd like to say that this is my first suit and so I don't know really much about suit etiquette.

So, for my formal, I am wearing a black/black pinstripe suit with a deep/royal blue shirt and solid silver tie. I want to get a pocket square but I am not sure what to do for coordination. Should i just get a solid silver square or try to find silver and blue?

Since most of the colors you've chosen are on the dark side, I would go with a light colored pocket silk to coordinate with the tie--coordinate, not match. That will look very nice.
AND have a most wonderful time at your prom.