The Urban Gentleman

An Urban Gent Basic: How to Fold a Pocket Square or Handkerchief

I happened to be going through a few of my old magazines this weekend and came across a page featuring pocket squares. I decided to share the page with you guys along with a few other photos of men wearing pocket squares:

I couldn’t post the pictures above without giving directions on how to properly fold a pocket square, so I’ve listed 4 popular ways to fold it, plus one “special way”. Alot of men tend to fold their pocket square or handkerchief using one technique every single time, without switching it up. That’s usually because they only know one technique- most likely taught to them at a suit store. Although it certainly is fine to have a signature folding style, it’s important to atleast know how to fold in other ways; so that you can switch it up every now and again. The next time you go out try folding your square using one the techniques below:

(follow the directions step by step, click to enlarge photo)

THE PUFF

1. Lay your pocket square flat with the two top corners horizontal. Pinch the middle of the pocket square and pick it up.

2.As you pick up the pocket square tuck the sides in as in the diagram. Don’t worry it may take a couple of tries to get it just right, but soon you will have it perfect.

3. With one hand firmly holding the pocket square, use your other hand to gently gather it closed.Now gracefully gather up the bottom of the pocket square.

4. Tuck as needed and place your pocket square in your jacket pocket.

THE PRESIDENTIAL POCKET SQUARE
(also known as the Flat pocket square, Straight, Architect, or TV fold)

1. Lay your pocket square flat with the two top corners horizontal.
2. Fold the the left side over the right side.
3. Fold the bottom up just short of the top.
4. Tuck as needed and place your pocket square in your jacket pocket.

ONE POINT/PYRAMID POCKET SQUARE
(also known as the one corner)

1. Lay your pocket square flat with one corner facing up and one corner facing down.
2. Fold the bottom corner up to meet the top corner.
3. Fold the left corner to the right.
4. Repeat and fold the right corner in to the left.
5. Tuck as needed and place your pocket square in your jacket pocket.

FOUR POINT POCKET SQUARE

1. Lay your pocket square flat with one corner facing up and one corner facing down.
2. Fold the bottom corner up to the top just to the left of the top corner.
3. Fold the left side towards the right, and up to the right of the “middle peak”.
4. Fold the right side towards the left, and up to the left of the “second peak”.
5. Tuck as needed and place your pocket square in your jacket pocket.

DUNAWAY POCKET SQUARE
(combo puff and point)

1. Lay your pocket square flat with the two top corners horizontal.Pinch the middle of the pocket square and pick it up.

2. As you pick up the pocket square tuck the sides in as in the diagram. Don’t worry it may take a couple of tries to get it just right, but soon you will have it perfect.

3. With one hand firmly holding the pocket square, use your other hand to gently gather it closed.

4. Now gracefully roll the top of the pocket square in the direction of the arrow.

5. Carefully lift the bottom points up.

6. Flatten the points.

7. Tuck as needed and place your pocket square in your jacket pocket.

There are many different ways to fold a pocket square. To perfect the art of folding I suggest perfecting the five folds listed above then begin mixing styles and techniques– be creative and think outside the box. Yes there are common and culturally proper ways to fold your handkerchief, but there is technically no wrong way; so grab your pocket square and suit jacket and just play around until you find a style that fits your personal look.

*directions courtesy of samhober

Happy Thanksgiving!

| Etc | 1 Comment

Happy Thanksgiving Gentlemen!

TheFirstOne: Luxury Bluetooth Headset

| Cars & Electronics | No Comments

Fashionable people are tired of having their personal style insulted by ugly gadgets, lol, that’s the philosophy Novero had in mind when they created TheFirstOne.

In winter white and chrome, TheFirstOne combines a minimal fashion aesthetic with high-level functionality. It brushes effortlessly, stylishly, and conveniently into anyone vying for a higher lifestyle. This one of a kind Bluetooth earpiece includes a wide range of in-box accessories: a car cradle, wall and computer chargers, a necklace and a wearable clip.

This is hands down the best looking Bluetooth headset I have ever seen, which makes sense being that the luxury technologically savvy device retails for $149.

TheFirstOne would seriously be an ideal holiday gift for anyone that constantly wants the best digital gadgets. It’ll pair great with an iPhone or a new Blackberry… speaking of Blackberry is anyone else impatiently waiting for the new Blackberry Bold to come out, it was supposed to be out on the 11th… geez I wish they would hurry up.

For more technical information on TheFirstOne Bluetooth headset visit their website or check out the indepth review on CNET.

Gentleman: A Timeless Guide to Fashion, and more Gentleman Reads

| Fashion & Style | No Comments

In modern times everything one needs to know can essentially be found on the internet. Well not everything– that’s an embellishment, but you know alot of basic facts and “how-tos”. And even though the web makes us feel as if information is at our disposal there is still a need for real-life tangibility, you know, magazines, papers, books. Sometimes looking at a screen just gets… dreary. Blogs and websites are indeed the the easiest sources to use when wanting to retrieve information on style and fashion, but books make for great companions to the information and advice you read weekly on the net. They also come in handy when your wireless connection is going on and off or when your laptop is in the shop and you need to know how to tie-a-tie or what dress shirt and shoes go best with a navy pinstripe suit. There are a few great books out there that I suggest owning just so that you can have an at-hand resource and reference guide to men’s style.

1. Gentleman: A Timeless Guide to Fashion by Bernhard Roetzel

This book is very classic, from the cover, to the photos, to the sections on bowlers and top hats. If you want to know the proper ways to wear certain clothing, where to wear it, and the history of why its worn that way, then Gentleman is the book for you. Written with a focus on the English Gentleman this book is a sort of staple or all-inclusive guide that will last you a lifetime.

Here are two snippets from the book that I enjoyed, click to enlarge:

(How trousers got their cuffs and
matching particular materials/fabrics with shoes)

Purchase Gentleman: A Timeless Guide to Fashion
at your local bookstore or HERE.

2. Dressing the Man, Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion by Alan Flusser

This book focuses on creating style for the individual. It includes advice on what patterns, colors, and styles to wear for each body type. Much like Gentleman, Dressing the Man also focuses on building a classic wardrobe, but with a modern overtone.

Buy it at your local bookstore or HERE.

Other notable books that will help a man class up his wardrobe:

- Esquire The Handbook of Style, more info here.

- The Indispensable Guide to Classic Men’s Clothing, more info here.

- Tom Ford, more info here.

These are books that you can purchase for yourself today and pass down to your nephew, son, or to a friend in the future. They would also make for great stocking stuffers for Christmas or as a just because gift to yourself or someone in need of style and wardrobe help.

Urban Gent Poll: Whose Style Do You Like Best

| Celebrity Style, Fashion & Style | 1 Comment

The results from the latest Urban Gent Poll are in… this was sort of a mini poll since it didn’t run for that long:

The Question: Whose Style Do You Like Best?

Zac Efron	20 (17%)
Nick Cannon	3 (2%)
Channing Tatum	10 (8%)
Kid Cudi	53 (45%)
John Legend	25 (21%)
Robert Pattinson	5 (4%)

Votes so far: 116

1st place goes to Kid Cudi, 2nd John Lengend, and 3rd Zac Efron.

I’m not surprised at Kid Cudi winning first, the Winter/Fall Fashion Guide has been posted front and center for the past month or so, and he’s posted as my example for Assorted Swank. Plus, alot of Urban Gent readers are big fans of artist like Kid Cudi, Lupe, Pharrell, etc etc. I’ll look into doing a more in-depth Kid Cudi style article later.

Zac Efron at UK premiere of ‘Me and Orson Welles’, Nov 18th

I honestly thought Zac Efron would get 2nd, if not 1st, but he got 3rd. He’s been pretty consistent with his style for the past two years and he constantly updates his looks; sometimes its a big update while other times it’s subtle. Zac’s perfectly polished look from the beginning of 2009 was, well, perfect. And his messy, swept-over hair do from mid-2009 was oookay, not one of my favorites, but I appreciated the update and experimentation. His current look is pretty great as well. Hmmm, I guess when I think of Efron’s changing styles I think of his hair. But besides his hair his attire is always perfect… his jeans fit well, as do his button downs. He and his girlfriend always look flawless on the red carpet.

John Legend always look nice. His suits are usually custom-fitted, he wears trendy bow-ties, and just keeps himself well-groomed (hair, skin, clothing) like an Urban Gent should.

***Don’t forget to vote on the new poll… What’s Your Favorite Fall/Winter Trend? (located on the right side of the page)