How to Fold a Handkerchief

Co-authored by Jordan Stolch

Last Updated: December 4, 2022

A handkerchief in the pocket of a suit or tuxedo jacket can be a great accessory for men's formal wear. There are many different ways to fold a handkerchief, depending on formality of the style you want. The Presidential Fold is the most formal style, while the Casual Fold can be used for almost any occasion.

Method 1

Method 1 of 10:

Presidential Fold

1
Place the handkerchief down flat on a hard surface. Any table with an uncrowded space will be ideal.
2
Fold the handkerchief in half. Bring the left side over to the right. You should now have a rectangle half the size of your handkerchief.

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3
Fold the bottom upwards. Don't fold it evenly in half; leave a little room at the top (~1.5in). However much you want to stick out of your pocket determines how much you fold.
4
Put the folded handkerchief in the suit's breast pocket. The folded side should be facing your chest. Smooth the exposed part of the handkerchief down so it is free of wrinkles and folds.

Method 2

Method 2 of 10:

One Corner Up Fold

1
Lay the handkerchief down on a hard flat surface.
2
Fold it once diagonally. It should now be in the shape of a triangle.
3
Fold one corner halfway toward center of the triangle. Press the fold with the palm of your hand so it will hold its shape.
4
Fold the other corner halfway toward the center. Press the fold down. The handkerchief should now resemble an open envelope.
5
Put the folded handkerchief in your suit jacket pocket. The point at the top should be poking out.^{[1]
X
Expert Source

Jordan Stolch
Image Consultant & Style Advisor
Expert Interview. 25 September 2020.} Smooth out any wrinkles or folds that are showing.
- This fold is appropriate for any situation formal to casual.

Method 3

Method 3 of 10:

Two Corner Up Fold

1
Place the handkerchief on a hard, flat surface.
2
Fold it diagonally. Rather than lining up the corners at the top to make a perfect triangle, however, offset the tips so you have two slightly overlapping triangles.
3
Fold one side corner halfway in toward the center of the handkerchief.
4
Fold the second corner halfway in to the center. The bottom should now be the shape of your pocket, and the top will have two corners.
5
Place the folded handkerchief in the suit breast pocket. The two tips should now point out of the top. Smooth out any folds and wrinkles that are showing.
- Appropriate for formal and informal attire. A playful version of the single corner fold.

Method 4

Method 4 of 10:

Three Corner Up Fold

1
Lay the handkerchief down on a hard, flat surface.
2
Fold it diagonally. Make two overlapping triangles with the tips next to each other, rather than overlapping evenly.
3
Take one of the side corners and fold it up at an angle. It should form a third tip together with the first two.
4
Fold the other side inward at a 90-degree angle. This will give you a flat bottom.
5
Place the folded handkerchief in your suit jacket pocket. You should see the three tips poking out of the top. Smooth out folds and wrinkles that are showing.
- The folded side should face your chest, while the smooth surface faces outward.
- Appropriate for formal attire, this pocket square fold could also go with a sports coat or blazer jacket.^{[2]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Jordan Stolch
  Image Consultant & Style Advisor
  Expert Interview. 25 September 2020.}

Method 5

Method 5 of 10:

Four Corner Up Fold

1
Lie the handkerchief down on a flat, hard surface. The corners are facing the cardinal directions.
2
Fold the bottom up. The corners should be slightly misaligned to give you the first two tips. This is the same beginning as the previous two folds.
3
Fold the left bottom corner up to the right. Do it so that you have three corners aligned at the top.
4
Now fold the right bottom corner up to the left. You should now have four corners evenly set at the top.
5
Tuck the handkerchief into your coat pocket. Make sure that it doesn't crumple when you tuck it in. Run your fingers along the pocket inside and pull the handkerchief so it fills out.
6
Adjust the shape and smooth out an wrinkles and folds until you think it looks good.

Method 6

Method 6 of 10:

Puff Fold

1
Lay the handkerchief on a flat, hard surface.
2
Pinch the center with your thumb and forefinger in the middle. This "fold" is not as angular as the other. You'll be aiming for a more casual look.
3
Pick it up and run your other hand down the handkerchief. This will narrow it to the width of your suit pocket.
4
Fold up the excess behind the poof.^{[3]
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Research source}
5
Place the handkerchief in the breast pocket of your suit jacket. Style the exposed top to your preference.
- Puff are great for more casual wear like sports coats and blazers.
- Puff accentuate patterned handkerchiefs like paisley and polka dot.

Method 7

Method 7 of 10:

One Point Roll

1
Lay the handkerchief down diagonally on a flat, hard surface. Make sure the space isn't cluttered.
2
Pinch the center between your index finger and thumb. Then pick it up.
3
Gather the handkerchief closed. With your other hand, gently gather up the rest of the cloth.
4
Roll the pinched top down towards the center.
5
Lift up the bottom parts. The four corners hanging down need to be folded up over the top portion here. Be careful and allow for a smooth petal-like appearance.
6
Extend one point. Grab any of the points and pull it up so that it extends past the roll. This will give an accent to your outfit and add some personality.
- If the extension point to the shoulders at will make them appear larger. This is a good move for men with large shoulders.

Method 8

Method 8 of 10:

Dunaway Fold

1
Lay the handkerchief down diagonally on a flat, hard surface.
2
Pinch the center with your thumb and index finger. Then pick it up.
3
Draw the cloth down. With your free hand grip around the handkerchief beneath your pinching hand, and gently pull the cloth downwards.
4
Fold the top portion downwards. Holding the handkerchief secure with your bottom hand, fold that top section (that you were pinching) down towards the center.
5
Fold up the bottom corners. Holding the top portion, pull the four bottom corners up over the top. Flatten the points out so they resemble crisp flower petals.
6
Tuck the handkerchief into your coat pocket.

Method 9

Method 9 of 10:

Four Mountains Fold

1
Place the handkerchief down diagonally on a flat, hard surface.
2
Pinch the center with your thumb and index finger. Pick up the handkerchief.
3
Draw the cloth down. With your free hand grip around the handkerchief beneath your pinching hand, and gently pull the cloth downwards.
4
Fold the top portion downwards. Holding the handkerchief secure with your bottom hand, fold that top section (that you were pinching) down towards the center.
5
Turn it all upside down. The four ends should now be at the top, with your fold base at the bottom.
6
Tuck the pocket square into your coat. Adjust the tops to your liking.

Method 10

Method 10 of 10:

Three Stairs Fold

1
Place the handkerchief on a hard flat, surface. Position it so that one corner is facing up and one is facing down.
2
Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner. You should have a triangle now that's half the size of the handkerchief.
3
Partially fold down the top half. Grab the tip of the bottom half you just folded up. Now fold it back down so that 2/3 of it has passed the halfway fold. You are only doing this to one layer. So at the top you should still see one whole triangle with another one folded down and sticking past the midline by 2/3s.
4
Fold that triangle up again. Grabbing the tip bring it back towards the top of the pocket square. Just as you did before, let about 2/3s of the new triangle extend past the fold line beneath it.
5
Repeat this fold downward. Each time we do this the triangle gets smaller, and we create another step (like stairs) on top of the last fold. Keep your folds neat and well-defined.
6
Fold the tip upwards. This is the last time you do this kind of fold for the Three Stairs Fold. Once again you only want to let about 2/3s of the remaining triangle to stick out past the last fold.
7
Turn the pocket upside down. The folds should be intact and facing the table. Be sure to support the folds while you turn so you don't have to redo them.
8
Fold the right side over to the left. You should now have a triangle about one fourth the size of the whole handkerchief. Also, the multiple folds you did earlier should now be visible.
9
Rotate the handkerchief 90˚ counterclockwise. The new halfway fold from the previous step should be facing up and to the left.
10
Fold the bottom left corner halfway to the center. This is similar to all of our earlier folds and serves the same purpose or creating a stable base.
11
Fold the bottom right corner halfway to the center. You should now have a flat bottom line to fit into your suit.
12
Tuck the handkerchief in your coat pocket. Adjust the look to your liking and smooth out any creases or wrinkles.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you style a handkerchief?

Jordan Stolch
Image Consultant & Style Advisor
Jordan Stolch is an Image Strategist, Style Advisor, and the Founder of MiKADO - a concierge personal styling firm. With over a decade of experience, Jordan specializes in helping people eliminate the confusion and insecurities associated with how to dress in order to build a powerful image and use clothing to their strategic advantage. Jordan trains entrepreneurs, business leaders, and corporate executives in the foundations of "power dressing", from some of the country's preeminent companies such as Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, Berkshire Hathaway, Universal Music Group, Starbucks, and Disney. She works with clients both in-person and virtually, teaching them how to take the confusion out of style so they can operate at a higher level. Jordan earned her BA in Psychology from the University of Waterloo and studied Merchandise Marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIDM).

Jordan Stolch

Image Consultant & Style Advisor

Expert Answer

A handkerchief can be folded into a square so that a flat perpendicular line comes out of the top of the pocket. You can wear a handkerchief like an accordion or fold it so it's loose poking out the top of the square. You can also get more creative by learning how to fold it in different ways using online videos.
Question

What are some fancy ways to fold a woman's handkerchief?

Community Answer

The classic is the squared folding. You could also make the triangle folding.
Question

How do I fold a puff handkerchief for suits?

Sylghouls

Top Answerer

Begin with the square face up. Pinch and lift up from the center. Run the fabric through your thumb and first finger of the opposite hand. Hold the square at the center. Fold the bottom up and behind the front. Adjust to fit the size of your jacket pocket.