FAUX PAS REPORT : Pocketing Some Fashion Tips

Squared Up: A pocket square can accent a stylish suit and make a man look dashing, or it can grab attention away from the suit and make him look like the man behind the swatch of fabric. The key is knowing what kind to get and, more importantly, how to wear it.

“There are three basic ways a pocket square is worn,” said Charles Lee of Alex Sebastian Men’s Wear in South Coast Plaza. “The classic style is to have two, three or four of the tips sticking out of the pocket. A more conservative look, the way Ricky Ricardo used to wear his, is to just have the top edge of the square showing. The more flamboyant, Jackie Gleason-style of creating a big fluff with the square is also done, but it’s a little passe.”

A pocket square shouldn’t distract from a suit or tie, just accent it. “If you’re wearing a $1,000 suit and a $10 silk square is the focal point, you’ve got to tone it down,” Lee said. “Squares that match the tie pattern are getting a little old. Look for solid colors that pick up a tone in the tie.”

And, of course, how do you keep it from slipping down and hiding in the pocket? “You can always discretely pin it from the inside,” Lee said. “Silk, because of its texture, tends to slip the most, and it’s generally worn on dressier occasions. Linen squares don’t slip as much, and they’re often worn on business attire.”

Eye-Yi-Yi: If you hate being seen in public with smeared eye makeup, here’s a little secret: It’s not the makeup’s fault.

“I see women all the time with smeared eye makeup,” said Richard Stevens of Stevens and Cross Cosmetics in Newport Beach. “It usually collects as little dark objects in the corners of their eyes, and many must think this is the way it has to be, but it doesn’t.”

Stevens said the problem starts at night when women remove their makeup:

“They’ll use something creamy that has an oil base or is full of moisture, then they’ll wash their face with soap and water and keep the soap away from their eyes. The next day, they put eye makeup on again over the residue from the day before, because it hasn’t really been cleaned. This doesn’t give the makeup a good base to start from.”

Use an emollient around the eyes to remove the old makeup and to give you a fresh start the next morning, he said.

The Wrong Dress at the Wrong Time: Are you a fashion victim? If so, according to fashion designer Heather McRae-Parks of Dana Point, it’s time to wise up.

“These are people who stick out in a crowd for the wrong reasons. It’s the girl in the tight miniskirt and stiletto heels who thinks she looks great but actually looks terribly ungainly and awkward, and it’s the heavy metal guy in black jeans, a leather jacket and boots in 110-degree weather,” she said. “They’re trapped; they’ve given up self for a fashion trend.”

To prevent falling for a trend that may not suit you, it’s probably best to have an honest friend evaluate how you look before stripping the tags off.

“Even though something may be in style, if it just doesn’t feel good on, it’s not going to do you any good,” McRae-Parks said.