Did Breast Pockets Used to Be Wider?

[otterhound]

The breast pockets on my modern suits are uniformally 4 1/2 inches wide.

I like to wear my linen pocket squares in the straight horizontal line fashion -- I've seen it called the "Presidential"; this site calls it the "Architect". When I do this, the pocket square looks too narrow, compared to the way it looks in old movies.

Is this because suits used to be made with breast pockets wider than 4 1/2 inches?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The TV fold.

I believe Truman was fond of it? Therefore the President?

bk

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Depends. Vintage American suits used to have wider breast pockets. (Their openings also used to be slanted diagonally toward the lapel. Modern suits have returned to this.) German 1930s suits, however, had rather narrow breast pockets.

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