A pocket square may be one of the smallest pieces of an outfit, but it can completely change the way a suit or blazer comes together. Tucked into a jacket pocket, it adds color, pattern, and personality without requiring the rest of your outfit to do anything differently. Pocket squares can dress up a simple suit, bring another detail into formalwear, or make something you’ve worn plenty of times feel a little less familiar the next time you put it on.

There’s no rule that says a pocket square has to disappear politely into the rest of your outfit. Colorful fabrics and prints can add contrast to a solid jacket, pick up a color from your shirt or tie, or stand on their own as the part that makes the whole look more interesting. You don’t need an exact match for everything to work together, either. Coordinating colors, mixing patterns, and choosing a pocket square simply because you like it can make formal and semi-formal outfits feel more personal and considerably less like a uniform.

Pocket squares work for weddings, celebrations, dinners, work events, graduations, and all the other occasions that give you a reason to pull out a jacket. They’re also an easy way to change up the same suit from one event to the next without buying an entirely different outfit. Whether you fold yours neatly, keep things a little more relaxed, coordinate it with other accessories, or let the print do its own thing, a fabric pocket square proves there’s plenty of room for personality in one very small pocket.