When I first met Edward Armah a few years ago at a small menswear trade show, his sole product was a pocket circle. Armah had figured out that if you take a pocket square and make it, well, round, all you have to do is pinch the center and stuff it in and you get a lovely shape.
The novelty caught on and Armah picked up some large retail accounts. Business has grown steadily, and Armah continues to put a clever twist on menswear accessories. Here’s the dapper man himself:
Last week I saw Armah at a much larger trade show, and he was happy to show off his latest wares, including the fabric boutonnieres
But most dandyish was this little invention. Armah took the concept of those tacky pieces of cardboard stapled to a piece of silk, for men who want to wear a pocket square but can’t figure out how to fold them, and transformed the cardboard into a slim, colorful leather billfold:
Of course it’s not very dandyish to pay for anything. But if you must, consider the beau geste of pulling out your pocket square to do so.
— CHRISTIAN CHENSVOLD