Henry McMaster’s Sartorial Legacy

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Henry McMaster is rounding the final curve and heading into the homestretch of his record-setting ten-year run as governor of South Carolina. That’s the time when a public official’s attention turns to legacy. What of lasting value will he leave behind after he has departed the governor’s mansion?

“Foghorn Guvnah” may not know it, but his legacy is already well-established. Enshrined, even. Except in this case it doesn’t involve politics or policy, the future direction of the state or anything else we would classify as part of the public realm. Rather, it is personal — and deeply personal at that.  

***

McMaster will always be remembered as the last devotee of the pocket square.

For those of you uninitiated, I refer you to those neatly, and oftentimes intricately, folded glistening white handkerchiefs strategically positioned in the outer breast pocket of a man’s suit coat.

Oh sure, they still pop up around the state capital from time to time. But McMaster has made them part of his image – and perfected wearing one to an art form. Along with his curled Confederate mullet, the pocket square is his signature look. One seldom sees him without that touch of white peeking out on his left chest. He sports pocket squares so religiously one wonders if there’s also one peeking from the bathrobe he wears during his morning shave.

For those of you who know your folds, McMaster is fond of the Motif or Vortex style, a variation of the Westo Four Point Fold. A traditional, tasteful, timeless look.  

***

***

McMaster’s militantly loyal devotion to the accessory harkens back to the time when gentility made its last stand. The pocket square debuted amid the exuberance of the Roaring 20s and immediately latched on to the true gentleman’s appearance. 

It evokes the Golden Age of Hollywood’s dashing leading men. Legendary stars like Cary Grant, William Powell, Fred Astaire, Tyrone Power and Gary Cooper were more likely to be seen au naturel than not sporting one.

During the swinging 60s everything that was sleekly elegant was suddenly passé, pocket squares included. Ditto for the fashion horror show that was the 1970s – as there was no place for them among the abominations known as leisure suits.  A flicker of hope appeared when the conservative 1980s dawned, and traditional stylishness was briefly recalled from exile. Pocket squares enjoyed a momentary resurgence, especially during the early part of the decade.

But the revival didn’t last…

Likewise, there was another brief revisitation earlier this century. The popularity of Mad Men saw a limited return of pocket squares during the latter part of the 2000s (we never did devise a name for that decade, did we?) But just as happened 25 years earlier, the retro revival didn’t last.

***

***

So here we are, with the 21st century now a quarter complete – and a pocket square revival seems about as likely as South Carolina Democrats returning from the dead. Nonetheless, against the cultural tides, one high-profile pocket square enthusiast stubbornly, proudly and persistently makes sure his breast pocket is always downright dapper.

Given his closeness to once and future President Donald Trump (who eschews pocket squares), enthusiasts hope McMaster might influence the 78-year-old billionaire to adopt the look. But old men are often contrary, and rich old men especially so. We expect Trump will likely soldier on without one.

So, McMaster occupies his place on fashion’s lonely island, doggedly maintaining the look that reminds us of those golden days of yore. And you can bet your bottom dollar he will keep sporting his square right up until Inauguration Day 2027 when South Carolina’s 92nd governor assumes office.

This news outlet hasn’t been shy about expressing our differences with McMaster over the years. And there is rightly much that deserves criticism. But in the spirit of this Christmas season, when we celebrate “goodwill to all men,” let us briefly set aside those differences and lift a cup of kindness in a salute to our outgoing governor.

Here’s to you, Henry McMaster, for in these economically challenging times, you’re keeping some haberdasher somewhere in business…

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.

***

WANNA SOUND OFF?

Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.