Outside of fabric, color and shape, pocket square designs haven’t changed much over the years. Enter Armstrong & Wilson, a trendsetting pocket square line that’s garnered attention for its unique take on the men’s accessory item with its signature button detail. Founded in 2009 by Esquire‘s “Best Dressed Real Man In America†finalists Clifton Wilson (2006) and Ontario Armstrong (2009), the line has become the toast of the men’s fashion blogosphere, with prices that range from $55 for cotton and $110 for cashmere. For this installment of Suit Your Life,  BlackEnterprise.com caught up with the Philadelphia natives to discuss how they got started in the business, what makes their brand unique, and why every man needs to treat his pockets right.
Were you gentlemen working in fashion prior to the Esquire contest?
Wilson: At that time, we were both working at Nordstrom’s department store. I was working in the suit department and I heard about the contest from a gentleman who came into the department store to buy an outfit for the contest. What was so funny is that he mentioned that Esquire was having this contest and gave me the details and location. I went over on my lunch break, this was in 2006, and that’s how I won the [preliminary] contest to make it into the finals.
What was the inspiration behind launching Armstrong & Wilson?
Armstrong: We started Armstrong & Wilson in 2009 after a few other business ventures in the past. We wanted to start something that was economical for us and we noticed that men were getting back to those finer details in their look. We wanted to do something that would compliment that look, but with our own unique twist, thus came the idea of the button. We focused on our signature button detail to give the pocket square a life of its own and make it the focal point of every man’s look.
What role do you believe the pocket square plays in the modern businessman’s wardrobe?
Armstrong: I think it’s that final touch. It gives that impression that that gentlemen knows what he’s doing. To be able to pull your tie, your pocket square, your socks, your suit, and make all those things work together as one unit shows that that man knows fashion. I think our pocket square adds much more detail to when a man puts that look together. Now it plays a major role because it shows that this guy has all the components of a well-dressed man.
How has the public and the fashion industry reacted to your reinterpretation of a classic menswear staple?
Wilson: As far as the public, we have been featured on so many different [fashion] blogs; we have gotten
orders from the Netherlands to Hong Kong and many other different parts of the world in between. At first, they needed to warm up to us, because it was such a unique idea. Now the public has really embraced us, just because we feel we have created something that has never been done before and you can wear it so many different ways. It was a little slow in the beginning but now it has been a huge success for us and with us just focusing on the pocket square, we are giving the pocket square a name, the pocket square now has its own leg to stand on. That is definitely a good start for us.Click here to continue reading…
Have you been able to get retailers to carry the line?
Armstrong: Yes, in these past few months we have begun to make a name for ourselves. In the beginning retailers were reluctant to pick up the brand, being that it was so new, the name was new, but as of late with the press we’ve gotten and the way customers have gravitated to Armstrong & Wilson, retailers are more inclined to pick us up now. A lot of it has been the word of mouth, because once the product gets into the store, it moves. Retailers are becoming more comfortable with the brand, especially in these past few months and the public has really pushed [the product] a lot more.
What advice would you give to other designers looking to make their way into the fashion business?
Wilson: Find your niche. Our passion was always to have a full-fledged [clothing] line. However, with our limited resources when we started we were banking off just the money we had so we wanted to grow the line piece by piece. You have to start with a signature look to make a name for yourself. Eventually we are going to branch out into ties, suits, and dress shirts to develop a full line, but you have to start with one niche item. It’s harder to start out when you have no name or not that much finances for a full-fledged line. Find a niche and grow that–plant a seed in the fashion world and then you grow from there.
So ideally, you would like to grow the Armstrong & Wilson line out to include other items?
Armstrong: Definitely. It has always been our passion to have a full line. Moving forward you will see us implement, first other components of men’s accessories, then branch off to other parts of men’s fashion.
How have fashion blogs and social media helped your business?
Armstrong: It
has been a tremendous help, being that people are going to the Web now for information. People are not picking up those [fashion] magazines as much because there is so much accessibility through the Web. I think bloggers and people who have online fashion columns, they open up the world to a vast range of people who are searching for information on fashion. So it has been a tremendous help, because when people are looking for accessories, like pocket squares, these bloggers and fashion columnists are writing articles on what’s new and what’s hot, it’s a great source to find immediate information that they may not find in high fashion magazines.What’s the next step for Armstrong & Wilson?
Armstrong: Right now, we are focused on being the “pocket square guys†so to speak, but moving forward you will see us implement bow ties, and a lot of neckwear. You will definitely see the kids wear line, with our pocket squares in the next few months. Right now, we are focused on men’s accessories. Once we get a hold on that [market], we will branch out into shirts and suits, as Clifton mentioned. However, we are focused on making the best pocket squares to the best of our abilities.