Trends // White Hot Summer: Your Guide to Wearing White

There’s so many unwritten rules about when not to wear white, that it just make us want to wear it more. Repression really does lead to fixation, since we’re all dying to get our hands on a hot new pair of white fitted jeans and an ivory dress. Whether you’re going for eggshell, ivory, cream, snow, vanilla or bone, a dash of white in all the right places will get you into the summer spirit.

It’s impossible not to gravitate towards a crisp white blouse (just ask your ketchup stain). So forget about weddings, and forget about Labor Day: I’m here to show you when and how you can knock everyone’s socks off by rocking summer’s hottest hue.

The Jean:

If your closet isn’t equipped with a perfectly snug pair of white trousers, you are stuck in 2011, girlfriend. Make your stems pop in a pair that cuts right above the ankle to show off your heels or newly-pedicured feet. Any embellishments around the pockets can appear tacky, so jazz up your look with a soft pastel top, a floral tank, a neon t-shirt that doesn’t squeeze you like a sausage, or my favorite, a monochromatic transparent tank, which leads me to…

The Tank:

This summer’s material of choice is chiffon as it effortlessly drapes off your skin. Because you can already vaguely make out what’s underneath, sweat stains are a thing of the past. Get away with this risqué style in white, since it’s one of the only colors innocent enough to make it going-out appropriate. White baggy “boyfriend” cotton tank tops also look super-hot with a bright bandeau peeking out from the sides. Pair it with red denim and a nude snakeskin clutch for a pulled-together look.

Lace, Lace, Lace:

We’re seeing lace everywhere. From shorts, to dresses, to blazers, to skirts, it seems as though a delicate lacy pattern is the white icing on the cake to any outfit. The key avoiding that sad bride-wannabe look is to make this style your own. Pair lace shorts with a tough, distressed jean jacket, and a flowy lace dress with a dark, commanding pair of Jeffrey Campbells. Studs optional.

The Blazer:

The only time you should ever be caught wearing a black blazer during the summer is if you’re about to meet the President – otherwise, white is obviously the name of the game. Because white by nature tends to draw more attention to our problem areas than do darker hues, adhere to the “fit like a glove” rule, especially around the waist and shoulders. Save it for those chilly nights on a terrace towards the end of August.

White is very neutral, so the option to experiment with loud patterns and fabrics always stands. But don’t estimate its power of standing alone: an all-white outfit, equipped with the least amount of ketchup stains, screams “hire me, date me, or simply recognize my immaculate fashion sense.”