Yeah, yeah, we know that wearing white for High Summer is a no-brainer; we all wear white in high summer.
But we are talking super chic head-to-toe dazzling white for High Summer that says “I’m in the know fashion-wise”.
The trick with head-to-toe dazzling white is to avoid looking bridal or as if we work on a beauty counter (not that there’s anything wrong with working on a beauty counter, but it’s not the most fashion-forward look).
Our aim here is to look sensational and grown up in white. Getting white right and looking on trend in it is all about layering, length and the interplay of textures and shades. And, of course, clever accessorising, which could mean injecting a dash of colour via footwear, bag or jewellery.
First how not to do it – Jan recently saw a woman strolling in Marbella. The woman was wearing a lace-trimmed white maxi skirt and a sheer white blouse and, yes, she looked like a bride who had got lost on the way to her wedding. A white maxi skirt is a risky enterprise, TBH, as it definitely increases the chances of looking bridal. To wear a white maxi successfully and not look bridal, one could pair it with a very plain white top and an oversized white shirt worn loose and open. A pair of flat, white (or, even, tan) gladiator sandals and an oversized tote would have completed the look perfectly and removed the last hint of “bride”.
As we said earlier, getting it right with white is all about layering, length and the interplay of textures and shades.
The Interplay of textures – The idea is to look glamorous not clinical, so where possible avoid white fabric that is stiff or starchy… Ideally, choose fabrics which fall softly and drape well. The aim is to look to be a bit slouchy; a bit deshabille. Even if you choose fabric such as lace or broderie anglaise, mix up the textures: pair lace with leather or broderie anglaise with linen.
Shades of white. White is not technically a colour so white is white is white… but we all know that’s not true, don’t we? There’s dazzling snowy white (which looks stunning on those with naturally dark colouring – “winters” in colour-analyst language, though “summers,” often natural blondes, also look great in white). Then there’s “natural” (white which hasn’t been optically whitened or bleached); it suits those with warmer colouring, like Cyndy. And then there is cream (and we’re talking single cream here, not clotted cream). But while considering shades of white, mixing in cream and very pale shades of yellow, ecru, stone or nude (sometimes called “blush”) makes it all more interesting.
We feel sure you know your best shade of white, so pick that for tops and all pieces that go next to your face. You may have less choice for jeans and footwear but we think the exact shade of white matters less there.
Layering: layering in white should look effortless but is actually quite hard work. The simplest way is to start with a pair of white jeans, jeggings or joggers or a skirt then add a plain white top, tee or vest; over that, add a long, loose white shirt and finish with a blazer or biker in white. If you choose a short/cropped blazer or a biker, try to wear a longer top to create visible layers, which brings us to…
Length: Hemlines finishing in different places revealing subtly different shades of white, adds immeasurably to the overall impact. At SoSensational, we especially love completing white layers with an unstructured white coat (i.e a trench or a duster coat) which you don’t take off!
STYLE-TIP WARNING KLAXON: classic plimsolls are trending strongly and at SoSensational we love them because they are on-trend and comfortable. However, we must add a warning caveat about white plimsolls as part of an all-white look; they could look a bit clinical. So, if you are doing head-to-toe white, we suggest you pick plimsolls, instead, in metallic or print.
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