Some people believe it’s a fashion faux pas to wear white jeans after Summer and before Spring. To me, that’s a dated fashion concept. Why not wear bright white jeans in the middle of Winter, after all, white is the colour of ice cold fresh snow. How is that seasonally confused? 

Greg gave me the swingy ink blue mixed media pullover for my birthday last year. As soon as he saw it on, he said that it would look great with white jeans. I agreed. I LOVE white jeans. Their modern, crisp and graphic integrity are a big boost to my outfit happiness-factor. So 2013 is my year for wearing bright white jeans all year round, just like Editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris, Emmanuelle Alt.

Replenishing my denim capsule with a new pair of straight leg white jeans was the first item on my Spring shopping list. AG’s Adriano Goldschmied “The Stilt” fit the bill right away. The rise is low, the fit snug, but not overly body conscious, and the length NOT cropped. I can wear them with flats, low heeled pumps, booties and taller boots. This pair of jeans is definitely going to become a wardrobe workhorse.

The ink blue pullover has silk insets, dropped shoulder seams, and a high-low hemline. I have worn it a lot over the last four months. As much as I enjoy the trendier chunky knit pullovers, I am still a fine gauge knitwear gal at heart. I enjoy their dressier vibe, and the fact that this one has pretty silk insets makes me even happier. It’s waist surrendering, but still fairly streamlined, especially when worn with narrow bottoms. 

I didn’t want to hide the swingy layered integrity of the pullover so I chose my short black moto jacket as the topper. It’s five years old and still going strong. I’ve noticed that I’m wearing scarves less frequently because I prefer the simpler version of the outfit. Of course, there are times when I have to wear a scarf because it’s an insulating necessity. And I still adore outfits with scarves, just like I love all my pearl necklaces. I’m just happier leaving them off on this leg of my style journey in order to achieve a more minimal effect. 

The shoes are even brighter than the jeans, complete with citron laces. I just replaced my black and white oxfords with Cole Haan’s Skylar Oxfords in mirrored metallic, as my nod to the sci-fi trend. They are so comfortable I could cry. Happy, happy feet! I’m wearing them with nude knee-highs to give the effect of bare feet because I do like them best worn “sans socks”. The on trend and fashionable thing to do is roll up the hems of the jeans, show ankle skin, and all of the shoe. But I’m putting my foot down and keeping my straight legs full length for now because I prefer it that way. 

Layering the ink blue coat over the lot is a classic touch that grounds the outfit. Without it, the outfit is more trendy. I suppose it could also be argued that the moto jacket is a classic piece, but that’s fine with me. Too many trendy pieces in one outfit, and my happiness factor starts to slide.  

I finished off the outfit with white specs and a sporty black, blue and white bag. I like wearing those items with white jeans because the whites bookend each other. I mixed metals by wearing a gold watch, which happens to match the gold zip at the back of the pullover. No jewelry aside from my wedding ring. 

Finally, I’m growing out my hair a little so that I can wear it either a little “punk” to make more of a statement, or “romantic-wavy” if I want a softer effect.

This is the third outfit post in a row that is predominantly neutral, which is just a coincidence. I still wear lots of brights, and both tomato red and citron coat see lots of action. I guess one of the reasons I like white so much is because it’s bright. And when you live in awfully grey Seattle, you need all the bright you can get.