I love the visual effect of white-out, which means wearing shades of white from head to toe. It looks modern, clean, chic, and a little futuristic. Yet there is something fably classic about the vibe too. The look is usually achieved with solids and textures, and maybe the odd extremely subtle false plain, or very low-contrast pattern. Footwear is usually a shade of white, tan, metallic or blush, although feel free to bookend the colour of your hair with browns, cognac, grey or black.
Note that the shades of white do not need to match, so by all means remix cooler bright whites and bone whites, with warmer off-whites, tans and shades of sand. Throw in oatmeal too. That said, some of my clients prefer their whites to match. Personally, I’m happy to match or mismatch my whites. Both combinations look great to my eye.
On to some casual white-out outfit formulas for mild and hot weather. I’ll take a version of each please.
1. Draped Two-Piece Dress
Combine a skirt and top in a shade of white. Add a pair of white booties, and Bob’s your uncle. Here, the silhouettes are architectural and draped. Swooshy, elegant, breezy and comfortable. The bubble skirt is a fun nod to the ‘80s. The casual flat combat boots add a subtle yet effective tough edge. A pair of dressier white boots would look fab too. Or a more Summery shoe in a light neutral. Add a light or dark neutral bag.
2. White Jeans and Shirt
Combine a white shirt with a white pair of jeans. Leave the shirt untucked. The shirt needn’t be long like the one shown here. In fact, a regular length shirt might look neater. Scrunch or roll the sleeves. Add an off-white vest or jacket. Finish off the look with Summery footwear and a bag to match. Here the black thong sandals effectively bookend the model’s hair. I can see this working as well with cropped pants. Or combine a white, cotton, open weave sweater with jeans and leave off the vest. Shorts instead of jeans are fab too.
3. Textured White Frock
I’ve found that a Summery white dress with some texture and weight to it can be more flattering to wear than a flimsy and flat white cotton dress. Slubby linens and eyelets in shades of white are one way to go. Simply pop on the white frock with a pair of light neutral shoes and a bag to match, and you’re done. Here the raffia slides and wicker bag are smashing. Espadrilles in a light neutral are another good option. Why on earth do I not have a white Summer dress yet? It’s on next year’s Summer shopping list, since I’m done refreshing my wardrobe for hot weather.
4. Relaxed Sandy Suit
Create a casual matched or mismatched Summer suit with pants and a topper in a shade of white. Keep it fluid and breezy. Add a layering tee, tank, blouse or knitted top in a shade of white. Finish off the look with white sneakers, or open Summery footwear. Add a bag, jewellery, headgear, and watch as desired.
Who else bats for Team White-Out?
