I’ve been wearing a lot of white-out over the last year, across all four seasons, and loving it. Along with pointy toe footwear, knitwear, and fluid fits, it’s my favourite trend. It ignites a special feeling when I wear shades of white from head to toe. It looks crisp, bold, dressy and modern, and I feel powerful and in control. Plus the visual effect of wearing this much white is soft, bright and pretty, which appeals greatly to my style sensibilities. 

I have been champing at the bit to wear the skirt and pullover that Greg gave me for my birthday day last year together in an outfit. It seems like a comfortable and fresh way to usher in a chilly Seattle Spring. The combination of  a skirt with hose, cozy pullover and topper is a good match for our weather at the moment. 

This is not a conventionally flattering outfit for several reasons. I’m wearing roomy fits both on the top and bottom. The coat is worn in an open unstructured manner. The high contrast booties add a cutting horizontal line. Plus, the booties are low heeled and round toed, which does little to elongate my leg line. High heeled pointy toe white booties would have instantly made this outfit look more proportionally flattering. 

But I do think that this outfit is just flattering enough. To my eye there is sufficient structure in the right places. First, the column of white enhances the vertical integrity of the outfit creating a pulled together look. The colour of the column is repeated in the footwear, which draws the eye up and down. The hem of the skirt is just above the knee, which elongates the lower leg. The pullover is cropped, which elongates the leg line from the waist down, and prevents it from overwhelming my frame. The welt of the pullover hints at a waistline, thereby reining in some of the volume. And although the coat is less structured when left open, the vertical line that is created down the centre front of the body is slimming because it provides more vertical integrity. 

Ideally, I would have preferred the cream booties to fit more closely on my ankle. I have become increasingly intolerant of booties that gape too widely when worn with skirts and dresses. But it’s hard to find cream booties that are low heeled, comfortable, dressy and super tailored, so I’m going with these until I can find a more suitable pair.

I finished off the outfit with some splashes of colour to break up the white. Apple green eyewear, because those are the only specs I want to wear right now, and an aqua clutch as a nod to the pastel trend. Flesh toned hose are a great way to keep warm without looking like you’re actually wearing hosiery. No jewellery required other than my watch and wedding ring. 

Wearing lots of white is the least practical aspect of my style. But I do seem to have a knack for charging around a rainy city in an outfit like this one without it getting visibly grubby. Maybe that’s my superpower.