Black jeans or trousers are visually slimming. They camouflage lumps and bumps and extend your long lean line when paired with dark footwear. Conversely, white jeans and trousers tend to have a widening effect and aren’t quite as forgiving with lumps and bumps. Does this mean you should ban white bottoms from your wardrobe?

My answer to that question is an emphatic “no!” You do NOT need to be tall, thin, long in the leg, or slim to wear white bottoms. Almost all of my clients, who span a size range of 00P to 22, wear white bottoms. This includes all body types and covers a wide range of ages.

As always, it’s how you wear the item that counts. If you’re battling with the concept of light coloured bottoms, here are twelve tips that might help you to feel fab when wearing them. 

1. Choose denim or thick fabrications: They provide more structure and coverage than thinner fabrications thereby streamlining the silhouette and camouflaging lumps and bumps. 
2. Choose wide silhouettes in thin fabrications: If lightweight fabrics are essential to combat the heat, choose them in relaxed styles, like wide leg linen pants, or cotton harem pants. That way the fabric stands away from the body and does not cling or look transparent.
3. Wear white boyfriend jeans: Here we have a looser silhouette and a thicker fabrication, providing coverage, structure, and effective camouflage for wobbly bits. 
4. Size Up: White bottoms can be revealing, so sizing up to create a looser fit on a structured style is a good idea. 
5. Pay attention to pocket detailing: It’s annoying when the pocket linings of white bottoms shine through. One option is to choose a style without side entry pockets. Failing that, pocket linings can be cut out by a competent tailor. Pocket linings are usually less visible on thicker fabrications like denim, and on wider, looser styles. 
6. Wear Tunics: A little extra coverage on top can make all the difference. Wear longer tops if you’re self conscious about exposing your hip and thigh area in white bottoms. 
7. Create slouch by partially tucking roomier tops: Create a little blousoned slouch with a fluid or oversized top by semi or faux tucking into white jeans or trousers. The volume of the larger top visually narrows the bottom, while the partial tuck creates the required structure. 
8. Create a white column of colour: Columns of colour are visually slimming and elongating. In this case it means wearing a white top with white bottoms under a topper, thereby creating a column of white.
9. Wear heels to elongate the leg line: This is especially effective with wide hem bottoms and while sporting perfect pants lengths (no shorter than a quarter of an inch off the ground). It’s also great to wear heels with tapered leg silhouettes. 
10. Further elongate the leg line with white footwear: Wearing white shoes with long white jeans and trousers is flattering because the shoe looks like an extension of the bottoms, thereby creating a visually longer leg line. Pointy toe flats are a great way to lengthen the leg line if heels aren’t your thing. 
11. Wear flesh toned undies: White bottoms are usually more transparent than dark colours, which means that showcasing undies is a problem. Wear solid nude-for-you undies to prevent them from shining through. 
12. Forget about looking your slimmest: Wear white bottoms because you love their crisp, bright and modern effect. There is more to making you feel happy in an outfit than looking your slimmest and tallest. 

You also have the option of sporting white dresses and skirts if jeans, pants and shorts aren’t your thing. Dresses are built-in columns of colour, and flowing white skirts are lovely with a fluid or structured top. 

White jeans are a wardrobe essential for my style, and I wear them year round. I also love wearing cream jeans, trousers, and an A-line skirt. Sure, I look slimmer in a pair of dark bottoms, but wearing white bottoms makes me happy, and that trumps it all.

Orla Kiely teams up with Clarks, two more fashion collaborations, Pantone’s new Fashion Colour Report and more news from the world of style. 

• Last Friday, it was announced that prominent fashion critic Cathy Horyn was leaving The New York Times, for very sad personal reasons unfortunately.
• Cameron Diaz launches her first shoe collection for Pour La Victoire, which will be “feminine and sophisticated”.
• After last year’s data breach, Target is accelerating the implementation of their chip-enabled ‘smart card’.
• New York was elected as Top Global Fashion Capital 2013. Check out the top 10 here (Antwerp is in there too, fab!).
• A floral print, the designer’s signature colours and a nod to the ’60s-’70s. Clarks has just launched its Orla Kiely collection.
• Good news for US Topshop fans: a new flagship store will open in New York City this Fall. Stores in Atlanta, San Diego, Houston & Washington, D.C.  are also in the works.
• Who’s heading to the newsstand today for Net-a-Porter’s first issue of Porter, their new shoppable glossy?
• Topshop teams up with Adidas Originals, and is bringing out a sporty 20-piece collection intended “as a fashion and a performance range”.
• Aurora Red, Sangria, Cypress, Royal Blue… Pantone just released their Fashion Colour Report for Fall 2014.

Fun Fashion Fact

Marimekko’s trademark Unikko poppy pattern is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. Did you know that Marimekko is Finnish for “Mary’s little dress”?

This outfit formula is about mixing shades of olive with shades of pink. Olive can be light or dark, and is pretty earthy. I’ve also added chartreuse to the ensemble because to my mind, chartreuse is like a brighter and more sour version of olive. Think any shade of pink when mixing it with tones of olive. From the prettiest pale pink and blush, to mid-tones, shocking pink, neon and fuchsia. 

I kept black out of the formula and used shades of brown for neutrals. From chocolate and cognac, to taupe and tan. Combining shades of white as neutrals will also work. Of course, black footwear is an easy bookending substitution when you have black hair.

Here are the components. There’s a dressier outfit on the left and a more casual rendition on the right.

Bottoms: Think jeans, dressy trousers, cropped pants, casual pants, or a skirt in a shade of olive. By all means throw in camouflage print, a pinstripe, jacquard, subtle self-colour pattern, or false plain. 

Tops: Think knitwear, upscale sweatshirts, shirts, blouses, knitted tops, peplums, crop tops and tees, in any shade of pink. Make sure the top works with the bottoms you’ve selected. I like both bright and softer pinks with olive. Belts are optional. Wear one that matches the colour of the top, bottom, footwear or bag. 

Toppers: The style of topper depends on the outfit and climate. Blazers, motos, wool coats, trench coats, cropped jackets, cocoon styles, drapey styles, anything at all. 

There are many options for topper colour. Keep it pink to match the pink of the top. Wear a topper in olive (the olives in the outfit do not need to be the same.) Throw in a chartreuse topper because it’s a bright form of olive and complements the pink. Dark brown, tan and taupe toppers work too. Or choose a topper in a shade of white. 

Footwear: A shade of brown is an easy match, as is black to bookend black hair. Lighter neutrals like taupe, tan and white are pretty. And don’t forget the versatility of metallics. 

Accessories: Brown, taupe, tan and white bags are great, and feel free to match them to the colour of your shoes. Metallics are another option. A blush bag is fab if you’re wearing a lighter or darker shade of pink on top. An olive bag will work too. Throw in a scarf that picks up some of the colours of the outfit, or wear one that’s tonal with the top. Finish off the outfit with jewellery, watch, hat and eyewear as desired. 

Feel free to turn the formula upside down by sporting pink on the bottom and olive on top. 

We’re used to matching pink with grey, which is a classic combination. Why not sport pink with olive and grey, which is why I added the silver oxford into the ensemble. Of course, metallics are neutrals and gold will work too. 

New York Fashion Week starts today. For the next eight days, designers will be showing their Fall/Winter 2014 collections. If you’re watching the shows from your comfy chair and would like a bit of background info, here are some fun reads:

• StyleCaster explains how it’s decided who gets a seat in the all-important front row.
• From Czarinas to Dapper Darlings, here’s Refinery29’s humorous take on the different fashion tribes attending New York Fashion Week. 
• You can also browse their roundup of the Best NYFW Invites.
• The New York Times reports that scented runways “are the latest way designers try to bring their fashion fantasies into life”.
• Find out more about the seven bloggers Tumblr is sending to New York to cover the shows. 
• Or check out the 94 Twitter accounts you should be following during Fashion Week according to The Huffington Post.
• Ever wondered how much it costs to show at NYFW? Fashionista breaks it down for us.

Fab Links from Our Members

Ingunn would like to share this article about the history of Shetland and Fair Isle sweaters. As a knitter, she is deeply intrigued by the intricate patterns and colours.

Joy found this Wall Street Journal article about knitwear care very informative. It’s extra fun because stylish YLF member CocoLion (Denise) was interviewed for the article! (subscription only)

Neel found “The 50 Wildest, Most Torturous Shoes of All Time” a very painful and depressing read. Why do we women go to such extremes to showcase our beauty?, she asks.

Nancylee informs us that Nordstrom has teamed up with Etsy to feature a selection of unique items from emerging artists.

Deb said that Downton Abbey’s Lady Edith must be reading YLF as her style is a-changing. She enjoyed The New York times discussing her changing dress and attitude. Lyn* in the meantime discovered that you can rent a replica of Lady Mary’s wedding tiara.

MuseumGal loved this article about Judi Dench’s style, sort of grown-up boho.

Shevia enjoyed Jezebel’s roundup on Cathy Horyn, the fashion critic who announced her retirement from the NYTimes last week.

The wardrobe diagnostics post on Into Mind is helping La Belle Demimondaine to get an even better handle on her wardrobe and current style goals.

Karie found this article very interesting. It explains how Nordstrom responded to a complaint from a customer who had concerns about the “Skinny Sleep” pillow on offer in the stores.

April loved the way Allie used metallic oxfords in this outfit post.

For those who appreciate the art and history of bespoke tailoring, HiggsMistress recommends “The Coat Route: Craft, Luxury & Obsession on the Trail of a $50,000 Coat” by Meg Lukens Noonan.

Angie enjoyed Catherine’s take on why short wedding dresses are stylish and affordable. A fun and refreshing silhouette for when you walk down the aisle. 

TraceyLiz had fun taking the style type test over at A Beautiful Little Life. She already knew she had a slight bohemian touch to her style, but the test revealed an overwhelmingly whimsical style. 

LACeleste thought that novelist Diane Johnson’s essay about remembering those who help us with our style journeys was very nice.

It’s your own perspective of how you look at yourself.” Vildy found this video interview with designer goldsmith Annette Gabbedey, who was born without fingers, quite fasincating.

Suja loved this article and the comments about the Casual Couture of the Average American.

L’Abeille points us in the direction of this historical overview about Eleanor Lambert, the woman who brought us New York Fashion Week.

Vicki wants to share this entertaining piece on the power suits worn in the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street” and how women choose to wear them today.

Lisa thinks it’s refreshing to come across a blog with traditional office style. She especially liked Mary’s outfit with loose trousers, top and flats.