Re: keeping white clean
I have a white jean jacket and a white pleather jacket. I also have had white leather or pleather handbags every spring/summer season.
With white jackets, it helps a lot if you try to remember to wear a scarf, even a light weight one worn open and not wrapped, really helps to keep down the yellowing at the neckline. It's still inevitable, but this tactic can postpone the inevitable. My white denim jacket, which I wear everywhere including the beach, which gets sunscreen and all sorts of stuff all over it, just gets thrown in the wash on HOT with regular detergent, then hung to air dry. Preferably in direct sun light, as that has a natural bleaching effect.
Pleather -- is great because it cleans really easily, just wipe with a damp slightly soapy cloth. Last summer I bought a white pleather hobo and used it to death.. dragged it everywhere... put it on the floor (!) of dirty public places... it looks good as new, with a wipe down. My white pleather jacket-- going on 5 years now?-- also shows no dirt at all -- it's giving up the ghost not because of discoloration, but because the pleather is finally cracking, but only around the neckline.
Leather -- is more challenging. I have a gorgeous white hobo. A black dress which got wet in the rain in Hong Kong bled all over it, and it turned blue. I used hairspray in the hotel room -- LOTS of it -- and this removed much of the blue staining, except in the handle, which was braided. I then took it to the cobbler when I got home and they cleaned it up almost as good as new and I got another season out of it. I still actually have it, I haven't given it away yet.... though if I use it these days, it won't be during the day. Heh.
Then there was the white wool coat 3/4 length coat. Sigh. It was gorgeous. While attending a Bat Mitzvah (only the second time I ever wore it!), I sat down on the step at the synagogue... and when I got up, there was a black mark, which the dry cleaner was unable to get out.....
