Welcome back, Ceit! I like your outfit, and like others, I noticed how great you look in white jeans with your white specs. Such an immediately pulled-together look--I think you can hardly go wrong, whatever top you choose to add.
Why do you find the pants hard to style? Is it the light color? I've often had that trouble myself; I'm more comfortable in darker pants, and I feel off balance with lighter colored bottoms. I think your solution of a low-contrast shirt is a good way to ease into lighter colored pants; it has worked for me, anyway.