Monday Means Whites

Come Monday it will “officially” be whites season. I tend to agree with Glenn O’Brien and will wear white as long as they’re playing baseball, but for the purists it’s time. There are good ways to wear white, terrible ways to wear white, and dangerous ways to wear white (and ways to recover).

First the good and the bad. White jeans, perfect. White shirts, also perfect. White bucks, duh. I shouldn’t have to say this, but don’t wear them all at once. And unless you’re on the Cote d’Azur or named Tom Wolfe, a white suit is probably a little much (though the guy above is killing it). White is harsh on the eyes, especially in really bright sun, so too much and people literally won’t want to look at you. Also, even with a tan those of us with fair skin risk looking washed out.

Punch white up with contrast and colored accessories. Monochrome anchored in grey can look grey. So can blue. Anchor it in white and you’ll look like the scion of a cult. Pastels looks good but can come off as cheesy. Unexpected are inky, rich colors, which you might be more used to wearing with your winter flannels and tweeds, but I promise they look just as good against a soft pale ground. I don’t love the actual look above right, but the contrast between inky blue shirt and white trousers is perfect.

The biggest no-no for me is a dark ground with white accessories. The white leather belt only looks at home in Eastern European nightclubs after a couple too many Vodka Redbulls. Seriously, don’t ever wear one. Unless of course you frequent such establishments. Then by all means go ahead.

Now the dangers of wearing white. Bucks look better beat up and jeans looks great with a little dirt, but a catsup stain kind of ruins both. Having a good spray-and-wash pretreater around the house is a good idea this time of year. Not the best thing for your shirts or whatever, but sometimes a necessary evil. Lemon juice and baking soda is good for cotton fabrics, a little vinegar can do wonders as well. It’s really trial and error.

Solution – don’t wear white linen shorts on Monday if you’re worried about keeping food off your lap.

 

Images via The Sartorialist