WEARING WHITE NOW

Crisp jeans, a shrunken jacket and a poplin dress to kick off the season.

Max Mara dress, Vince blazer, Frame jeans, Balenciaga bag, Prada flip flop

I don’t adhere to the dress code etiquette of reserving white attire to the window between Memorial Day and Labor Day. I’m not sure many do anymore. It’s wearable year round with the right styling and fabrication. And with online shopping catering to a global audience, the seasons blur. There’s always plenty to shop. I’m jumping on that with a crisp pair of white jeans, a great fitting shrunken blazer, and a versatile poplin dress. To wear with new found pieces, I’m considering a new bag for the season and a quality, detailed flip flop. The Balenciaga Rodeo bag in beige is a contender. Balenciaga has not been on my radar for years. I’m not a fan of Demna’s designs (and obviously not excited about the Gucci hire), but the Rodeo has a different vibe and details I’m drawn to in a potential bag…secure closure, shoulder or tote strap, minimal to no logo. And, it’s good looking. For the flip flop, I want a quality leather piece with luxe details suitable for the city. Enter Prada’s simple flip flop with topstitching and a beautiful small buckle.

My favorite way to wear a shrunken jacket is with a full bottom - jeans, pants, or skirts all work. Vince blazer, Alaia flats (I have these in black and they‘re crazy comfortable out of the box - I’m considering a pair in red.), COH jeans (also in white)

I’ve restocked a fresh batch of white tees (COS Clean Cut Regular is my favorite), found a great pair of white jeans*, and added a linen blend shrunken jacket from Vince. Those are basics I’m sure will be in heavy rotation. I also bought a very basic slim, cropped white chino - again from Vince. They’re so nondescript and simple. I see myself wearing them in place of jeans when I want to notch up the dress code.

Staud mesh flats, Max Mara dress, Alaia belt, Neous bag (and here)

I have my eye on several white poplin dresses and keep coming back to the Max Mara tiered shirtdress. It looks very wearable and styling would be easy swapping out the belt for one in raffia (The Row, Ralph Lauren, Sezane for a range of prices) or a wide black Alaia number. Paired with mesh flats and a soft raffia tote feels current.

Other white dresses I like: Rosie Assoulin, Simkhai, Tory Burch, Max Mara, and a splurge on Jil Sander.

FRAME jeans, B SIDES sweatshirt, Kule white sweater, Kallmeyer beige sweater (I LOVE this one too), Prada flip flops

I wear white jeans repeatedly throughout summer which is why I like to have a variety of styles. My newest favorite is The Borrowed from Frame. They’re straight, slim, very basic and because of the high cotton content they have a great fit. They’ll support a number of dress codes from a sweatshirt or sweater to a blazer or blouse. Worn with a flip flop feels the most modern. Again, I love the detail on the Prada flip flop…the top stitching, placement of the buckle, how it’s attached to the footbed. Subtle but impactful details not to overlook.

*This could be way too much detail for some, but I have a hard rule about the percentage of cotton for a pair of WHITE jeans. If you’ve ever found your favorite blue wash jeans in white and assume they’ll fit the same, check the fabric content first. They’re often fabricated with a different denim with much more stretch. The more stretch, the more unflattering. For example, I’m comparing a few Frame denim styles that I own and love. The Borrowed in white is fabulous maintaining the same ratio as the blue wash counterparts. They feel like a classic pair of jeans. The Ruler is a miss in white with too much stretch. But, in blue or black, they’re amazing with a higher cotton content.

The Borrowed: 99% cotton 1% elastane (same in all washes)
The Ruler: one of my favorite styles from Frame…straight and slim, but not tight. In white, they’re 79% cotton, 20% recycled cotton, 1% elastane (too much stretch - I tried them on), but in blue or black (I have both), they’re perfect: 99% cotton, 1% elastane.