I love wearing white all year round, but especially in summer: it always feels so crisp, cool, and super-chic, especially when paired with bright accessories . I do not, on the other hand, adore how often I stain my white clothes, which I do with stunning regularity, so I always keep an ample supply of Shout on hand and hope for the best. I think this dress is just so flowy and sweet but still really put-together-looking.
I dig the barely-there stripes on this button-down shirt.
A simple, well-priced A-line skirt I’d throw on with a white tee.
A white blazer is always chic, and you can dress it down with a graphic tee or dress it up for the office.
I’d cuff the sleeves on Everlane’s new short-sleeved popover, and wear it with cutoffs.
These jeans are straight cut, which I like, because I am not a fan of tight white jeans.
A pretty eyelet top that manages to be feminine without veering into priss territory.
An easy beach coverup that has sleeves—rare in a beach coverup—and a nice neckline.
These wide-leg cropped pants would be so cute with a white button-down and contrasting belt.
This gorgeous lace dress isn’t exactly cheap, but it still looks a lot more expensive than it is.
I like the deep V-neck on this tee.
A really snappy pair of skinny pants that would look cute with a Mexican shirt and mules.
A clean-looking blouse with an appealingly peasant-y cut.
i love wearing white but OMG i can’t drink coffee without it spilling on me so almost all of my whites have faint stains on them. maybe i need to carry shout with me everywhere i go too.
Shout Wipes are great…even better than the Tide Pen, or so I hear from Andrea (Kim’s Lucky co-hort). I just ordered some.
All my white shirts invariably end up with yellowed armpits and I can never figure out how to avoid it while still being a human person. Also I LOVE that peacock top with the white jeans, will be stalking it obsessively until it goes on sale.
Someone told me (or, more probably, I read somewhere) that if you put a quarter cup of plain old vinegar in the softener part of the washing machine with your white loads things come out cleaner and whiter. I do this and it does help so maybe soaking the armpits of your white shirts with vinegar would help––I’ve never tried this so I’m just brainstorming here.
I also changed my deodorant to an unscented kind and my armpits don’t yellow. I have NO IDEA if this is why, but it has been my experience….
Like c.w., I read once that the aluminum in traditional deodorants can react with sweat and cause yellow stains in pits.
I’m not sure how accurate that is, but in my own sample size of one, I stopped getting the yellow armpits on my white tees after I switched to a “hippie” / aluminum free deodorant.
Me, too! And they’re still good elsewhere!
I hear you on the spillage issue…I wear white constantly except when I go out to dinner. I also have four different pair of white jeans which I wear on rotation and we all remember The Mushroom Incident from last year which means, obvs, that I like living on the edge.
These are all awesome choices! I have nothing in my closet that looks like that last white peasant blouse which means I NEED it, right?!?!
I just look so *weird* in white — I’ve never found a shade that’s flattering, so much so that when I got married I wore a strapless dress solely to make sure nothing white was too close to my face. I don’t know what it is, but I am a pale person and light colors in general but white in particular just look dreadful on me.
It’s hard because there are so many cute white/white background things!
I love white on white but have trouble wearing it for two reasons: my mom was a nurse and had to wear all white uniforms (she sewed them herself out of polyester – oh, the flashbacks!!) and I am also one of those spillers (soda instead of coffee).
I swear by Oxy Clean stain sticks and if all else fails, a bleach pen! So much more effective than just tossing some bleach in the wash!
Can’t do white pants, dresses or skirts. The subway does me in every single time.
I have a soft spot for that Vince popover in the last photo. Things that don’t look too girly work better on my large frame.
OxyClean really, really works — on red wine, coffee, blood, etc. Also not harsh like bleach.
I used to doubt this, but then read the label and realized I wasn’t putting enough in.
Cornstarch works wonders for grease stains, key if like me you’re alway dribbling a bit of salad dressing.
Dawn dishwashing liquid is what they use to get oil out of the feathers of birds in the aftermath of oil spills. My dry cleaner said it’s also effective on getting oily stains out of clothing. I use an old toothbrush to brush it into the stain, let it set for 5 minutes or so, then wash in warm water. Seems to always work.
My summer white must-haves:
1. Linen trousers
2. Eyelet or embroidered blouse
3. Paneled skirt (I have 3!)
4. Birkenstocks
I always find white jeans a bit too warm, although now I live upstate I find the climate more accommodating in summer. Plus. I don’t have to walk anywhere (a mixed blessing).