Wearing White Well

As I watch the longest EVER match in Wimbledon tennis history; I'm struck by the notion of wearing white. How do you wear it well? What does white as a colour mean? And frankly, should any of this matter?

In Western culture, white is associated with purity; in Eastern culture it's associated with mourning.

In North America, there are unwritten rules about not wearing white before Memorial Day (end of May) and after Labour Day (first Monday in September).

Different cultures; different countries; different rules; but the same colour. So, what does white mean when it comes to clothing?

Combining white with a deep colour (e.g. black, navy, slate grey) for clothing creates a powerful and authoritative look. For both ladies and gentlemen, combining deep and light colours in our clothing enables us to look our most formal and professional.

White reflects light and so is more comfortable to wear in warm weather than black (which absorbs light), and in which we feel the heat more easily.

To wear white well means knowing what TYPE of white suits us best. If you have glorious warm colouring, then actually cream will look better on you. Cream is in fact a warm white - and by that I mean it's a white which has yellow in it. Cream and chocolate brown (which is high contrast), will look much better on you than black and white.

If you have 'salt and pepper' colouring in your hair, then probably a muted white (i.e. it has grey in it), will look better on you than a bright, sharp, clear white. And by the way a clear bright white looks glorious if you have high contrast between your skin and hair colour, or if you have gorgeous, bright eyes. I love wearing a bright white, and combine it often with black; because it matches my hair colour. If you have white hair; wearing white will suit you!

Knowing your best white is extremely useful to identifying some superb staples for your wardrobe - shirts, blouses and tees for example.

Why do some women typically hesitate over white trousers? Because white is a light colour and will increase the perception of size - so great if you want to wear a white top and make your bust appear larger - less good if you have a larger bottom and want to make it appear smaller.

As soon as any of your whites appear tired (e.g. through washing, piling, dullness of colour); replace them. They're not worth keeping and if you wear 'tired whites' in a professional environment, then beware of communicating tired and dull through your clothes. Nobody wants to say that do they?