How To: Wear White

Avoiding white in the summer? Wearing bright whites shouldn’t play out like a chapter in Homer’s Odyssey. Today, we’re sharing some tips so that wearing white doesn’t have to be an ordeal.

Stick to sunny days…
To keep your summer outfit looking clean, fresh and white-hot, avoid wearing white outfits on rainy days. You don’t want to be splattered with muddy water, or, worse yet, caught in a wet T-shirt-esque situation. Need we say more?

Stay dry
Load up on antiperspirant before you get dressed to avoid difficult-to-remove sweat stains.

White goes best with contrast
White goes best with tan (skin, that is). Wearing a white dress is one of the best ways to flaunt a fabulous tan. Accessorize with contrasting colors like beige, browns and metallics.

Don’t commit the ultimate white fashion faux pas
White outfits are fitting for most summer daytime occasions. The exception: Unless you’re the one getting hitched, don’t wear bright white to a wedding. You’ll upstage the bride.

Be prepared for the worst
Oh, no! You’ve spilled mustard on your beloved white pants…or worse yet, barbecue sauce on your brand new shirt. Fear not, for you’ve come armed and dangerous with Shout! Wipes. These individually-wrapped, portable moist towelettes are safe on all colorfast washable and dry-cleanable fabrics, and don’t contain enzymes, so you won’t damage your outfit if you have to wear it for the rest of the day.

While white fabric is probably the most susceptible to stains, those stains are oftentimes the simplest to remove. If your garment is made of a sturdy fabric like cotton, you can try laundering it individually with the recommended amount of chlorine bleach. Be warned, though, that while bleach usually combats even the most stubborn of stains, it is also abrasive to your clothes. For a small spot, I apply a tiny amount of bleach to one end of a Q Tip and then treat the stain individually before tossing the garment in the wash.

4 comments July 11th, 2005