White Wonders

Since I've posted photos of white dresses lately, I thought I'd do a series on how to wear white well. Keyword: well. Today will be the first installment and I'll post part two on Friday.

So often white goes wrong. So let's avoid being the victim today and learn from past mistakes, shall we? Men can learn from this too.

Follow these cardinal rules and you'll be on your way to wearing white like a winner:

1) Easy Does It. Squeezing a size 6 body into a size 4 white outfit is in no way flattering or attractive.

• Make sure that the garment fits your body properly. In the same way that black is a slimming color(because it absorbs light), white reflects light(and can make your body look bigger if you're not careful). A good rule of thumb is to let the garment skim your body with room for movement and sitting down comfortably.
• Pick flowing and layered over tight and hip-hugging. Accentuate your best features.
• Vertical lines stretching across the back or chest area, or any body part protruding over the hips, is a sign that the garment is probably too small and will only make the wearer look bigger. This happens a lot with men and women when it comes to fitted garments, including white trousers and jackets, but I frequently see it with T-Shirts that are too tight.

2) I See London I See France! I see your pink polka dotted/striped/frilly underpants.

*Cue embarrassment.

• Wearing white takes a little planning. It's a common misconception that wearing white undergarments with a white outfit is the way to go. I beg to differ. Sometimes it won't show up in the mirror, but will usually haunt the wearer in the sunlight or in photos. If you wear a white dress or shirt, the best way to go is wear flesh-colored undergarments that don't show any extra bumps or lines.

3) Keep it clean!

• If your dress is looking dingy, take it to the dry cleaners. If you get a spot of ketchup on your oxford dress shirt, take care of it. Be careful to keep your whites looking bright or they'll look like they haven't been cleaned at all. Gross!

4) Be Picky! We've all been embarrassed for the woman wearing white pants that reveal much more than we wanted to see.

• If the pocket lining shows through on the outside of the trouser, keep shopping because the fabric isn't made of a dense enough fiber(and the world will be able to see everything underneath- for free). If wearing a white T-shirt, be sure that it isn't see through. If it is, its better classified as an undershirt.

-Check back at the blog on Friday for Part Two on Wearing White: Skin Tones