How To Wear White Pants

With summer in full swing, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss one summer time staple, white pants.

Do you own white pants?  If not, how come?  If you do, do you ever struggle with what to pair them with?  Here are a few ideas and recommendations that might help.  First of all, summer is a time for light colors and light-weight fabrics.  Wearing white chinos is a lot more versatile than you might think.  Think of white pants in a similar manner as your light tan or khaki pants.  Many of the same rules apply.

 

 

First off, I like to add contrast with white pants by wearing a darker shirt.  White pants are bright, so adding a dark shirt helps tone everything down.  Pattern shirts also pair extremely well against solid white, but again, go with slightly darker tones and a tighter more subtle pattern.  Avoid thick plaid or large patterns so you don’t look like you’re wearing some sort of uniform.  Keep patterns tight, simple and clean.  Oh, and yes, you can wear a brown belt and brown shows with a black shirt.  One of my favorites.

 

 

For shoes, almost anything goes.  White pants can be dressed up with a pair of double monkstraps, worn more casually with some loafers or driving mocks, or you can go completely casual with sneakers.  One thing I might avoid though is white sneakers.  While I’ve seen it done well, it can go wrong in a hurry, so stick with the basics.  As for shoe color, stay classic and tasteful with light or dark browns, blue or gray.

Two words of caution; wear white underwear and be careful where you sit down.  If you’re heading out to buy some new white pants, check the transparency of the material.  Go with cotton chinos in a similar fabric to your other chino’s.  Stay with flat-front, slim-fit styles without a leg crease.  You can also go with white denim.

Keep it simple and clean.