Men's Style and Fashion Trends – All About White
Formal, Fresh, and Versatile – White Has It All!
Sep 29, 2008
White has always been typified both in decor and in fashion as a fresh, clean colour that does much to brighten a mood – a true neutral that will match with nearly anything. This much is true. White is a staple colour in any man's wardrobe for various reasons – however it must also be remembered that white is a fantastic accent colour that really adds a vibrant, bold tone to a conservative outfit, if you can believe it!
White as a Staple
The dress shirt is probably the most common and also the perfect example of the use of the colour white as a staple. Often-times men will complain that white shirts may be see-through or semi-transparent, the best advice for this particular problem is to buy a cotton shirt in a slightly heavier weight and of better quality. If there is one shirt in particular that you can afford to spend large on, make it the white dress shirt!
Why? Because the white dress shirt is crisp, clean, angled, and classic. The white dress shirt matches any colour suit, in any season, at any event. Matching the perfect tie to a white dress shirt is laughably easy, being that due to the absolute neutrality of the shirt colour – nearly any tie will match it. One thing to remember is that when choosing a necktie to coincide with a white dress shirt, always choose a memorable, strongly presented piece. When framed by a crisp, well-cut white dress shirt, the tie becomes the centerpiece of the wardrobe, a whorl of colour surrounded by a visual sea of a bright solid.
The fitted white t-shirt is also a good choice for those gentlemen with average or athletic builds. When worn with jeans it not only highlights the upper body, but it also looks quite sharp – a well fitted white t-shirt is also stylishly worn with an unstructured blazer or even a half-length leather jacket on summer evenings.
White as an Accent
White really comes into play in men's fashion as an accent colour – most often in the form of chalkstripes or pinstripes. Pinstripes are becoming increasingly popular in men's modern style and rightly so, they are an expressive, bold feature that looks great on just about every size and shape. This season, a mocha or chocolate brown suit with either a white pin or chalk stripe would be en vogue, paired conservatively with a french blue dress shirt or more rakishly with a pink, fuschia, or burnt orange.
Executive collars, or contrast collars, are also seeing a return to popularity. Wildly popular amongst executives and businessmen in the 1980's, the executive collar is distinguished by a white collar (and perhaps cuffs) as sewn onto a shirt of a different colour – usually and traditionally a shade of blue. In the modern era these collars and cuffs can be found on everything from green, to orange, to pink, to black – and even on shirts with a very bold stripe! Every gentleman should own at least one of these shirts – they look professional and are very chic and trendy.
Always Bet on White
White is always a safe bet when it comes to most men's clothing, from something as simple as a dress shirt or silk necktie, to summer chinos or a lightweight linen blazer that can be worn as easily on the street as it can on a date. White is a refreshing colour on a visual level and imparts a feeling of cleanliness and professionalism. Keep away from wine and any other potential staining hazards and enjoy what white has to offer!
 |
