How to wear white trousers?
Suitsupply white cotton chinos | Berwick tan loafers and belt | John & Paul light green button-down shirt | Ray-Ban Clubmaster sunglasses | Timex MK1 Camper watches
White trousers are something that a lot of men are afraid to wear. Quite often if they are finally taken under consideration, it’s challenging to come up with the idea of how, when and where to wear them. I had the same issues a few years ago. When I saw white trousers, I loved them, but at the same time, I was afraid of them. Everyone around me was telling me – it gets dirty fast, you’ll look silly, where are you going to wear them?
For all those unclear statements, I found answers and most of them would probably surprise you. First of all, they are excellent summer piece as the white colour doesn’t create as much heat as dark colours. And you can wear them probably everywhere – for a walk around the city, celebrations with your family or friends, brunches, lunches, dinners, informal meetings, free time or holidays.
They look particularly great with navy blazer or jacket with or without a tie as you can see here, in of my previous post. This way you can wear them for business meetings or personal meetings if the suit or specific level of formality isn’t required (even though, that can be saved with the jacket and tie). They also look great with pastel shirt – choice of colours depends on your courage, with polo shirts or t-shirts. Unlike the common opinion that white trousers are not suitable for winter, it is quite the opposite. With a dark coat or jacket and winter boots, they look great as well. It is a shame that a lot of people have no courage to try it out. As you already know, they are more versatile than you might think.
About looking silly, that is not true either. Years back, white denim was a great hit among the entire population, and people didn’t look ridiculous in my opinion. White cotton chinos are upgrade for the more attractive, more versatile and contemporary version. How great they look either with a blazer or simple shirt proves that wear them is no difficult task for anyone, just look at me. White looks clean and smart.
And probably biggest question and perhaps the biggest obstacle in your mind which prevents you from getting them and wearing them is the statement about “getting dirty fast “. Well, this can be managed quite easily. As the hem of the trousers is the spot where all pants usually get stained, because of splash from the street or whatever else, the key is to maintain length correctly. You have several possibilities. Such as to roll the trousers leg up or shorten them to be just “kissing “your shoes or if you want, even a little bit shorter.
As white chinos are mostly summer garment, it is no harm to have them a little bit shorter, and bare ankles will also help you to cool down body temperature and not to feel hot. A lot of men, however, are still wearing trousers too long, which makes them dirty much faster. That is, unfortunately, the problem. Then I hear often – “What if I sit into something? “Well, this is something you are careful about all the time no matter the colour of the trousers you are wearing. And if you sit into something, the trousers will be obviously dirty either you are wearing white, navy, green or black. Makes no difference, hence this fear is unfounded.
Nevertheless, I’ll mention one or two tips when it comes to cleaning your white trousers, which I’ve already mentioned in my post about clothes care. It is vital to follow the instruction on the label if there are any. Wash them inside out to avoid any excessive wash-out spots. And best of all is to spot clean them before putting them in a washing machine with a soap determined for pre-treatment or spot-cleaning. This way you can treat worse stains, and after pulling them out from washing machine, they are as good as new.
Despite this knowledge, my attitude to white chinos was, for the first time somewhat cautious, and it took a while before we became great friends. But now I know that there is nothing to be afraid. Plus, it is super easy to combine them; they go well with almost everything.
An idea for this outfit has occurred to me when attending Pitti Uomo a year ago, perhaps even more. Pastel shirts were quite a hit back then, and it looked good. And since I have this light green button-down shirt for some time, it finally finds its spot on the blog. A simplicity as light pastel shirt, white trousers and tan loafers matches with the belt. Summer atmosphere underlines Ray-Ban sunglasses with pink polarized lenses. I love them as it is fine to wear them even if the light is lower and the sun doesn’t shine that much. Pink lenses make surrounding brighter.
When I look at these photos, I would like to tell you more about these perfect loafers with leather sole. But that would be too much text for today, let’s leave it for another time. However, if you have a question about white trousers and something I didn’t mention of forgot to mention, let me know here in comments or through the contact form.
Yours Sincerely,
Denis
