How To Wear White Well This Summer
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51 minutes ago
Summer whites are trending (again)
White has never really gone out of fashion, but few colours come loaded with quite so many rules. From Wimbledon‘s crisp all-white dress code to the celebrity party circuit’s enduring obsession with monochrome dress codes, the colour carries a weight and history most of us never stop to consider. It’s also notoriously easy to get wrong, from unflattering fits to stubborn stains. Here’s our guide to wearing white well this summer: why we keep reaching for the colour, the unspoken rules and traditions and the practical tricks worth keeping in your back pocket.
White Has Always Been A Summer Staple – Here’s Why
It was hard to miss the photos taken this year at Michael Rubin’s white party. The Fanatics CEO’s Hamptons bash has become an annual summer fixture on the American social calendar, hosted at Rubin’s waterfront estate just before the Fourth of July. Among the celebrities in attendance were Tom Brady, Leonardo DiCaprio and Alicia Keys, the latter performing one of her songs to the crowd just before the fireworks began.
White parties are not a new idea. Kyle Richards famously hosts one annually on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, while Gossip Girl featured wealthy New Yorkers attending a Hamptons party with a fully white dress code. For others, white acts purely as a canvas, as was the case at Life in Colour, the world’s largest paint party, now discontinued.
Sir Elton John held his own version for over two decades, his White Tie and Tiara Ball, to raise money for his AIDS foundation. Despite a white tie dress code not being totally white, the colour was a standout feature of many attendees’ outfits, lending the evening a chic, polished look.
Holland Cooper
There is, however, a darker past to the white party tradition. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ early 2000s white parties have since become central to the serious allegations held against the musician, with multiple accusers claiming the events acted as a cover for his darker activities. Rubin has managed to reclaim and rebrand the white party concept into a more straightforward celebration. Fittingly, many of his guests went on to attend Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding, which took place days later, where hopefully only the bride wore white.
Speaking of: white has picked up plenty of rules and traditions along the way, from the well-known idea that only the bride can wear white to the age-old belief that you can’t wear white after Labour Day. The latter originated among wealthy American elites, who preferred to wear the colour in high temperatures once beyond the dirty city, allowing for fewer stains on their crisp white outfits, which were then packed away at the end of summer.
But beyond, white is simply a great staple to have in your capsule wardrobe. This is a colour that reads as calm, clean and quietly confident. Its neutral nature brings both elegance and ease of choice when picking out an outfit in a rush, while its light-reflecting properties help keep you cool (a necessity for a UK heatwave).
It’s also much more versatile than you might think, with a multitude of shades available to suit every undertone: stark white, pearl, cream, ivory. Whether fashion is your forte or not, a crisp white shirt, cream jeans or bright and airy sundress will sit happily alongside almost anything else in your wardrobe and will never go out of style.
The Edit: Summer Whites For 2026
The Ultimate Guide To Wearing White Well
So how do we wear white well? When multicoloured outfits are banned, here’s how to stand out from the crowd.
Choose Quality Over Quantity
Skip anything see-through that’s skimped on the lining. If you’re unsure, wear nude underwear or add a slip.
Keep A Stain Pen In Your Bag
It’ll become a lifesaver after a glass of spilt rosĂ©. (Buy a refillable one here.)
Find Your Shade
Warmer, ivory-leaning whites tend to suit warmer undertones, while a crisper white often works best on cooler ones. Try not to wear different tones at once, for fear of looking mismatched.
Mix Fabrics And Texture
Think ruched chiffon with intricate embroidery, or draped satin with added lace detailing.
Get It Tailored
White shows a poor fit far more easily than darker shades do, so it’s worth the extra care.
Let Your Accessories Do The Colour Work
A metallic belt or a chunky piece of jewellery adds interest without breaking the palette.
