10 Things To Keep In Mind When Wearing White Clothing
The Prelude
You bought a couple of white clothes that you’ve been eyeing for awhile and now you feel on edge about wearing them because you don’t want to get them dirty. Well I’m here to tell you that there’s no need to feel on edge. In fact, I don’t want you feeling that way so I put together a few tips to help you maintain your clothing’s natural white appearance and a few suggestions to keep in mind as you’re wearing your clothes. If you’re ready… then there’s a treasure trove of tips waiting for you below. Scroll down to access them.
10 Things To Keep In Mind When Wearing White Clothing
Know which shade of white complements your skin tone. When you think of the color white, I’m sure your mind envisions a snowy colored garment. However, there are different shades of white and two main categories that each person falls into when it comes to buying clothes in this color. People with a warmer skin complexion tend to look more vibrant in off whites and ivory colors, whereas people with a cooler skin complexion tend to thrive in true white colors. Moreover, if you’re blessed enough to have a neutral skin complexion, then you should be able to alternate between off white and true white at your leisure.
Put it to the test. At some point in life you may have heard that white clothing is hard to maintain. As a result, this may have kept you from giving it a fair chance or caused you to wear it very seldomly. Well as your style mentor, I’m encouraging you to let go of those negative thoughts and put this color to the test. When your schedule allows, go into your favorite store and try on a white garment that you think will be useful for your wardrobe (a white t-shirt would be my recommendation since they’re easy to find, cost efficient, and allow you to see how the color looks against your skin). If you like what you see, then make the purchase and then rinse and repeat for your future shopping trips.
Learn how to care for it. As you can imagine white clothing requires a little more care than colored clothing so it’s important to educate yourself on how to keep each garment in great condition. For starters, always make sure to wash your white clothing separately from colored clothing to avoid dulling your whites or having dyes bleed onto the garment(s). It’s also important to have stain remover at home at all times and a travel sized bottle of stain remover that you can take with you on the go (doing so will allow you treat each stain as soon as it appears and keep your clothing in its bright white state).
Make a plan for how you’ll wear each item. Every time you purchase a piece of clothing you should have a plan on how you’ll wear it in the future. This is especially important for white clothing. Despite the all white parties and events that you see on social media, white is best worn in layers. For example, if you’re wearing a white top it’s best to imagine how you can layer that white top to minimize getting it dirty/stained and give it it’s own fashionable moment. Jeans and pants are a bit trickier because they can’t be layered, but you can wear longer cardigans and jackets to create a layering effect and keep the top half of them protected.
Treat stains right away. It’s no secret that white gets dirty easily. So it’s important to treat stains as soon as you notice them to keep your whites looking crisp and clean. A great way to ensure that you never overlook a stain is to examine the garment when you take it off. If you don’t see anything then that’s a great sign and you can put your clothing away, but if you see a stain (even a tiny one) then you need to be proactive and tackle it right then and there before it settles in.
Avoid wearing white in the rain. Most people don’t think about this often, but wearing white during rainy weather should be avoided at all cost. When wet, white can become see through and has a high chance of collecting stains due to mud, dirt, and dirty rain droplets. This is why it’s best to utilize a outfit planner so you can plan your outfits around the weather.
Avoid wearing white during period week. Just like you should avoid wearing white in the rain you should also avoid wearing white during period week (sorry to be so blunt ladies!). As you can imagine, period stains are unsightly on any shade of clothing, but they are even more unsightly on white garments. So to prevent embarrassment it’s best to stay away from white jeans, pants, skirts, jumpsuits, and dresses until your menstrual cycle has concluded. White tops and blazers are usually okay but I wouldn’t recommend wearing them unless you’re an extremely careful person.
Put napkins on your lap while eating. Although it may not seem like it…napkins really do save the day especially when it comes to wearing white (I’m living proof!). In fact, depending on the color and thickness of the napkin, stains can either be completely avoided or the impact of the stain(s) can be lessened. When putting napkins on your lap try to cover as much of your thigh as possible (sometimes this means one thick napkin that covers most of your thighs or a few thin napkins spread out across your thighs). If you want to be extremely cautious, you can also layer thin napkins on top of each other to minimize the chances of the stain transferring onto your clothes.
Be aware of your actions. One wrong move and your entire outfit is ruined. So be mindful of your actions when wearing white clothing. A few things you can do to be more aware of your actions include: maintaining a slow and steady pace when walking, being vigilant of dirty roads/sidewalks/chairs, and being cautious when consuming food.
Check your white clothes after you’re finished wearing them. In some cases even if you’ve taken all of the precautious to keep your white clothing from getting dirty…it still gets dirty! So before you toss your clothes aside after wearing them for the day, make sure to do a quick inspection for small stains/dirt. Taking this step will ensure that your garments maintain their natural white appearance, keep stains from settling in, and prevent you from looking poorly dressed the next time you wear your clothes.
Which tip do you try to keep in mind when wearing white?
We all have our routines when it comes to wearing white clothing. For example, one of my routines is that I always make sure to check my white clothing after I’m finished wearing them (basically tip #10). What are your routines/things you keep in mind when wearing white clothing? Shout them out in the comment section below.
