The little white dress edit: 1 / 2 / 3
I’m a huge fan of the little white dress.
I know the classic LBD is the one most often touted as a “wardrobe essential”, and yes, it’s true that black is a lot more versatile – especially if you live in a place where it rains for 363 days of the year. White dresses might not get a whole lot of wear from me, but trust me: if I had my way (or just my preferred weather), I’d have them on constant rotation. I love how fresh and bright they look, and I also love the way you can pair them with just about any other colour under the sun, and create a different look.
One of my favourite ways to wear white dresses at this time of year is with a fitted denim jacket: it makes the dress look instantly more causal, and something about the look just screams “spring” to me. Alternatively, you can’t do wrong with a cute cardigan and a pair of sandals – just choose your colour!
Here are some common questions about the little white dress…
CAN YOU WEAR A WHITE DRESS TO A WEDDING?
Only if you’re the bride! Honestly, I know that answer probably sounds a little bit old fashioned to some of you, and I also know there are tons of brides out there who really couldn’t care less whether a guest is dressed in white (When I got married, I didn’t care what my guests wore, as long as they were there!), but I still think white is best avoided for weddings. It’s traditionally the bridal colour, and even if the bride isn’t wearing white, it’s still considered poor etiquette for guests to show up in a white dress, no matter how un-weddingy it looks. Having said that, I’ve been to quite a few weddings where guests have worn white, and no one seems to have batted an eyelid, so maybe the idea really IS dying out? What do you think?
CAN YOU WEAR A LITTLE WHITE DRESS AFTER LABOR DAY?
The “no white after Labor day” rule is an old one, and as you can probably tell, it’s a specifically American one, as not everyone celebrates Labor Day. (The full rule is “No white before Memorial Day or After Labor Day”.) Not having grown up with this rule, I only became aware of it when I started reading fashion blogs, and the impression I get is that it’s largely disregarded these days. The basic idea seems to stem from the fact that white can be impractical in winter, but while that’s definitely true, it really all depends on the type of white you’re wearing, the fabric, and what you’re going to be doing in it. I wouldn’t wear any of the dresses on this page in winter, for instance: not because I believe in following fashion “rules”, but simply because these are all lightweight fabrics, which wouldn’t be practical for cold weather. I do, however, love a bit of winter white, and as long as the fabric is appropriate for the season, and you’re not planning on walking through a muddy field in it, say, I can see no reason why you shouldn’t wear a little white dress after Labor day. Rules are made to be broken, after all…
HOW DO YOU KEEP A LITTLE WHITE DRESS CLEAN?
Any time I wear white of any description, people ask me how on earth I manage to keep it clean. Honestly, I never really know what to say to this, other than that, “I just try not to get it dirty”. That’s all you really CAN do, obviously: I suspect the people who ask these questions are hoping there’s some kind of magic dirt-repelling formula they can use, but if there is, I’m afraid I don’t know it! When I wear white, I just try to be a little more careful to keep my clothes clean: I wouldn’t wear white in wet weather, for instance, or if I was going to be around mud, and I’d probably avoid things like red wine, coffee, and ketchup-filled hot-dogs, too! With that said, I’m not above wearing a “bib” when I eat – sometimes it’s the only way!
