A white outfit is a powerful fashion statement. It can make you look sleek, sophisticated and incredibly stylish. But white can also be a difficult color to wear – it can easily go wrong if you're not careful. That's why we've put together this guide on how to wear white, with all the tips and tricks you need to know in order to nail this look. Plus, we've got some great product recommendations that will allow you to pull this look off using Sartorial style.
A Summary of the all-white Outfit
There are two distinctive types of all-white outfit, there is the casual look - which is suited for something like a golf game, a cocktail party, etc. This is normally something like a White Cotton Polo, alongside a pair of white dress pants or jeans, and then either a pair of white Italian dress shoes, or you can actually wear any color dress shoes. Either brown or navy would be recommended, but feel free to branch out.
The second type is formal attire, and is normally achieved by wearing a white cotton or linen suit, a white shirt, and then adding some color to the outfit with the tie and the pocket square.
You may be wondering to yourself, which brands are the best to pull off this look? We would personally recommend the following brands:
- Kiton
- Cesare Attolini
- Zilli
- Kired
- KNT
- Stefano Ricci
- Brunello Cucinelli
- Fefè Glamour Pochette
We'll discuss these in more details, but for now here's an all-white outfit cheat sheet to get you started:
| Where you wear it | Casual | Formal |
| Head | Baseball cap or beanie | Flat cap or other formal hats |
| Torso | Polo shirt or T-shirt | Normal shirt |
| Legs | Jeans, shorts, khakis | Dress pants |
| Feet | Sneakers, loafers, anything really | Dress shoes |
| Accessories | Hat, belt | Pocket square, tie (with color) |
| On top | Jacket or coat | Tuxedo or Suit Blazer |
Three rules to wearing an all-white outfit
1. Skin Tone
One of the most complicated parts of the classic menswear niche is skin tone. It is something that is often not thought about, unless it affects you directly. The all-white outfit, however, can be used with any skin tone. This makes it one of the most versatile outfits to exist. All white attire looks perfect with a darker skin tone, as this adds yet another element of complexity to the shades.
But it also works with lighter skin tones. This is one of the reasons we love this outfit, it can by literally anyone - and leads to a refined look that will allow you to stand out at parties, cocktail events, etc.
2. Wearing Patterns
This actually depends on the pattern. But we feel that you can wear something like a two-tone sweater or perhaps a brightly colored pocket square. Color is essential for any outfit, and nothing is more sophisticated than a bit of tasteful contrast. More specifically, something like a very lightly patterned blazer, such as the Zilli blazer in the example above, is perfectly acceptable for an all-white outfit.
However, if you're going to an all-white event, then it's best to stick to pure white. Although you can experiment with different shades of white, and perhaps beige or cream are also fine - but if it's similar to a black tie event in the sense that it is very formal then it's best to stick to something like a white tuxedo, or a pure white suit. Patterns are not welcome everywhere, so if in doubt (for example if there is some kind of dress code) then it's best to stick to something that you know is correct.
For a casual all-white outfit, we love the idea of mixing all-white with a two-tone sweater, thus completing the look with a bit of contrast.
Also, even if you're going to an overly formal white event, you can throw some colorful patterns into your outfit with a matching pocket square and tie, and damn the consequences. Sure, you might be breaking some rules, but rules are made to be broken. As long as you break them in the most tasteful way possible, then you're unlikely to encounter any problems except from the absolute diehards of the classic menswear niche, who still only wear two color shirts and refuse to do anything a little bit differently.
3. Formal or casual?
The age-old question when it comes to these types of outfits, is the event you are going to a formal event such as a wedding, gala, award ceremony etc - or is it a casual event such as a cocktail party, going out with friends, etc.
Firstly, check if there is a dress code. Normally if there is a dress code, it is a formal event, and you will need to wear a suit, a pair of dress trousers or pants, a pair of formal shoes, a shirt, a tie, and more. As mentioned previously in this article, this is a great way to introduce a bit more color into your outfit. Especially with the tie and the pocket square. The reason this works so well is that the rest of the outfit is pure white, and the only color radiating from your entire body is your skin tone and your accessories. This is one of the most refined looks and is perfect for a formal event where you want to really show off your artistic prowess.
If there is no dress code written on the invitation of an event, it normally means that the dress code is more casual. This means that it doesn't really matter what you wear, and you can therefore choose from any outfit. But, just make sure you don't dress up too formally if you're going to a simple event that doesn't require it - unless you're known for wearing suits of course.
4. Summer or Winter?
Another question of utmost importance here, is whether or not your outfit is for summer or for winter. For a summer casual look which is all white, you want to focus on cotton and linen. Get yourself a very light jacket, a cotton polo or t-shirt, some sneakers, and a pair of jeans or dress pants. This is a very easy look to complete, especially with IsuiT - Italian luxury:
All white is a perfect outfit for the beach, especially in exceedingly hot weather, as white the coolest color. Although it's not really recommended to wear white at a wedding, you can wear a white shirt and white shorts if you're going to a beach wedding, although it would be better to go for something more on the cream side, just in case you're not actually supposed to wear white at this particular wedding. The last thing you want to do is to commit a fashion faux pas and upset the bridge on her big day.
If you're looking for a perfect fabric for this look, then linen is your bestfriend. We all know that linen is a perfect summer fabric, and it can complete this look perfectly:
5. Minimalism
The main idea behind a lot of Italian expression of identity (cooking, fashion etc.) is "less is more" - That is definitely true with an all white look. What does this mean exactly? Well it means that men can simply wear a white polo shirt and some white dress pants, and that is enough. You basically don't need anything else, except maybe some shoes. You can choose white sneakers, or anything really it doesn't matter. This minimalist look is incredibly refined and let's you look cultured and fashionable without any real effort.
