Summer days are steadily approaching and we’re feverishly re-organising our wardrobes.
Banishing all signs of winter, the heavy coats, the chunky jerseys and thermal underwear, to the back of your closet.
I’m sure many of you are already starting to work on your tan, preferably fake tans because no one is going to bake in the sun for a bit of colour.
I’m certainly not ready to expose any flesh. It hasn’t seen the sun for months and has gone an even lighter shade of already pale!
Oh, how I do look forward to wearing airy summer dresses again. You know the ones that are long and flowing and just make you feel like a goddess.
Make that a white flowing summer dress and I’ll be in full goddess mode.
However, as much as I absolutely love white, I always think twice, maybe three times, before deciding to wear the crisp cool colour.
I’m even nervous about wearing something as simple as a classic white T-shirt.
I have so many white T-shirts in my wardrobe because it’s an essential fashion item, of course, but there are so many that I’ve only worn once.
Why? Every time I wear anything white, food somehow gravitates towards me and inevitably lands somewhere on the garment.
So while I do own quite a few white T-shirts, they are primarily used as undergarments and strictly for home wear.
However, this hasn’t altered my love for white.
Besides the pesky food stains, there are, however, other challenges that come with wearing white.
One of the biggest ones is figuring out what colour underwear to wear. The last thing you want is to have your panty or bra showing through a beautiful dress.
Most people think that wearing white underwear is the obvious option, but soon realise is it the worst colour to wear. White underwear shows through more than any other colour.
Your best option is to wear underwear that matches your skin tone as closely as possible. At the same time stay away from underwear with lace details and crazy prints.
The type of fabrics makes a big difference as well. White has a tendency to be slightly sheer, depending on the type of fabric.
Before you make your purchase check the transparency of the garment.
An easy way to check this would be by placing your hand behind the fabric. The thinner the fabric, the more you’ll be able to see your hand. If you’re for looking for formal or office wear, then thicker fabrics are a better option. Flimsier and more sheer fabrics are fine for casual wear.
Having said that, my mother still wears a petticoat underneath a white dress, regardless of the fabric.
Besides food stains, there are other marks that one always has to be on the look out for.
Perfume and deodorant have a nasty way of turning your whites yellow. The trick is to apply the product underneath the garment and not over it.
If you’re going to be wearing make-up, try and apply it after you get dressed. Of course, you would do this with the utmost care. Nobody wants to drop a black eyeshadow on a white top.
Otherwise, you could use the trick of placing a thin scarf over your head and face if the garment has to be pulled over your face and your make-up has already been applied.