Wear your white pants at will, any time of year

  • By Andrea Brown Herald Writer
  • Friday, May 22, 2015 2:43pm
  • Life

White on, baby!

It’s white pants time.

That’s right, Memorial Day weekend officially kicks off white pants season.

What? You’ve already been wearing white pants?

Well, that’s OK, too.

Whether there’s a “proper” time to wear white pants is still a fashion police matter, but with fewer followers. Still, many adhere to the “no whites before Memorial Day” rule. Or they wear “winter whites” as opposed to “summer whites.”

There are some people who won’t wear white pants any month of the year.

Some will wear white shorts, but not white pants. Too “Miami Vice”-esque. Others will wear white anything except white shoes. We won’t go there.

White pants have evolved. Skinny white jeans are trending. These aren’t just for mannequins or movie stars. About any clothing store can fix you up. Men, too.

Legend has it the “no white pants rule” was originally enforced by some snobby aristocrats, then spread to the masses. Those 1950s women’s magazines mandated that white clothing came out on Memorial Day and sent packing on Labor Day.

So, in a few months will we have to worry about that?

As the bloggers at www.stylelist.com put it: “Whoever said white shouldn’t be worn after Labor Day clearly never met a fashion blogger. White is one of our favorite colors to wear, regardless of season. It’s the perfect neutral to pair with colors light and dark, or with other neutrals.”

So, there you have it. White has endless possibilities. No need to worry about it clashing. It goes with darn near everything.

You do have to worry about what goes under those pants: Sleek white or nude undies only and no going commando. If there’s a white pants rule, this is it: Don’t show anything.

White also comes with hazards.

You have to watch where you sit, what you eat and who you’re with. It doesn’t forgive coffee spills, ketchup, pens, red wine, green tea and kids’ grimy fingers. All those things that are central part of our lives.

No need to stop living. Just keep a bleach pen or wipe at the ready.

Andrea Brown: 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown.

How to wear white

  • All body sizes, shapes and styles can rock the white pants trend.
  • White pants can be unforgiving. It’s all about the fabric and the fit.
  • Are you short? Try capris or ankle length.
  • Tall? Palazzo or gaucho.
  • Fabric matters. Linen, cotton or Spandex? The mirror will tell.

White pants, silver screen

Ever heard of the movie “Night of the White Pants”? Probably not.

It’s a 2006 comedy/drama filmed in Dallas (of course). It’s about a Texas oil tycoon whose soon-to-be third ex-wife throws him out of his house with nothing but the clothes he’s wearing, including the white pants. He becomes entangled in a sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll-laden adventure with his daughter’s punk-rocker boyfriend as he tries to make things right. It scored 42 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

White pants rules

Responses from an informal social media poll of white pants politics:

  • “Never. #messyeater.”
  • “In the South, white shoes or pants are acceptable after Easter.”
  • “White pants are OK. That Memorial Day thing is passé. However, white shoes — never.”
  • “I always feel slightly ‘wrong’ when I wear white pants before Memorial Day.”
  • “White goes with everything, dammit. End of story.”
  • “Wear what you want to when you want.”
  • “There are no more rules.”
  • “White with ketchup stains makes a statement.”
  • “Memorial Day to Labor Day, but winter white is OK year round.”
  • “I actually wear white pants at horse shows. This is one of the dumbest rules ever for an animal-based competition, but it’s a Peruvian tradition to wear all white when you show Peruvian horses.”
  • “If you can wear white and somehow keep it white and not dirty then you must have a clean environment you’re in and be lucky.”
  • “I never wear white pants because they make my butt look bigger than it already is.”
  • “I last wore white pants in the late ’80s, when I was in high school. That was cool for guys at the time, thanks to ‘Miami Vice.’ It hasn’t been cool since then.”
Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

A stroll on Rome's ancient Appian Way is a kind of time travel. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves on the Appian Way, Rome’s ancient superhighway

Twenty-nine highways fanned out from Rome, but this one was the first and remains the most legendary.

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Inside Elle Marie Hair Studio in Smokey Point. (Provided by Acacia Delzer)
The best hair salon in Snohomish County

You voted, we tallied. Here are the results.

The 2024 Kia EV9 electric SUV has room for up to six or seven passengers, depending on seat configuration. (Photo provided by Kia)
Kia’s all-new EV9 electric SUV occupies rarified air

Roomy three-row electric SUVs priced below 60 grand are scarce.

2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD (Photo provided by Toyota)
2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD

The compact SUV electric vehicle offers customers the ultimate flexibility for getting around town in zero emission EV mode or road-tripping in hybrid mode with a range of 440 miles and 42 mile per gallon fuel economy.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.