Fashion
White Out: the Dos and Don'ts
DO
...make one of your fi rst purchases this season a pair of white jeans. In a classic five-pocket style, they are one of the most resourceful items for your wardrobe; they will go with anything.
...stock up on white T-shirts. You can never have enough of these go-witheverything basics. In ribbed tanks or classic crewnecks, the white T-shirt is a great layering piece for any time of year.
...dress white up. When everyone else may be wearing a little black dress, you'll stand out in a crisp white suit or sheath dress. Another casual dressy alternative: a white camisole underneath a sheer white blouse and teamed up with white jeans.
...splurge on accessories. Go ahead and get creative. Pick your favorite pair of turquoise sandals, a metallic tote or wooden hoops; add some personal style to your basic whites. White provides the perfect backdrop to show off unique accessories.
DON'T
...get overwhelmed. If you're wearing a loose white shirt, make sure you pair it with slim-fi tting capris or pants. This also works in reverse -- when wearing a fuller skirt, team it with a snug-fi tting shirt.
...forget to check sheerness. Panty lines or no panty lines, you want to make sure that your white pieces are not see through and you're covered, especially when you step out into the daylight. Visible underwear is always a don't.
...upstage the bride. There is one occasion when wearing white may not be quite right, and we all know when that is: a wedding. That's when you may want to wear your own little black strapless dress ... let the bride stand out in white.
...have an emergency white out! Before you hit the beach or the pool in your new white bikini, please check out the wet factor. We all know what can happen when a white swimsuit gets soaked. You might just be drenched with embarrassment.
Sharon Mosley is a former fashion editor of the Arkansas Gazette in Little Rock and executive director of the Fashion Editors and Reporters Association.