The Amazon is burning, Green Book remains the current Oscar “Best Picture” title holder for another six whole months, and for some reason, we’re still talking about Jeremy Renner (?) and his app (???). The point is: It’s 2019. Nothing matters, and there are no more rules.
Which is to say, you can and absolutely should wear white in this post-Labor Day, post-making sense world we’re living in.
And I’m not talking, “white crewneck T-shirt peeking out from under a flannel shirt or sweater’s collar” wearing white. No, I mean, go full abominable snowman white with your wardrobe this fall and winter. White sweaters, white pants, white jackets. The whole kit and cold-weather caboodle.
Of course, there’s a way to wear white and look appropriate for the season, and I think that’s where folks (especially men) throw up their hands, and say, “Fuck it, I’ll just wear navy head-to-toe until next April.”
Which is a bummer, because wearing white in fall and winter is a strong style flex. By sporting “winter whites,” you telegraph to the world that you (a) know what that term even means and (b) enjoy a level of sophistication and fashion daring that not many guys have nailed down.
Also, it looks really handsome! In winter white, you’ll look like JFK trying to get in one more sail before the boat gets stored away for the season at Hyannis Port. Or Steve McQueen bundled up for a drive with the top down to go see the leaves changing with his latest wife.
Bottom line? Wearing winter white is a lot like wearing turtlenecks (which look great in white, by the way). A lot of guys don’t have the guts to try it, so you stand out—in a good way!—when you take the leap. Y’know that man in the arena that Roosevelt talked about? The one whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood? I have it on good authority he was wearing a cream-colored fisherman’s sweater.
Below, three ways to wear white this fall and winter:
An easy way to know if your white clothes belong in cold weather wardrobe rotation is by their weight or thickness. Breezy white linen pants? Pack ’em away. A cozy creamy sweater or corduroy pants that go “zhush” when you walk? Bump those bad boys up to the front of your closet and drawers.
Another way to ensure you’re properly nailing the whole “white after Labor Day” thing is to hedge your bets on color. Think: a white that’s less “fresh snow” and more “yellow snow.” Sorry, for the gross visual, but you get my point.
A true white can sometimes look jarring and out of place in cold weather months, like the guy at your office who wears shorts well into December. Don’t be that guy. Instead, look for items in colors like “vintage white,” “cream,” “off white,” or “ivory.”
Jackets and winter accessories in white have the advantage of naturally looking cold weather-appropriate because, duh, you wouldn’t be wearing them if it wasn’t cold out. Outerwear in white also follows the earlier rule (if you can call it that) of being made of more heavy-duty material. After all, not too many linen coats hit the market in September. And even better, many come in that slightly-off-white (again, not a rule, but you get the point) that looks so cozy this time of year.