With Labor Day nearly upon us (seriously, how did that happen?), let's talk about the "no white after Labor Day" rule and, specifically, white jeans. I hear all too often that women don't wear white jeans because they're not flattering or they can be worn only in the summer, or only by tall women, or only by polo players, or whatever, to which us here at Glamour HQ give a resounding "Pshaw!" For those of you out there doubting the ability of white jeans to be both slimming AND season-less, I polled my fellow editors, as well as jean-genius Jac Cameron (design director at AYR and formerly of denim legends Calvin Klein and Madewell) for some tips and tricks on how to do white denim right, all year round. Read on, and let me know what you think in the comments!
From left to right, Karlie Kloss, Khloe Kardashian, and Reese Witherspoon show off their best transitional-and-flattering white denim outfits...and how great white jeans can look on all different shapes.
Forget the Labor Day rule. Here's how to wear them, all year round.
"Pair them with a hightop or a slip-on sandal and easy blazer. I personally love head-to-toe white. I'm a huge fan of a white skinny; I love to pair it with a looser longer top. Either a distressed vintage T-shirt or a stappy cami. I buy my AYR Skinny jeans in a shorter inseam so that it hits right at my ankle, and wear it with a Birkenstock or ankle boot. To transition your white jeans from summer to fall, layer with knits and great outerwear. A black ankle boot, vintage T-shirt, and oversize sweater transforms a white jean seamlessly and stylishly. Our Biscuit Skinny jean is off-white and perfect year-round, making it a fall wardrobe staple." —AYR's Jac Cameron.
"I love white jeans with a buffalo plaid jacket like this one. Also with a black turtleneck sweater and ankle boots." —Sophia Chabbott, Glamour senior online fashion editor
"I like white jeans with a white fisherman's sweater and dark chunky boots. It's about the other heavy materials you wear it with, as Sophia said. Plaids, wools, furs, etc." —Nikki Ogunnaike, Glamour online style editor
"I love a winter-white look. I wear my ankle skinnies with leather loafers and lots of layers on top. A chambray button-down sticking out of a sweater and a big scarf wrapped multiple times make the white denim look season-less!" —Becky Malinsky, Glamour market editor
And make sure your white jeans are flattering. Here's how:
"It's all in the way you wear them and making sure you have the right size on. White jeans can be the most flattering, especially if you take a casual no-fuss approach. " —AYR's Jac Cameron
"Don't wear them too cropped. I like a leg-lengthening skinny ankle, worn with nude shoes, and mid- or high-waist is a must. Look for thick fabric that's semi-rigid with some stretch (no paper-thin pajama jeans)." —Marissa Gold, Glamour senior online editor
"The thicker the denim, the better. But if you do love a lighter weight, cut out the pockets. They look lumpy and weird when you can see them through the denim." —Anne Sachs, Glamour senior online editorial director
"I like a boyfriend style jean best in white. They're more forgiving."—Sophia
"Look for about 2 percent spandex—that's key. A little stretch goes a long with for making white jeans flattering!" —Jenna Andrews, Glamour.com photo researcher and photographer
Jac Cameron, AYR design director, in her happy place...surrounded by jeans.
Did you find any of these tips and outfit ideas helpful? And please, if you have any keep-it-clean secrets, share below!
