White hot

DALLAS KILPONEN

PARADE OF BEAUTIES: Jayson Brunsdon's spring/summer 2010 collection at Australian Fashion Week.

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It really is all white, writes Carolyn Enting.

Blow that whistle. Black has been given the yellow card. Yep, the All White's are hot right now - blazing, sizzling, white hot.

Even the All Blacks donned white for a recent training session as a show of support for our World Cup soccer team.

Black is still there, of course. Even the All Whites had to wear black with white trim for their final game against Paraguay, but, if you hadn't already noticed, white is one of fashion's favourite shades right now.

It has arrived in a flurry of cool, icy freshness, complementing, and in some cases blanketing, recessional black.

What's all right about white is that it can be worn in many ways, at any age. The trick is to find the look that best suits your personal style.

At Australian Fashion Week in April, which previewed the summer ranges, there was a virtual whiteout on the runway, with draped, pleated fabric (Dion Lee), white lace (Kate Sylvester and Zambesi) and mullet shirt- dresses (Bassike and Lui Hon).

Looking ahead to summer, the classic white shirt takes on a new twist. It has been lengthened and designed to be worn as a shirt dress, with the back hem worn longer at the back, like a mullet. It's a great style for those who suit shorter-length skirts, but want to cover up their backside.

For the young and young at heart, another current look is to layer a white, wispy tunic over tights, along with clompy shoes - think clogs and Doc Martens - or over-the-knee boots. The silhouette is soft, floaty and feminine on top, and folky, grungy, clunky below.

Sophisticates need not despair. Tailored white trouser suits are in vogue again, and one garment that will never be subjected to a style referee's displeasure is the classic white shirt.

Stylists the world over continually sing the praises of the white shirt, including British style gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine, who believe a superably tailored white shirt, worn buttoned up, with or without a tie, is one of the key foundations of a minimalist look.

The "minimalist", according to Trinny and Susannah, doesn't mix up a lot of colours, sticking to black and white, or navy and black. Minimalist wardrobe essentials include button-up white shirts, palazzo pants, pussy-bow blouses, long, plain coats and asymmetric skirts.

They also recommend the white shirt for the daytime sophisticate look, particularly for women aged mid-40s plus.

The white shirt also plays a starring role in the androgynous look.

White is also easy to accessorise and becomes instantly glam with the addition of gold jewellery, belt or shoes, or a bold lipstick. The latter keeps your face the focus, an important tip if you plan to rock a white trouser suit, which, as Georgio Armani recently reminded us, is forever chic.

- © Fairfax NZ News