Why the white trouser isn’t a total write-off

Some fashion trends are greeted with such distaste by the masses that they dare not rear their seemingly ugly head in the fashion world – and the white trouser is often seen as one of those. But I disagree. Hear me out before you immediately close this page because the only thing you can think of is Chuck Bass looking like a bit of a schwef walking around a polo pitch in the Hamptons. The white trouser is making a comeback, mark my words. And before you assume the worst, I’m definitely not one to sit back and preach about hideous fashion trends taking over menswear like a bad rash.

Photo: John Wrazej, Vice President of Ralph Lauren

Let’s face it, black and blue trousers are getting boring. It’s spring and very nearly summer, and if you’ve been listening to anything we’ve been telling you for the last month or so, your wardrobe should rightfully change in the same way that the seasons do. The white trouser has boundless potential to be the piece of the summer but only, of course, if it’s worn the right way.

(Photo: The Sartorialist)

This isn’t an item you can just buy without consideration – dare I say it – as to whether you can actually pull it off. While we certainly practice what we preach and believe that every gentleman has the right to buy and try just about anything that he wants in this world, there are certain pieces that we can only advice that you err of the side of caution with, and the white trouser is one of them. So how can you rock them?

Getting the fit right is pretty much the full job. You already know that black is the most flattering and slimming colour, and white is the opposite. So, if you have wide, short or chunky legs you need to go for something loose and less tapered, something that offers a bit of shape without either swamping you or cutting off your blood circulation – a tough ask, we understand.