White Hot - White Denim Tops List of Summer's Must-Haves

also in the Fashion Blog: White Jeans - How to Wear Them

Take one of summer's hottest hues, apply it to one of women's favorite fabrications, and you have a surefire style sensation for the season.

White denim is so important right now,” stresses Mylissa Braun, a spokesperson for chic denim collection, Yanuk. ”We brought it to retail early as part of our March delivery, and the preliminary results have been phenomenal. It's flying off the shelves. We're going to see more and more people wearing white denim.”

There might be a very practical -- and positive -- explanation to women's early adoption of white denim this season, observes James Sway, a co-founding force behind James Jeans. “We've all bought items that we think will look great, once we lose some weight; we do the same thing with white, and look for spring to be right around the corner. It's a hopeful and optimistic thing to do.”

“White denim is always important,” considers Sari Sloane, vice president of fashion merchandising at Intermix, a line of hip boutiques in New York, Miami, Boston and Tokyo. “It's always fresh and new and brightens up your wardrobe.”

“It's definitely time for cleaner and brighter colors, and that is why white denim is doing so well,” shares Stephen Hardy, who along with his business partner Tony Falwell, founded Plan B Jeans. “It's the wardrobe equivalent of cleansing the palate.”

also see in Fashion / Clothing -> How to Keep Your White Jeans White

Many women appear to be looking for that feeling of refreshment in their closets. According to Cotton Incorporated's Lifestyle Monitor (TM), female consumers are planning on buying more denim in the coming months. Forty-seven percent of respondents reported that, although they didn't need any more denim, they would probably buy one or two more items. Twenty-six percent said they intended to purchase several more denim garments.

“White denim is so versatile; it can have a fresh nautical look or a very rich appearance. It is one of those pants that can be taken from a casual day at the beach to a cocktail party effortlessly.”

“White denim is so versatile; it can have a fresh nautical look or a very rich appearance. It is one of those pants that can be taken from a casual day at the beach to a cocktail party effortlessly,” relates Jerome Dahan, a designer and owner of Citizens of Humanity.

The adaptability of white denim appears to be one of its key attributes. “You can wear white jeans almost everywhere, including offices where you can't really wear true denim,” states Braun from Yanuk. “In white, jeans look dressier and more important.”

No matter where white denim goes, in its latest incarnations, it will likely be more deconstructed than in recent years. Says Hardy from Plan B Jeans, “White denim has always been crisp and tailored, now we're looking at some frayed hems, blasting and hand finishes for a rugged but authentic feel.”

Adds James Sway, “This season, there is a more rustic subtext to the denim that makes it friendlier to wear.” Intermix's Sloane agrees, ”It's more embellished, treated, and even destroyed a little, tying in with the Bohemian chic trend. There's a lot of detailing like gold buttons. It's very feminine.”

But white denim is not just limited to bottoms. “The white denim jacket is the perfect layering piece,” Braun says.

"It can be worn with other garments, even jeans and not look like denim on denim,” relates Hardy. “The white denim jacket can be a very feminine silhouette, especially when worn with ruffles around the collar, bringing back a nineteenth-century softness to the face.”

And there may be another great aspect to denim in its whitest hues. While white may often be difficult to keep clean, denim is known for being low-maintenance and washable, making white denim easy to treat.

Though white denim is certainly durable and fashionable enough for most occasions, there are a few exceptions, cautions Sway from James Jeans. “There's no stopping where white denim can go, except for maybe mud wrestling.”

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Source: ARA Content

More about white denim fashion around the Web:

What to Wear with White Jeans - Check out this fashion 'look book' for a variety of ideas and looks to make the most out of your white denims.