The secrets to successfully sporting white trousers

From Jamaica to Bolivia, Sri Lanka to Singapore, cast an eye across the classic architecture in any tropical country and you’ll see swathes of white. Why the preponderance of unpigmented paint and plaster, you ask?

White looks beautiful in a lush, leafy landscape but there’s more to its popularity in the tropics than aesthetics. Mainly, it’s a practical measure — before the advent of air conditioning, cloaking a structure in white ranked among the most effective means of reflecting the sun’s rays and keeping a building’s temperature down.

It is for much the same reason that white garments are frequently worn in sunny locales — you’ll stay cooler in lighter colours and obviously, there’s none lighter than white. Adding to its popularity in colonial times was the fact that a crisp white ensemble indicated the wearer was in possession of certain means.

During the heyday of empire, the dusty, muddy and often literally cruddy conditions in cities such as Rangoon, Brisbane or Nairobi meant white garments were swiftly sullied. Only the privileged few could afford to change clothes several times a day, which required not only a well-appointed wardrobe but a formidable household staff to manage laundry duties.

Even in the large cities of Europe and the United States, a century or so ago, wearing white was a potent status symbol. It made a statement that for the white-clad individual, any form of labour beyond intellectual pursuits (of the sort engaged in by noted white tailoring enthusiast, Mark Twain) was simply out of the question.

The United States’ “No white after Labor Day” decree is thought to stem from a wish among America’s well-to-do to avoid this sort of symbolic boastfulness. The chap seen sporting white in New York in October seemed to be suggesting he’d just returned from, or was on his way to, a vacation home in Florida or the Bahamas. This bold sartorial stance proclaimed indolence and affluence, noisily, which has always been considered vulgar.

Today, we can wear white without being deemed gauche or a gadabout. The symbolism is long forgotten and entirely redundant. Virtually everyone has access to laundry facilities now, and the dirtiest thing most of us encounter during the working day is a saucy ‘thirst trap’ on Instagram. Avoiding white post-Labor Day, or at any time in the winter, may be antiquated “good form” but it will substantially weaken your powers of self-expression.

While few possess the Tony Montana-esque levels of bravado to attempt wearing a head-to-toe white suit in summer, let alone during the colder months, only a little courage is required to wear white trousers — regardless of the season.

The eponymous founder of this platform, Alexander Kraft says, “I wear ivory and white trousers all the year ’round. During the European summer or when I’m visiting Palm Beach, linen, cotton or a lightweight wool are the ideal options. In colder climes, meanwhile, a soft wool flannel, moleskin or perhaps a corduroy will do nicely.”

Much as a grey flannel pant can be styled for lounging around the house, chairing a meeting, playing a round of golf, or socialising at an elegant restaurant, so too can a white trouser be utilised in all manner of ways. In fact, many of the same items you could wear with grey flannel trousers will also beautifully complement white trousers: blazers, sweaters in all hues from neutrals to primary, patterned sportscoats, crisp striped shirts or cosy OCBDs… the options are endless.

White jeans span the seasons and are open to a broad range of accessorisation interpretations, too. During a casual moment by the ocean, dress them down with a piqué polo top and sockless moccasins, or elevate the look with a more formal shirt, neckerchief, brass-buttoned navy blazer and penny loafers.

Add an outdoorsy touch with a safari jacket and desert boots, or try the advanced style move of combining white trousers with a navy pinstripe suit jacket — one of the precious few ways a pinstripe suit can effectively be worn as separates.

For a rich source of white trouser style inspiration, punch “Alessandro Squarzi” into image search. An all-time master of white denim, take a cue from this Italian menswear savant and couple white jeans with benchmade monkstraps, a thick woolen jumper and a battered military jacket in the winter, or with a worn-in denim shirt, comfy cotton sportscoat and suede slip-ons in the summer. Alternatively, follow Squarzi’s lead and pair with a camel coat when chilly, or a red gingham shirt and trucker jacket come springtime.

No matter what you wear them with, there’s one essential piece of white trouser wisdom you must heed: Beware cloth of insufficient heft. Even when the garment is lined, thin fabrics tend to expose undergarments and tucked-in shirttails, and in certain light, leave little of a gentleman’s marital equipage to the imagination.

The other embarrassing matter that puts many a man off white trousers is their tendency to attract stains — especially true for those of us who fancy the occasional cabernet or Campari, or frequently associate with canines and children. I’m afraid you’ll just have to get used to it fellas, because wearing white trousers, stains are as inevitable as death, taxes and the Kardashians (the latter being the most odious of the three, in our opinion).

Ideally, like the aforementioned affluent colonials, you’ll have household staff on hand to whisk away and swiftly wash any spattered garments. Those lacking a personal valet or below-stairs assistance are advised to keep something known as a ‘Tide To Go’ stick close by — and scrupulously check the cleanliness of anyplace you plan to sit. In white trousers, you are always flying the by the seat of your pants.