Wearing White

Lately I have been accumulating a lot of white dresses, and that's not because I have been recently married.  Part of my job is representing a brand and the brand's main color is white.  So there you have it.

Wearing white is not easy.  You can easily fall in the trap of looking like a bridesmaid, you can make it dirty in a second and the color is very difficult to care for. Oh yes, and not to forget the oh-so-wonderful VPL!

So, here are a few tips if you are considering a white dress:

Simplicity
Keep your dress simple but with just the right amount of accents.  A dress that has too many frills can look like a bridesmaid's dress. Too plain can cause the same effect too.

Be Meticulous
It will be easy if everything is made out of cotton, machine washable and bleachable.  Well, with white dresses most likely it is dry-clean only.  Keep your white dresses in dress bags to avoid too much moisture exposure.  I found that oxidation can cause the dress to have brownish spots so you want keep your dresses nicely covered.  Use padded hangers as it can reduce possibility of a snag.

Dresses (L to R): Daniel Yam, Biyan, Daniel Yam, Max Mara, Elita

Watch Your Drinks
When wearing a white dress, avoid holding or coming close to a drink with color. The last thing you want is to spill a glass of red on your dress at a party.

VPL
The one thing that is annoying about wearing a white dress is the obvious VPL.  Even a g-string will still have that 'line' going across your waist, especially when your dress is figure hugging or of clingy material.  What I usually do, and this is the safest bet so far based on experience, is to wear a girdle. Yup, not nice, not comfy, but hey, beauty comes with a price :-).   A girdle works multiple ways: it doesn't give you that embarassing VPL, it flattens your tummy, trims down your thighs and makes your dress fall and flow smoothly around your body.  Overall confidence if you ask me!

White shoes - Not!
The last thing you want is to look like a nurse.  Opt for a different color, something radical like purple or shocking pink, but avoid dark colors such as black or dark brown as it will dampened the white color and just kill the look altogether.
If you must wear something 'white', try ivory, beige, gold or silver that can nicely blend in with the dress color, but don't look like you're running to the ER.