5 outfits that prove white pants are a summer staple

At this point, white pants have become a year-round wardrobe staple, but it’s undeniable that the trend is truly at its zenith in the summer months. Because these trousers can be as easily worn to your Monday morning meetings as your Friday night drinks, they’ve earned a spot as one of this summer’s must-shop trends.

White trousers in all cuts are basically synonymous with summer, making them a quintessential warm-weather staple. And yes, when we say “white” we mean everything from pure white to bone, cream, ivory, and eggshell.

Ahead, we’ve compiled five chic outfits that are all about celebrating white pants. From ultra-luxe to cool-girl wearable, scroll down to see how the fashion crowd is styling the summer-ready trousers.

Nothing says summer like white shorts! As much as we love them, we know shorts have one major problem: they’re not the easiest to style in a grown-up way. One way to overcome this issue is to lean into the irony and use both high and low elements in your look.

Oversized but tailored denim shorts already embody this contrast—the tailored silhouette is our “high”, while the casual denim and the baggy silhouette are our “low”—and using other elements to accentuate it is a solid way of escaping the summer camp vibes. A baseball cap, a button-up shirt, a leather belt, and stilettos are perfect for this occasion.

We love an all-white outfit: simple, chic, and almost infallible, it’s our fave get-out-of-jail-free card for foolproof summer dressing. Yes, you don’t mess with perfection, but there are some simple tricks you can use to make your all-white outfit truly pop.

One of them is styling your white look with earth-toned accessories that will provide a much-welcome pop of colour without adding too much contrast. A brown croc-print belt breaks the line of sight created by the white tank and tailored trousers giving the eye a place to rest, while the brown slippers tie it all together. Adding another brown element, like a purse, might feel redundant, so this light sage green satchel bag works perfectly.

A blue striped shirt is a tailoring staple that belongs in everyone’s wardrobe and can be worn year-round. A breezy linen shirt, specifically, is a total lifesaver for beating the summer heat while still looking smart at work, or on other occasions that err on the formal side.

The striped linen shirt finds its perfect match in your favourite pair of white trousers, no matter the model and material. Pair it with drawstring linen trousers to elevate your look on a casual weekend stroll; with a pleated pair of slacks at the office; or with a pair of relaxed jeans for a dinner with friends.

If total-white pants just aren’t for you, why not go for a pair of (pin)striped ones? Depending on the cut they can be cheeky and relaxed or tailored and refined, whatever matches your style. One thing is for sure: they’re always going to make for a great look.

Regardless of style, we love pinstripe white pants paired with a chic graphic tee and a matching white knitted vest. The graphic tee gives an air of irony and carefreeness, and the layered vest adds texture and movement. For shoes? A pair of soft boat shoes, suede penny loafers or ballet flats to complement the easygoing vibe.

Honouring the great tradition of wearing “jeans and a nice top” on a night out, we love pairing white pants with printed, fun tops. This classic combo is another failsafe look that will look appropriate at a rooftop bar as well as at a restaurant.

We’re not talking about just any print, though. This summer, experiment with animal prints like zebra, leopard, or giraffe. We have already pleaded the case that animal prints are indeed neutrals, but when styling white go for prints that already have some white in them—like zebra or giraffe—to avoid too much contrast. On the other hand, style your cheetahs and leopards with yellow-toned off-white bottoms.

Original text and content: Kayla Kuefler