Certain trends live and die on the catwalk, others like white never go out of style particularly for spring. There is, after all, no better cleanser for the wardrobe after a brutal winter than basic white. So how are designers making the message seem less redundant? Statement whites. An idea percolating for several seasons now, these boldly designed white pieces were, until recently, executed predominantly in the wintertime as an antidote to the season’s traditionally somber and monochromatic palettes. This season you needn’t look far to see the color white not only across every clothing category but also interpreted with deliberate flourishes. To be sure, there’s a lot that harkens back to old-school street styling here, but the streamlined shapes and elegant fabrications give these pieces a wholly contemporary feel. Here, our favorite standouts, from the wedding-appropriate white linen suit to must-have low-top sneaker, that work every which way—separately or even altogether—for a singularly slick modern look.
Main image. Left: Linen outfit, Zara. Jacket, $169. Banded collar shirt, $59.90. Trousers, $79.90. Center: “Scar” tank in cotton-modal, John Elliott + Co, $72. Right: New boxy, looser fit “Edo” pant, I Love Ugly, $109.
“Goose” cotton-blend bomber jacket, Saturdays, $225.
“Perforated Rambler Lo” sneaker, Todd Snyder + PF Flyers, $179.
“Earth” mesh cotton tee, The White Briefs, $92.
Japanese selvedge cotton oxford shirt, Todd Snyder, $195.
Skinny fit tapered cotton jeans, Uniqlo, $49.90.
“Gridlock” white cotton sweatshirt with front pouch, Zanerobe, $129.
Suede sneaker, Zespa, $365.