The posh colour you don't need to be posh to wear

Wearing white head to toe used to be one of those fashion fantasies only the wealthy or aristocratic could indulge in real life. “When you look at historical photographs from the Colonial era, it’s amazing how many Europeans wore white, even when their accommodation was basic and they were surrounded by mud,” says Paco Delgado, costume designer on many a huge period movie (Les Miserables as well as Disney’s forthcoming Jungle Cruise and Kenneth Branagh’s Death on the Nile remake), “and that’s because white denotes power. It says ‘I have lots of servants to wash and press my clothes’, or ‘I have so many clothes I can change several times a day’ ”.

To an extent, those barriers to wearing white have persisted, albeit in sneakily evolving ways. It’s too bridal (solution: don’t wear it to a wedding, unless you’re sure you’re the bride). It makes you look bigger than you really are (not necessarily true, it depends on the cut and the fabric). It’s too tennis-y (have you watched any Wimbledon matches lately? Half the players brazenly flout the white code). It only works with a tan.

Well, that last one’s a subjective view forged in the kind of conditioning that’s rapidly going out of fashion. White on pale skin can look stunning – witness Tilda Swinton or Cate Blanchet – or invest in fake tan. (Tan Luxe: The Butter Illuminating Gradual Tan Butter, £24 from looksfantastic.com is getting raves this summer). Conversely, the other calumny lobbed at white is that it’s a bit Monaco. In that case, best tone down the fake take and go easy on the lash extensions.

Done with style, there’s something about white that makes it hard to tear your eyes from. I give you Marilyn in a white pleated halter neck dress in The Seven Year Itch, Grace Kelly in a white toga in High Society or the Hollywood socialite Slim Keith, whose style was the inspiration for Lauren Bacall’s. It just leans towards the goddess, doesn’t it? Suck on that, Coco Chanel, with your little black dresses. They might have seemed daring and outre in 1926 when people only wore black to funerals. But now it’s white’s turn.

White is way more flattering than black. White reflects light. Black absorbs it. That means white isn’t just cooler in the heat (there was a practical reason Colonialists wore it in the Tropics), it bounces light on to your face (a good thing) while black drains pale complexions. That’s fine when you’re young or aiming for Goth pathos. It’s not so clever if you’ve reached the stage where you’d like your clothes to bring out your best features. As for requiring an army of servants and a huge wardrobe of interchangeable white clothes – this just isn’t the case if you chose the right fabrics. I’m no skilled technician when it comes to the ironing board, but I know my way around obliging fabrics. TencelTM(also known as Lycocell), viscose and some linen mixes are all breathable materials that require almost no ironing if you pop them in the tumble drier at the right moment, when they’re 70 per cent dry (a better option for the environment as well) . Pure linen is a good option too as it’s easy to wash and looks fine if you opt for a loose, fluid style that can roll literally (rolling’s a great way to pack clothes) and figuratively with the creases.

As for keeping whites white – half a cup of white vinegar in the fabric softening compartment should do the trick.

Alternatively, try baking soda in the wash, avoid overloading and be scrupulous about not mixing your whites with any other colour. Simple.

No wonder, then, that white outfits have been gaining increasing currency over recent summers. Texture, ruffles, stripes, spots or embroidery all make white relatively low maintenance to wear. Jigsaw has a lovely ruffled broderie anglaise dress in its sale, now at £111. But for ultimate flexibility, I’d opt for separates – unless they’re ultra skimpy or semi sheer you should be able to wear them well into autumn with knits and boots. If you’re looking for trousers, remember to check the rear view to make sure they’re not sheer. Once again, Jigsaw has a solution. Its elasticated waist linen trousers are more of an oyster colour than white, but would still deliver an overall luxurious white impact if worn with a white blouse and accessories.

Alternatively, Massimo Dutti’s white linen dress, shown here, works for many occasions, dressed down with trainers or flatforms, or up with gold jewellery and a wedge sandal.

Seersucker shirt, £115, Toast; Day dress, £119, Massimo Dutti; Trousers, £68, Jigsaw; Pearl Ballet pump, £225, Russell & Bromley; White bag, £968.46, Kneed; Milano, £65, Birkenstock

I also recommend to.ast.co.uk for beautiful blouses in good quality cottons and linens which will last for years. Theirs tend to be in soft ivory as opposed to those harsh, optical whites that have a touch of blue in them and can look hard or cheap.

When it comes to white accessories, the view’s mixed. A white bag can be gorgeous, and surprisingly useful. If you only had two bags, a dark one and a white/cream/pale taupe would take you just about anywhere and go with everything. Strathberry’s Lana Osette range has several cream and white bucket bags with contrasting trims – from £345. If pristine white or cream is your dream, Kneed, a small independent British brand has some very chic, understated styles in beautiful leathers. Tying a patterned silk scarf around the handle or straps will increase your mix and match options. White shoes are fashionable but often look jarring. I prefer them with contrasting trims. Alternatively a white sandal that’s broken up with glimpses of skin can look striking, especially with a strong colour on your toe nails.

The same applies, for me at least – to white jackets. I ended up selling a beautiful white tuxedo jacket because I never wore it. Cream trouser suits are a lovely idea as an alternative bridal look but they’re too high maintenance for anything else. Better to go for something with a pattern. Or opt for a different colour altogether – an earthy shade such as khaki or brown, like Cate Blanchett’s here, is less predictable than black or navy. But red could look amazing too…inner goddess meets wonder woman. If foreign holidays are looking dicey, all the more reason to dress as though on one at home.

Lisa Armstrong's column appears each Saturday in The Saturday Telegraph and is published online every Saturday at 6am on Telegraph Fashion.

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