Beat the denim blues, choose white for your next pair

In the 1999 film Never Been Kissed, Drew Barrymore’s character Josie goes undercover for a feature on high-school life. Her biggest problem is looking the part. Josie finally picks a pair of white jeans, gets to school, runs into the school fashionistas, and is slapped with an, “I don’t think you’re supposed to wear white jeans after 1983.” How things have changed! White jeans are having a moment in the spotlight. “I recently chose a pair of white jeans for actor Ananya Panday. White denim is so in,” says stylist Sanjay Kumar Dauhaliya.

When white denim burst on the scene in the ’50s, it was out of rebellion. “The 1950s saw denim banned in some schools [in the US]...for being a bad influence,” mentions the Levi’s India website. The story goes that students then bleached their blue jeans white to find a way around the ban. By the 1960s, however, white jeans had found an icon in former First Lady of the United States, Jacqueline Kennedy. Her slim, ankle-length white denims inspired a cult following.

This season, H&M India has multiple white jeans options for women, from skinny ankle-length to loose boyfriend fits. “White denim is especially popular in the summer,” says Alok Dubey, CEO of the lifestyle brands division at Arvind. The 2019 summer look is all about “mastering the art of denim layering, the cool-and-conscious girl’s take on double denim is achieved through careful co-ordination,” says Dhatri Bhatt, head of communication, H&M, India.

For Dauhaliya, one of the best things about white jeans is that they can be paired with any colour. The flip side? They are less form flattering than a blue or black pair.

A model walks the ramp during a fashion show in Paris in March. (Getty Images)

Wear It Right
For a day look, pair skinny white jeans with a white top or soft pastels. For the evening, choose a darker shade top.

Since white makes one look a little broad, off-shoulder tops work well with white jeans. They add a little volume around the shoulders and have a balancing effect.

While wearing white-on-white, go for neon accessories – sneakers, danglers, a clutch.

White denim miniskirts are also in and are a great summer option.

– Sanjay Kumar Dauhaliya, stylist