THE WHITE UNIFORM
Top image: PHOEBE PHILO Big trench in salt silk (the belted robe dress is also very chic), chino trousers, ribbed T-shirt and Bombe sunglasses (pre-loved here)
It used to be reserved for beach holidays or peak summer heat only. But instead of reaching for our all-black uniform pretty much every morning, we’ve been moving in the opposite direction. Dare we say it: white might be our new black.
While we’ve been professionally avoiding white trousers and jeans for years, mostly because we’re devoted winter wardrobe lovers and all our accessories and layers always felt far too heavy against them, it seems the times are finally on our side.
White on white has quietly become our new go-to formula. A white bottom paired with a white tank, tee or oversized shirt (these are our favorite T-shirts at the moment). Simple, but the whole thing lives or dies on contrast. Dark leather loafers, or flats under white bottoms. A beaten leather belt and leather handbag. Dark sunglasses (check out Thistles if you haven't yet, we love the newly launched Lex and all their core styles, or any The Row style) and a more structured coat or blazer thrown over. Basically everything we already own, just on a blank slate.
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THE ROW Felixia leather coat (the Clarisa leather coat is doing a lot too), LESET Margo T-shirt, THE ROW Kohana cotton trousers (similar here) and THE ROW Terrasse structured leather tote
The Row was one of the first to bring white layering back in a way that felt genuinely luxurious rather than season-specific, making monochrome dressing feel deliberate again. Their Spring 2026 looks nail the balance we keep chasing: outfits that work across almost every scenario, at home, at the office, slow Sundays and dinner dates. The Row Kohana cotton trousers have us in a chokehold. Dangerously close to pajama pants, but somehow still dinner-worthy with the brand's Liisa kitten heels, or perfectly everyday with a leather slip-on. If you're not always in The Row budget (same), there are solid alternatives. Lara recently picked up the Nando cardigan from Leset, which hits a very similar note, and the matching Nando pants and T-shirt are seemingly everywhere right now.
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The Row Spring 2026 (Left: try the LESET Rio capri. Right: have a look at TOTEME’s relaxed chino trousers and classic tumbled shirt.)
It's Phoebe Philo who got the white jeans back into our closets, and we are grateful. The low crotch on drop jeans is definitely part of the appeal, but the slightly oversized fit on the classic jeans (pre-loved here) is just as right. Really though, it's the contrast styling that makes the whole look land. Without the darker elements, white can tip quickly into too polished, too resort, slightly "rich mom on vacation."
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PHOEBE PHILO classic jeans, also try the PHOEBE PHILO drop jeans or unfold this RÓHE baggy fit jeans
It's hard not to see the '90s and early 2000s in all of this. Old Calvin Klein. Helmut Lang. A clean base, strong contrast and almost zero decoration. A combination that still reads expensive because it relies entirely on proportion, fabric, and fit, not on trend pieces.
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NEEVE Emily long sleeve, PHOEBE PHILO white drop jeans (or try The Row Eglitta or Lemaire mid-rise wide-leg), ARKET split leather belt and THE ROW Penelope mules
It's hard not to see the '90s and early 2000s in all of this. Old Calvin Klein. Helmut Lang. A clean base, strong contrast and almost zero decoration. A combination that still reads expensive because it relies entirely on proportion, fabric, and fit, not on trend pieces.
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Helmut Lang Spring 1998 Menswear
White might technically sit in the same not exactly groundbreaking category as florals in spring. But that familiarity is precisely the point. It doesn't try too hard. A white top with white trousers or jeans can completely shift the feeling of your wardrobe. We ain't fooling anyone, all black isn't going anywhere. But for now, the white uniform is making a surprisingly convincing case for itself.
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The white uniform at Christian Dior Resort 2027 last week, try TOTEME’s relaxed chino trousers or fluid trousers and classic tumbled shirt
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