The summer wardrobe
White Pants,
Different Plans
Colour, fabric and the fit that makes you want to wear them.
A guide from the Weekends fitting room
White pants for summer have been coming up in our conversations in-store. But once we start looking at the options, the question becomes more specific: which white pants?
A pair to wear with your everyday shirts. White jeans to replace your usual blue denim. Or flowing pants and a beautiful top for an occasion when you would rather not wear a dress.
The colour may be the same, but what you need from each pair is different. Start with how you want to wear them, then choose the shape and fabric.
Colour and styling – Let white bring out the colour
Think of the bright shirt you love but rarely wear, or the printed blouse you always put with black. White pants give you another way to wear those pieces.
Azure blue against white makes the colour the focus of the outfit. Raspberry, coral, tangelo orange and fresh green offer other directions, while navy gives a clear contrast.
You don’t need matching shoes and accessories; let the top carry the colour. With a print, look at the outfit as a whole. White pants can give the pattern space without requiring every colour in it to match something else. White on white is another option. Compare the textures and shades in daylight: a cotton shirt and flowing pant can bring interest through their different finishes.
STYLING TIP
Before choosing your pants, picture two tops and a pair of shoes you already own that you would wear with them. That gives the purchase a place in your wardrobe.
Start with the shape you enjoy wearing
You don’t need to choose a different silhouette simply because you are buying white. A shape you already enjoy is a useful starting point.
Slim
A slim pant follows the leg more closely. It is an option when you like a narrower line beneath longer shirts and tops worn untucked. Check that you have comfortable room through the hips, thighs and calves, including when seated.
Straight
A straight leg gives you less narrowing towards the hem. Try it if a tapered pant feels too close around the lower leg, or if you prefer a straighter line beneath your tops.
Tapered
A tapered pant narrows towards the ankle. It can give you the combination of room higher through the leg and a neater finish at the hem. The amount of room varies between styles, so compare the whole fit.
Wide
A wide leg brings more volume to the outfit. Look at how the fabric falls from the hips and how the top sits above it. A shorter top, an untucked shirt or a small front tuck are all possibilities—choose the proportion you enjoy.
Cropped and capri lengths
Length is a separate decision from leg shape. A cropped pant can be slim, straight, tapered or wide.
If you want something shorter while keeping your knees covered, look at a capri length. Check the hem on your body when standing and sitting, then try it with your intended shoes.
Joseph Ribkoff options
Joseph Ribkoff gives you different starting points depending on the silhouette you prefer.
The Wonder Pant 144092 and 201583 in Millennium fabric have the same shape in different fabrics. If you enjoy that slim silhouette, the comparison is about how the fabric feels, falls and works with your tops.
The Wonder Pant’s pull-on construction keeps the front simple, which is useful beneath shirts and tops you prefer to wear untucked.
In our fitting-room experience, Joseph Ribkoff’s white pants offer reassuring coverage, particularly in Millennium fabric. It is one reason we discuss fabric as well as shape when helping someone choose white pants.
For women who prefer a wider silhouette, the Classic Wide Leg Pant 153088 provides another option. Compare it with your usual shirts and blouses, paying attention to the fall of the leg and the length with your shoes.
Fitting Room Tip
Try the different fabrics or shapes with the same top. You can see what the pants change about the outfit without changing everything at once.
Cotton-rich Mela Purdie pants
When you want coverage on a hot summer day, the fabric makes a difference.
Summer pants that still feel properly dressed
When you want coverage on a hot summer day, the fabric makes a difference. These Mela Purdie pants use cotton-rich stretch Microprene, combining a smart, polished finish with flexibility for sitting, walking and getting on with your day.
That is their appeal: white pants you can wear with a simple tee without the outfit feeling too casual, or with a shirt when you want to look a little more dressed.
The Nomad Pant, Cropped Pant and Cropped Zip Cargo offer different shapes and lengths. Comparing them helps you find the fit you enjoy, rather than choosing by fabric alone.
Nomad or Cropped: which shape feels right?
The Nomad tapers through the leg, while the Cropped Pant has a straighter line. They fit differently, so one may sit more comfortably on your body or work better beneath your favourite tops.
If you find a tapered leg catches where you want more room, try the straight shape. If you prefer the leg to narrow towards the ankle, start with the Nomad.
Check the waist, hips and thighs when seated as well as standing. The difference is about how the whole pant fits you.
A shorter pant that still covers the knees
The Cropped Zip Cargo gives you a capri-length option when you want something shorter while keeping your knees covered. Its cargo pockets and adjustable hem details add interest to an outfit built around a plain top.
Check where the hem finishes on you, including when seated, so you get the coverage you want.
STYLING ROOM TIP
Try each shape with the same shirt and shoes. You will see what the pants change about the outfit—and which pair feels most like you.
Pants for an occasion
When the fabric does the flowing
If you would rather wear pants to an event, consider what movement and fabric can bring to the outfit.
Mela Purdie’s Japanese technical Maché gives the Pace Pant and Soft Capri their fluid fall. That flow is part of their appeal with a dressier blouse: the outfit moves with you, and the separates can be worn again in other combinations.
The Pace Pant offers a straight leg. The Soft Capri has a tapered, cropped silhouette. Choose the line you prefer, then look at how your top and pants fall together.
With the Pace, try a fluid blouse. With the Soft Capri, compare a longer top and a shoe that leaves the cropped hem clear.
For a wedding, follow the couple’s dress code and colour requests. If white is not appropriate, use the same approach to build an outfit in another colour.
Styling tip: Choose the whole outfit together. The neckline, sleeves, top’s hem and shoes all affect how the separates work.
Relaxed summer days
White pants for everyday plans
For casual summer dressing, consider how much adjustment you want through the waist and length.
The Lania Port 7/8 Pant combines an elasticated waist and adjustable drawcord with a relaxed cropped leg. Its cuff can be worn up or down, giving you two ways to finish the outfit.
Wear it with a shirt left loose, or a tee that allows the drawcord to show.
The benefit is having a relaxed option you can build around familiar tops.
The Lania LTL Cuffed Short in White is an alternative for days when you prefer shorts. Compare it with the same tops so you can see which length suits your plans.
Fit and coverage advice
Sometimes, try a size up
STYLING ROOM TIP
If you are concerned about show-through in a slimmer white pant, we sometimes try the next size up, where the cut allows.
A little more space between the body and fabric can help. The waist still needs to fit properly, and the larger size should retain the shape you want. It won’t make every fabric opaque.
Check white pants in good light, from the front and back, with the underwear you intend to wear. Look at pocket outlines and any areas where the fabric pulls across the body. Sit down and move around before deciding.
Can I wear white pants to a wedding?
Follow the couple’s dress code and colour requests. If white is welcome, consider flowing pants with a blouse and shoes chosen for the occasion. Otherwise, build the same kind of outfit in another colour.
Which of these pants is The Least See Through?
The millenium fabric in Joseph Ribkoff is the least see through, however because the Mache pants by mela purdie are away from the body they are also less see through.
How do I check whether white pants are see-through?
Try them in good light with your intended underwear. Check front and back, pocket outlines and areas where the fabric stretches. Sit and move as well as standing still.
Should I go up a size in white pants?
If the cut allows, trying the next size can create more space between the body and fabric in a slimmer style. Compare both sizes and keep the one with a comfortable waistband and the shape you want. Sizing up won’t make every fabric opaque.
Do you carry Plus Sizes in White Pants?
Lania The Label only goes through to a size 18. Joseph Ribkoff and Mela Purdie manufacture through to a size 24. However, Whilst we carry these sizes in Black and Navy, White is a special order item. Please talk to our staff who can help you choose the best style and size for your body sahpe.
Do You Have Other White Pants and Jeans
Yes we do! This is just a small selection of Products which we generally have in stock at all times.