Did you know you can wear white pants in the fall? It’s just about optimizing the look so you don’t look out of place.
Contrary to popular belief, you can wear white after Labor Day. After all, there is such a thing as winter white. But how soon after can you start wearing it?
Even Emily Post, a much-beloved authority on social behavior from days of yore, said you can wear white clothing any day of the year. Just be sure that it’s appropriate to the occasion or weather.
So, what does this mean when it comes to how to wear white pants in fall? Here’s how to do this stylishly and non-controversially, even when among traditional circles.
Can You Wear White Pants in the Fall?
Yes, since you can technically wear white garments all year long conditionally, this includes white pants. However, there are two conditionals to wearing them in the fall. First, make sure you’re choosing the right shades of white. And second, make sure you’re balancing it out with fall colors.
This is especially important when wearing white pants over a shirt, for example. Pants take up so much visual space on your person.
There are also practical aspects to take into account. For example, thick white denim is ideal on colder days over thinner weaves. White and shades of white are indeed more common in warm months.
So often, many white garments are made to wear lightly and loosely. Avoid those pieces in the colder months.
Alright, let’s talk about styling your white trousers.
How To Wear White Trousers in Fall
First, we’ll answer the question, what are the different shades of white? Then, we’ll go into contextualizing them properly using your other garments with some style tips.
Choose the Right Shade of White
Technically, fall starts on the 22nd of September. However, let’s be real. We go more with what the weather is doing versus the actual solstice date.
In general, you want lighter whites in the beginning of fall and darker whites in the middle of and most of the season. However, if it starts to get especially cold at the tail-end of fall, you can bust out lighter whites again. Winter and holiday whites are appropriate in frosty weather.
Since fall, like spring, is a transitional season, some early days will still feel like summer. Some later days will start to feel like winter.
On the summery early days of fall, you can, of course, continue to wear true white pants and shorts. During fall proper, you’d do well to stick to shades of warm white like ivory, cream, and eggshell.
Towards winter, you can go back to true white. Or, you can go for cooler hues. Shades with pink undertones like porcelain and lace are perfect for the coldest days.
They’re “Christmas whites” and, again, can be worn in late fall when it starts to feel more like winter months. For more details on what to wear in autumn, check out our full fall style guide.
How To Wear White Pants in Fall: Style Tips
As mentioned, at the beginning of the season, some days may feel more summery and others more autumnal. In this situation, layers and accessories are your friends.
Imagine white pants with a light-colored shirt. This might look out of place outside of summer and deep winter. However, pair it with some brown boots and a fall-appropriate scarf, hat, or outer layer. Now, you’re prepared for a potentially summer-like day and fall-like evening.
Consider camel peacoats, brown Chelseas or service boots, knit scarves or scarves in shades of brown, and even workwear-inspired jackets. A utility shirt has the rugged, more structured look you want from your fall wardrobe.
However, different styles come in either lighter or heavier weaves. Another trick for warmer fall days? Go for summery garments in a fall palette.
For example, a camp collar short-sleeve shirt may seem too poolside for September. But, what if you go for one with a pattern or stripe utilizing brown, tan, navy, burnt orange, or rust? Pairing this with white pants would be appropriate in summer or autumn.
For the middle of the season, there are two main ways you can approach incorporating white trousers into your fall outfit. First, you can go for a chic, minimalist, urban look.
Stark white and black lend themselves to this, so it isn’t as difficult. Or, you can go for the more texture-focused traditional look we usually associate fall with.
For the former, my advice is to stick to clean lines for the shirt and pants, and stick to as little color as possible. Then, you can create a dynamic, effortlessly fashionable silhouette with a piece of outerwear.
For example, you can wear white trousers and a cream button-up or even a t-shirt. Then top it off with a trench coat or a leather jacket. Or, go for a black top, white pants, and a camel coat.
This look would work well in fall or winter. If you want to participate in the oversized trend, you might consider cream pants and a slouchy sweater. Heavy knits or alpaca are quintessentially fall. Finish this look off with some sleek boots or Italian loafers.
For a more rugged look, pair your white jeans or khakis with tweed, flannel, scarves, hats, and boots. Think English countryside style. Darker whites, like warm cream and ecru, are best for this approach.
Or, you can choose any shade of white and add seasonality through the style of pants. For example, cargo pants, or any utility style pants really, pair naturally with plaid flannels and chore coats.
Off-white khakis and chinos go well with button-downs and tweed jackets. Loafers would finish this outfit off elegantly. Or, you can go for brogued dress boots to really lean into the season.
And again, winter clothes towards the end of fall are perfectly appropriate. So, if you want to wear white pants with, well, anything towards the end of November, go for it!
White Pants Fall Outfit: Some Examples
Here are some white pants fall outfits to use as inspiration!
Hopefully you can see that there are so many options!
FAQs
Still have questions? Here are answers to a few common ones.
What month do you stop wearing white pants?
Traditionally, you’d stop wearing white pants in September and then wait until winter white season. However, these days, you can wear different kinds of whites all year long conditionally.
What is the rule for wearing white pants?
Technically, you’d stop wearing white, including white pants, after Labor Day. Still, you can go for off-whites, like ecru, in fall without anyone batting an eye.
How do you wear white in autumn?
The best way to do it is by going for creams and warm off-whites. These days, though, you can wear any type of white in autumn. Just contextualize the garment with more fall-oriented palettes.
Conclusion: Not a Taboo Anymore
Really, it’s all about balance. At the end of the day, you can wear whatever you want at any time you want. But why not optimize the look for the season?
Just because the long summer nights fade and as chilly evenings return doesn’t mean that you have to forgo wearing white. Yes, traditionally, wearing white after Labor Day was a no-go. However, these days the “rules” aren’t so stringent.
Off-whites and shades of creme are especially versatile, even in the fall and winter. You can even wear them with “traditional” fall colors, such as oranges and browns. Now that you know how to wear white pants in fall, give it a shot!
Questions? Comments? Let me know below!
