White as snow: The icy cool potential of fashion’s purest hue

Deceptively, white is one of fashion’s most complex colours. Not just a blank canvas, white delivers so much more. It is loaded with symbolic weight, from icy sharpness to bridal romance. From bone to pearl, snow to ivory, it is far more than just the straightforward hue it appears, with a full palette of possibilities. There is depth to white, so, this season, pick your fighter: crisp cleanness or snowy softness?

This winter, white gets a makeover as your surprisingly practical colour of choice. Banish fears of spilling with some of the most durable, technical pieces to see you through the colder months. Isabel Marant’s brilliant white cargo pants fit the bill (and make a nod to Y2K style) or take your cues from Michael Kors’ sophisticated yet sumptuously durable shearling overcoat.

Stylish and pragmatic was also the brief for Baum und Pferdgarten’s Colgate white puffer coat, Colville’s statement maxi puffer and Isabel Marant’s creamy latte-hued cropped number. The puffer was big news on the runway this season with Sacai serving up a masterclass in how to make bold quilted puffers chic and Roksanda producing a surprising collaboration with sportswear brand Fila, resulting in Crayola-bright sporty takes on her signature brand of colour block elegance. Bring it bang on trend by choosing yours in the most dazzling of wintery whites.

Choose your accessories similarly. House of Dagmar’s knitted wool cape and Totem’s wool shawl are equally perfect for adding a splash of the pearlescent to a winter staple. Keep harsh Arctic winds at bay (and away from your skincare regime’s latest output) with the dapper combo of La Collection’s milky cream balaclava and beret.

Tie it all together with some contrasting sneakers. The technical, mixed colour design of this MM6 Maison Margiela x Saloman pair is the ideal choice for adding a modern flair to any winter wonderland ensemble.

As well as balancing your accessories, balance your proportions. Take your cues from the gorgeously inventive shapes at Comme des Garçons and Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood this season and take white to new depths with playful accents and dynamic sizing. Christopher Kane’s fringed blouse partners sharp tailoring with delicate tactility, Chloe’s cut-out dress poises a soft wool base with leather sleeves, while Loewe’s draped dress adds Grecian drama to a pure white base.

Pump up the volume with oversized knitwear like Loewe’s delightfully outsized woollen sweater with collar and Isabel Marant’s spirited knitted dress. Fully embrace this energy with the dramatic scope of Dries Van Noten’s pearl white coat.

While the all-white look was deployed beautifully at Jacquemus this season, do play with white’s palette and don’t be afraid of mixing both tonal and contrasting colours. Nanushka’s knitted turtleneck dress and patterned knit trousers embrace a buttercream white, perfect for a monotone look or for adding a warmer hued complexity to an all-white look.

It was this kind of snappy tonal dressing we saw at Hermes on the AW22 catwalks, where softer greys, browns and beiges achieved a similar effect. Take inspiration from this, and don Dior’s cashmere net top in a soft stony taupe or Lilyem Knitwear’s faun knitted balaclava.

Meanwhile, white can be brought into affecting sharp relief when paired with black. Monochrome was scattered throughout the runways this season, in punchy vinyl at Marc Jacobs, classic touches at (where else?) Chanel and with disco sequined flair at Givenchy.

The black chain-pattern motif which zigs across Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini’s elegant white overcoat adopts this trend marvellously, Loewe’s simple black woollen trousers prove the perfect neutral for playing with snowy shades and nothing adds a touch of drama like Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini’s black leather gloves.

So, make it a whiteout this winter in this season’s surprisingly practical and versatile colour.