Everyone knows that the prettiest scraps of winter are the precious snow days. At this time of year, when it feels like we’ve been scurrying around in near-constant darkness like moles for as long as we can remember, we crave the brightness you get with snowfall – and the glamour of it, too. The disco-ball sparkle of frost is a counterpoint to chapped lips and three-week sniffles that won’t budge.
We can’t make it snow, but we can create our own little flurry. A pop of snowy white is the best boost you can give an outfit right now. White is to January what rust and orange are to October: a colour pulled from nature to remind us of the best bits of the season. After all, autumn has grey skies and muddy puddles too, but we ignore them and lean into its gorgeous falling-leaf colours instead.
The same trick works when we’re in deep midwinter: a burst of white somewhere on your outfit feels like snowflakes, or the first cluster of nodding snowdrops. A reminder to focus on the positive. At a time when life can feel like a bit of a slog, you’ve got to celebrate the small wins to stay sane.
Adding a splash of white to a winter look instantly shifts the vibe. Our clothes may be heavy, by necessity, because we need to stay warm, but we don’t want the vibes to be too heavy, right? A flash of white lightens the mood.
A pair of white ankle boots that I bought a few years ago have been one of those seemingly frivolous purchases that turns out to be unexpectedly useful. I was seduced by their skating-rink energy. (Actual ice skating is my idea of hell – I’m the one hanging on to the edge for dear life – but I am very much here for it as a winter aesthetic.)
But you can microdose your whites however you fancy. If you want to channel Cameron Diaz in The Holiday, a white knitted beanie is your pal. But a sock is (as so often) a chic place to start. White socks might sound a little school uniform, but they sharpen the grammar of your look. That they are equal parts nerdy and chic is exactly the tension that makes an outfit interesting. Worn with dark trousers and loafers, the glimpse of ankle-level brightness shifts the energy of an otherwise moody outfit, like the dazzle of sunlight on an icy pavement. Let them peek out unapologetically; the visible contrast is the point here.
It is too cold to wear just a shirt or T-shirt, of course, but a crisp, white button-down shirt, or simple white long-sleeve T-shirt, is useful as a supporting player. Winter outfits tend to be boxy, with lots of blocky shapes, but if you wear your shirt beneath a sweater and let the tails sweep loose, the fluttering hems will add a poetic touch.
Not everyone likes wearing shirts, though. I know lots of people who find them too formal, or a lot, what with all their buttons and bits and pieces, and they prefer a sleek crew neck as a bottom layer. If this is you, the thing to do is to wear your T-shirt under a sweater that reveals a half moon of bright white at the neckline. This tiny, almost accidental-looking detail brightens your look the way a squeeze of lemon or a pinch of salt perks up a dish. The flash of white aerates the outfit, somehow making it breezier, like a lungful of cold fresh air.
But, just as when adding lemon or salt, be judicious. Head-to-toe white takes your look to a completely different zone: more playful, more whimsical. To keep the vibe grounded, the perfect recipe is around one part white to five parts dark.
The days are short, the weather is downright rude, and there are crumpled tissues in every coat pocket. But add a pop of white, and you will look – and maybe even feel – a little sunnier. Why wait for a snow day when you can make your own?
Model: Orla at Milk. Styling assistant: Charlotte Gornall. Hair and makeup: Delilah Blakeney using Moroccanoil and Charlotte Tilbury. Earrings, £160, and ear cuff, £130, all Otiumberg. Coat, £339, Whistles. Rugby shirt, £89, The White Company. Jumper, £45, John Lewis. Trousers, £99, and shoes, £179, both Arket
