If your goal when wearing white is to look smart and sophisticated, start with the trousers. As well as being the simplest white item to pull off, they’re also an excellent way to instantly summer-ify an outfit, and have been worn well by everyone from Mr Andrew Garfield on the red carpet to Sir Mick Jagger swaggering down the beach.

Even better, white trousers are also less in danger of splashes and spillages at a sit-down dinner than your top-half (though you’ll still want to cover up your lap with a napkin, just to be sure). The white trousers on show here are from SMR Days, a brand founded in 2020 that’s inspired by Indian craftsmanship, and which makes beach-ready clothes that actually look good – no mean feat. They’re made from organic cotton and have a drawstring waist which, as well as making them comfortable, also lends the look a confidently relaxed air.

When paired with a white linen shirt, a light linen jacket and a pair of fancy polished loafers (J.M. Weston can do no wrong), this is the chilled-out summer wedding outfit that you’ve been looking for.

Since the designer Nigo – famous for founding the streetwear label A Bathing Ape – took on the top job at KENZO in 2021, he has infused the Japanese-Parisian house with a streetwise sensibility that still feels refined. That’s captured nicely in this white chore jacket, which is playfully decorated with the KENZO logo in various Ivy League and nautical-inspired patches.

One of the biggest selling points of white is that, even when given the streetwear treatment as in here, it still looks tasteful. Match the jacket with a white pair of sneakers from visvim and a white bucket hat from nanamica (two more Japanese brands worth bookmarking). Finish it off a pair of orange cargo shorts from MANAAKI serve to make everything feel a little more laid-back.

Oh, and don’t listen to that hackneyed saying about not wearing white after Labor Day – rules like that died out back in the 20th century. Instead, let us propose a new rule for the modern age: for the love of KENZO, don’t wear white to a festival. An outfit like this might be on the easygoing side, but it’s also far too nice to be within splashing distance of mud and beer.

Here it is: the last level. The final snow-down, if you will. Wearing an all-white outfit isn’t for the sartorial wallflower, but get it right and the payoff can be brilliant. To make sure you do it successfully, first pay attention to the different shades of white in the outfit; it helps if they’re a similar colour or fabric, as anything too contrasting and bright can make a slightly creamier shade look faded. With that in mind, it’s generally safest to go for hues that are on the subtly off-white side – such as an ivory or bone.

This linen and cotton-blend jacket from Seoul-based brand Merely Made has a satisfyingly tactile canvas texture, and so will go well with cream canvas trousers like these from Applied Art Forms. By complementing the fabrics and the colours and keeping them in the same wheelhouse, it all feels cohesive. And, by bringing in some jewellery and shoes that have a _tiny _bit of colour (like these New Balance sneakers), the overall effect is of someone completely at ease with wearing white and, crucially, not a cult leader. Though, if you made it this far, consider yourself converted to the all-white cause.