Seasonless White

Color rules are very puzzling to me. Like white, for example. There's that old rule about not wearing white after Labor Day, but...what about winter white? Doesn't winter come after Labor Day?

That's why I don't pay much attention to what colors are trendy. I wear bright colors throughout the year. With dark colors, I wear or avoid them depending on the temperature, not because black has become the new black; I'd hate to cook in the summer, but I'd like to wear black during colder weather in hopes of soaking in all the sun I can. This is about as rule-oriented as I get.

This time, I broke with my own "rule." Two bright white items just caught my eye.

The first is a white leather BCBG handbag with black trim. As with any purchase, there are pros and cons to weigh. This was a splurge that I've been lusting after for a long time. I first saw it in the BCBG outlet store, but the price was too rich for my blood. When I went back a couple of weeks ago, it dropped another $40. When I finally shelled out cash for it, I paid $100. Yup, that's quite a lot, so I better make the most of it. The potential is definitely there--it is the classic yet distinctive bag I've been looking for. The hardware and tassles make it look cute yet sophisticated.


Unfortunately, one of the tassels malfunctioned within the second week I started using it, and I couldn't return the bag because all outlet sales are final. For such an expensive bag, it sure isn't as well-crafted as I thought. The fringed portion became separated from the strip that attaches it to the zipper, since it was held together by a few stitches and a lot of glue. I managed to somewhat fix it, but it's definitely not the same as before. That is disappointing, but since my imperfect patching job isn't very apparent and the bag is otherwise completely functional, I can live with it.

The bag does redeem itself by matching with outfits as good as, and in some cases better than, a black bag. It really goes with just about everything, ranging from casual to dressy:

The bag is particularly striking when coupled with the white jacket I picked up from Forever 21. Since I had some money left on a gift card I got for Christmas, I decided to spend it on something I can wear right away. This means it had to keep me warm. When I first saw this jacket in Forever 21 amongst all the new nautically-inspired Spring items, I knew that this was it. The shiny buttons are simple yet wonderful embellishments.

I wore the jacket right after I got out of the store for a couple of reasons: 1) it was starting to get cold, and I left my jacket in the car; 2) I love it that much. Like the white bag, it works well as a casual or work piece:

(I just had to throw in the last gratuitous shot sans jacket--I love the dressy-casual look.)

Black and white is a simple yet dramatic combo. Standing on its own, white can be as classic as black and can be worn year-round. Notwithstanding the tassel snaggle, I'm happy with my choices.