All-White Outfits Are Summer’s Most Popular And Unlikely Trend – Here’s How To Do It The Easy Way

The Cannes Film Festival is always a good litmus test for what trends will fly this summer. And while it doesn’t exactly score high on the relatability scale in terms of style, what with conical bras (Alexa Chung), straw hats the size of beach umbrellas (Anya Taylor-Joy) and sculpted leather bustiers (Michelle Yeoh), there was one flex that caught our eye for being aspirational yet appropriate if you’re commuting instead of sampling the sea air on La Croisette. Wearing head-to-toe white.

It was the unofficial dress code at the photocall for Kinds Of Kindness, the next hot ticket from director Yorgos Lanthimos. Hunter Schafer's Prada outfit resembled an update on a traditional milkmaid’s uniform of a bow-tied apron skirt and bandana. Finishing the look with oval sunglasses, her only concession to colour was a pair of steel blue satin pumps.

Other more off-duty examples came from Lily Gladstone, who paired a white shirtdress with oxblood horse-bit loafers by Gucci, and Selena Gomez, whose pearly two-piece was actually a knitted dress by Self-Portrait. Both outfits proved that while it might not be the most wearable shade, nothing hits quite like white, especially if looking ‘put together’ is on your agenda. So how do you pull it off in everyday life?

According to Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, by mixing your creamy shades, wearing, say, white wide-leg trousers with an ecru handbag (hers is Saint Laurent). Attention to detail is key - note how she's painted her toenails the same optic white as her barely-there sandals - but you can also break the rules ever-so-slightly, styling your monochrome look with a tan belt and tinted aviator shades.

If you're new to wearing top-to-toe colour, a white button-down is a good starting point, either as a shirtdress, a supporting act to a printed skirt or a beach cover-up over a bikini. A pair of white jeans, the summer upgrade your denim wardrobe deserves, is another excellent gateway. Style them with a simple white tee or vest top, adding suede trainers or a baseball cap for a pop of colour. For a more immersive take on the trend, it’s got to be a sundress, either structured in cotton-poplin or one that breezes over the body in linen. Meghan Markle slipped on a strapless white column dress as part of her Nigeria ‘tourdrobe’, but also packed sharp power tailoring by Altuzarra. (A slim-fit white trouser suit can look too ‘done’, so opt for an oversize cut with slightly flared or wide-leg trousers.)

Something else she probably carried at all times? A stain remover pen that you can slip in your pocket for emergencies. Trust us, if wearing top-to-toe white is your style personality for summer 2024, you’re going to need it.

Grazia's Fashion Assistant, Gavi Weiss's Festival Outfit Picks (as seen on Grazia Style Clinic):

Shop: The Best Building Blocks For All-White Outfits

Natalie Hammond is Grazia’s Senior Fashion News Editor. She loves winter, hates summer and can often be found writing about the weather (and what on earth to wear).