What to Wear When the Invite Says "White Attire Only"

It's a summertime fantasy for the ages: lounging on a rooftop with a tropical drink in hand and chatting it up in a sea of crisp, white outfits. Summer soirées are a dime a dozen, but there's always an air of sophistication when it comes to an all-white party.

It's natural to stress when a party invitation with a special dress code attached hits your inbox. Be it cocktail, beach casual, or festive attire, it's not always easy to interpret exactly how to look. But there's particular stress brought on when that RSVP includes a specific "white attire only" outfit protocol. We assume the least clumsy and most bold-color-averse people might like the challenge, but for anyone else, a dose of inspiration helps.

That said, the looks ahead offer several different ways to interpret the famed white-from-head-to-toe dress code from a creative and fresh perspective. So whether your white-attire party takes place on a yacht, on a chic hotel rooftop, or in the basement of your favorite neighborhood bar, consider yourself thematically covered.

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(Image credit: @camillecharriere)

With craftcore's big splash happening right now, an elevated crochet pant set feels just right.

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(Image credit: @emmanuellek_)

For an avant-garde look, layer a playful crop top over textured high-waist shorts.

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(Image credit: @hannamw)

This modern, anti-body-con silhouette and these strappy heels feel totally effortless and chic.

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(Image credit: @cassdimicco)

Matching sets always come in clutch for big party moments. 

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(Image credit: @michelleinfusino)

Pull out a cool set of pearls to dress up a simple knit bralette and high-waist trousers. 

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(Image credit: @_marisamartins_)

Unique details, like this wrap effect and the skinny straps, add something special to an otherwise basic ensemble.

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(Image credit: @itsreallynana)

This floppy hat might be breaking the rules, but we think it's worth it. 

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(Image credit: @taniasarin)

You're sure to adhere to the party's dress code in head-to-toe white—including your heels.

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Fashion Market Editor

Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. While going to school at Columbia University in New York City, she got her feet wet in the fashion industry interning at Elle magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and New York magazine's The Cut. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. There, she worked on a multitude of projects, including styling inbook feature stories for New York magazine's print issue, writing and pitching market stories for The Cut, and serving as fashion lead for The Cut's branded content. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter. Now she is a fashion market editor for Who What Wear, focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her duties as a fashion market editor, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times. But once the computer goes down and the emails turn off, she's likely eating her way through Koreatown, hunting down vintage furniture, scoping out new outrageous nail designs to try, or taking a hot cycling class.