faux pas is french.

Brace yourself people, I’m about to commit a major fashion faux pas.  Side note: Did you know that faux pas literally means stumble or false step in French?  I don’t know why.  Faux means false and pas means not, and when you combine the two that’s what you get.  Did you also know that I speak a little french?  Un tres petit peu, but still.   

It isn’t cold in Arizona.  I know, shocking.  The closest we get to a snow storm here is when I pull out my white linen pants smack dab in the middle of January, pull out your galoshes people, she’s about to break a fashion rule:  The rule: Don’t wear white after labor day.  I was discussing this on the phone with my sister this evening.  Who made this stupid rule anyway?  Perhaps it evolved out of practicality.  Let’s face it, when white gets wet, it’s see through, so if it rains… and speaking of rain, it creates mud, when it get’s colder snow, road salt, yadi yadi yah the list goes on.  I get that.  Is it a color issue?  Like it’s too light for those dark winter months?  Color classification?  Because that, is just stupid.  I understand why we have them though.  I mean nobody wants to look like January in July or visa versa.  But, I believe white is immune to color classification.  So I decided to veto this rule today and wear my white pants anyway.

I’m committing several no-no’s with this outfit.  First, the aforementioned “no white post-labor day” rule.  Second, mothers of small children generally don’t wear white pants, they are kind of a death trap for goopy fingers, snotty noses, and those lovely little black car mark stains you get from leaning in to buckle up the babies.  And third, I’m short and I’m wearing wide leg white pants.  Enough. Said.

But I think it works anyway, and let me tell you why. (Or you can just see for yourself, that’s why I posted a bunch of pictures)  First, I don’t think the “no white after labor day rule” applies when it’s 65 degrees outside, which by the way, it is.  I’m calling immunity, due to the fact that we have perfect weather right now.  But as long as there is no slushy, muddy, wet, snowy etc. mess to deal with, I think you can pull them off too.  The key, I’ve found it what you pair it with.  If I paired these white linen pants with a hot pink shirt, then yes, I would be screaming June.  A navy tee, plum sweater, once again that fabulous scarf, and a pair of matching ballet flats keep the outfit rooted in the season.  The white puts a crisp edge on the deep winter colors.  And I personally like the contrast.  Secondly, I was careful all day.  That’s pretty much my only defense.  At any moment my outfit could have ended in a stained disaster, but I was willing to take that risk people!  And it didn’t.  Well, for the most part…but more on that later.  Third, wide leg pants make the short look shorter.  Especially white, wide leg pants.  Yes this is true.  I probably to look wider, but these pants also make me look skinnier from the side, and I like them and I feel lean when I wear them, so it’s okay.  It’s all about finding your chi with your clothes, and I have found mine with these pants.  So I say… WEAR ON.