All-white doesn’t necessarily mean all-white

Minnetonka's Warwick sandal, $45.95 at shoemall.com

A casually yet stylishly dressed gentleman approached me in a restaurant the other day, introduced himself as a cousin of a friend of mine, and asked if he must dress completely in white for an all-white party he was planning to attend.

White patent leather Blake bag, $645 at kooba.com

My answer was, and is, no. But my rationale requires a bit of unpacking. Yes, it would be appropriate for him to wear monochromatic, head-to-toe white for the occasion. But he would not be wrong to sport black or colored stitching in a white shirt or pants, a hint of subtle color in the ensemble, or even sand or light tan footwear.

The same applies to women. Uninterrupted white is boring, clinical, even unnatural. It requires no imagination, creativity or thought. That’s not what getting dressed for a party is supposed to be all about.

It’s easy to honor an all-white dress code in principle without looking literal. While your primary pieces - pants, shirt, skirt, dress, suit- can be white, details such as stitching, buttons and trim can introduce a little color to give your look some depth and structure.

Summer is the best time to bring out the white. Just one piece can jazz up and freshen up a look. White is so strong that it pulls the eye, so it has maximum effect when worn one piece at a time. Check out the pieces shown here.

Click on the Kipling, Ecko and Tyrwhitt photos to shop

Marc Ecko "Fidel" hat

Kipling wristlet

Men's poplin slimfit shirt and women's tailored stretch shirt by Charles Tyrwhitt