The Natural

It's cloudy outside and has been threatening to rain all day, but now that we're about to roll into May, which will certainly end much warmer than it begins, the men's magazines say it's time to break out the white pants, particularly white jeans.

I came around to white jeans a couple of years ago, though I much prefer off-white, cream, or "natural" to white. I found an inexpensive pair at Target and have worn them to work and on a few social occasions. The only thing I didn't like about them was that the leg openings were too wide. 9" works best for me with most pants and jeans, but these are 9-3/4", which easily gets floppy. I'm not sure it's worth it to have them tapered below the knees, but I could at least ask Mr. Lee what it would cost.

Meanwhile, though, I found another pair last year on eBay. They're Polo, exactly like the blue ones that I've searched for and acquired over the years, only off-white, and the leg openings are the right width. They were too long, but that was easily fixed by the tailor.

They go with pretty much anything, though I think they look best with a colorful button-front shirt such as a madras plaid or a bright stripe. Also, you need to think about what shoes you'll be wearing. It's probably better to stay away from boots or black shoes, anything too severe; you may see that sort of combo on a fashion-show runway, but it will almost certainly not look as good out in the real world.

I would humbly suggest a loafer or plain-toe lace-up in saddle tan, which is a good warm-weather choice for work outfits, or you could go with a pair of white or tan suede bucks, which are versatile and have had a resurgence in popularity. For nonwork settings, it's hard to beat a pair of classic canvas sneakers like Jack Purcells (you can find a good piece about canvas plimsolls over at Put This On).