ANDRE BEGIN

When it comes to fashion, I couldn’t imagine summer without wearing crisp white shirts, smart pairs of white shorts and sharp pairs of white jeans. To me, they are the perfect neutrals that go with everything in the palette of lighter, brighter seasonal apparel.

This isn’t new. I have a picture from a high school party in which I was wearing white from head to toe. To further accessorize with a dose of humour, I can be seen holding a glass of milk as my beverage of choice, likely because I was the designated driver that night. Outfits like this have been in my repertoire for over 40 years and will likely remain so for years to come.

However, as much as white clothing is versatile, I sometimes question how practical it is.

No matter how careful I am, it seems that I can’t wear an item more than once before it ends up in the laundry hamper. It seems like it’s a “one and done” situation.

For example, just a few days ago, I took out my white shorts in preparation for an appointment on a day that was forecast to be very hot and humid. Yet somehow, in less than half an hour, I succeeded in rubbing up against something, resulting in a faint scuff of dirt on my shorts. I hadn’t even left the house yet!

The last time I wore my white jeans, when I finished lunch, I was horrified to discover a brown stain on the left thigh of my pants. The strangest part was that it didn’t match anything on that day’s lunch menu. Fortunately, by that point, I only had one more stop to make and therefore would not be in circulation for much longer to highlight my infraction to the fashion police. What would I have done had this been the first stop on my trip?

On another occasion, I remember returning home from a full day of errands in the city to discover streaks of dirt around my right hip pocket. I concluded that the staining was likely from sliding my wallet in and out of my pocket throughout the day. So much for looking sharp, crisp and well put together.

Then there was the time I picked up a coffee on the way to work, only to be stuck with a defective cup and lid combination, leading to a major spill on the leg of my white pants. My arrival at the office started with a quick visit to the washroom to rinse out as much coffee as I could, and then wearing soggy pants through an important meeting.

As much as white pants or shorts might be fashion staples, before any summer event, I take a moment to visualize how it might play out to determine how many hazards I may run into.

Will we be sitting on the ground? Will I encounter enthusiastic pets with muddy paws? Will I be taking part in games involving sand, grass or greasy moving parts? Should any of these be part of the festivities algorithm, I may opt for beige or navy instead.

However, I remain undeterred. On days when most predictable hazards are within my control, my aversion to risk may take a back seat in favour of fearlessly going forward and rocking my white pants in celebration of the summer season.

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Have a great day,
André