Going to London in august. will be visiting family. do people wear white slacks at all in the city? (will have access to washing machine).
thanks

Based on multiple visits - including one I returned from last week - white is fine in the summer - no one will ridicule you. Just be aware that for the young trendoids - it really must be black.

That is so not true...sorry I had to chip in. There have been a lot more white tailored trouser suits for women in the shops this summer. My friend wore a white linen suit out to dinner this weekend. Why would white be naff? I live in Dublin and we are not all dressed like we go to funerals every day!

P.S.funny comment someone said to me last night at the afters of a wedding. Sh was shocked to see most of the women in Black at a wedding in the USA this year she thought it would be more colourful like an Irish wedding!

Joanel- Just came back from London (July) and everyone wore dark pants. I felt fine in my white pants in France but upon arriving in London it seemed that most people wore jeans and dark slacks. Just remember that it is usually a bit cooler and sometimes cloudy.

Hi Siobhan:

I attend more weddings than would be considered healthy, usually one or two a weekend in the summer. OK, I'm either playing at the ceremony, the reception or both. It does seem that balck has gotten a bit more popular with women although we see everything including a male member of the wedding party in jeans and a dirty ball cap.

I'm not sure what has made black a bit more popular (other than its slimming effect), but it seems that many of the dresses are something that could be worn again outside the wedding as opposed to those strange nylon things that were so popular for a while. There were some pretty wild colors for those.

Bill

My dear, wear your white pants,

Joanel, it really depends on the weather. If it's sunny and warm, then white would look terrific. On the other hand, if it's dull and rainy then something darker would be better.

I try not to wear white or light pastels in London, not because of fashion, but because of practicality. They will basically be a one-wearing item.

We also have access to a washer/dryer unit in our timeshare but the dryer part of it never works correctly and I've had some trouble with white clothes turning blue (don't know why?? guessing it's the differences in laundry detergents??)

I prefer to pack clothes I can get more use out of. (I know this will freak out mk2 - sorry!)

Gosh, I hear a lot of rubbish talked about clothing sometimes.

You can walk down the street in a bikini in August in London and no one would bat an eyelid. People wear every which shape colour you name it.

People going to work may be dressed more formally which is where, I presume, people get these weird ideas that Londoners only wear black, but honestly, it's boiling hot at the moment (for us anyway - 80s most days), and if I look round my office I can see white black, orange, red, beige, denim skirts, green vests, more flipflops than you'd see on the average beach, including on the men.

I'm wearing rusty orange coloured Thai fishermen's trousers with a black vest at work today, so trust me, your white pants will look positively bland in comparison.

I'm with Siobhan on this one, I think Londoners and Dubliners dress quite alike.

Kate
London

Isn't it funny what people seem to think Londoners wear? I don't mean to sound harsh but as Kate says, you can wear anything you want to, no-one will take a blind bit of notice!!As already mentioned, people tend to wear black more for work, so this is why you see predominantly black and dark colours in the City along with suits and more formal clothes.

..be comfortable..but i never wear a very light pair of pants in a big city except out to dinner (both in europe or NA..just find things get dirty..i am not one for spending a lot of time on domestic chores so unless i am staying with friends (and can toss stuff into the washer) or feel particularly flush and am willing to pay for hotel laundry, i do not pack any light colors except tops with i can hand wash or "glad rags".

It is true that you will find people wearing everything imaginable in London. However, if your question was more in regard to current trends, white is quite fashionable at the moment. I noticed lots of white (including trousers)in London recently. The only rule is please wear appropriate pants underneath!

it's not practical. i love london but it is a dirty city. just the air will turn those prized white slacks a nice brown or grey. never mind if you want to go to a pub or sit on a bench or the grass in teh park. even with a washing machine why not be a bit more practical.

I am living in Florida and I wouldn't wear white slacks here LOL
Khaki maybe or beige, but stark white?
I always wear black when I travel just so I don't have to think! Every top goes with black bottoms. It is just easier.
But, if you are really attached to your white slacks, then wear them! No one will tell you to go home and change
Enjoy yourself! I miss London~

Any white I wear on the bottom, in any city, never stays white for long!
I wouldn't wear white on a trip, even if I had access to laundry facilities... I'd be wasting precious sightseeing time doing the wash. And esp. in London you'll find that things get dirty faster.

But if, unlike me, you can keep them looking white for longer than 15 minutes, go ahead and wear them!

"You can walk down the street in a bikini in August in London and no one would bat an eyelid."

Except for 90% of the men.

I love white slacks in summer, but no longer wear them for traveling. They just get dirty too fast.

When you're using public transportation, resting on outdoor benches, sitting at outdoor cafes, black slacks are just more practical.