Style Edit: "It's like wearing clouds"
How To Wear White from head to toe like Ardas Chandra (but you don't have to)
This is a Light Letter on wearing white as a way to brighten up your mood, bring you clarity of mind, and expand your energetic field.
Style Edit is a series about the art of getting dressed for success while maximizing your wardrobe.
Ultimately, I want you to believe in your own potential, and I believe that the way we dress and project ourselves has a lot to do with how we feel and how we can build our self-confidence.
This was Saturday morning, and I was not feeling so great when I decided to take responsibility and switch my mood.
How did I achieve that? It took 10 minutes… I took a shower, did my skincare routine, dressed in full white (white denim jeans, white tank top, white cotton shirt), drank a glass of water, 3 minutes of Breath Of Fire, and here I am writing this Light Letter… feeling inspired to share with you why wearing white works for me, how it makes me feel, with a focus on all the shades between white and ecru + a bonus, where I answer your questions on how to care for your white clothes.
When it comes to wearing white and ecru and anything in between, I can say it has become my energetic signature over the past 5 years, but it was not always the case…
The story
It started with me feeling peer pressured to fit in the group and wear all white… You know, you find yourself in this Kundalini yoga studio, and everyone is wearing white, and you are the Lululemon parisienne vinyasa yoga babe and it is obvious you didn’t get the memo… So what do you do? You go shopping for white clothes during your lunch break to… fit in. Also, back in the day, I had no idea who I was, I was searching for what was true for me, and I was quite confused.
Fitting in (wearing white) vs. standing out was the easiest thing to do… I now came to the realization that when wearing all white out in the world, we actually stand out the most! It gives this human angels vibe.
Anyway. Years went by, and my collection of white, beige, and neutrals expanded, and the last 2 years the focus has been on upgrading the quality of those pieces, and the care I was putting into them (cf. the last section of this post on laundry tips!).
I can say that nowadays, I wear white and neutrals because it feels good to me, and I’ve added recently some more shades to the spectrum because it also feels good to me.
The lesson
The best-kept radiance secret is to feel comfortable in your own skin and do whatever works for you to feel this way. This is true confidence. It’s you walking in the world as you.
In this world, anything is available to you, but it doesn’t mean that everything is meant for you. That’s why, sometimes you see something cute on Instagram, you go get it, and try it, and it looks terrible on you. It was just not meant for you, it was meant for someone else. The good news is that I know there is exactly what is meant for you in the world, and it’s up to you to give it a try. You will know instantly when it “fits like a glove” and “feels like you” that it was meant for you all the way. When you wear something that looks like you, people usually will notice it and say kind words about your look.
I’d be really curious to know what works for you. What’s your ultimate uniform? What makes you feel good and look good?
So, my intention is to share with you what works for me and what is meant for me, and I hope it will inspire you to find what works for you and what is meant for you.
Before we start diving into How To Wear White from head to toe like Ardas Chandra (hahaha), let me tell you about what I consider before making a purchase.
The CPW aka the Cost Per Wear. This is more important to me than the Price Tag (you can even track that with an app, just google it!): you take the price of the item, divided by the number of times you’ve been wearing it. The goal, when having a capsule wardrobe, is to have the lowest CPW possible: you want to wear what you own often because it feels like you. I don’t track the cost per wear, but before purchasing anything, I’d ask myself: “Would I wear it enough that it is worth it?”. I have no problem spending a bigger amount on something if I know that the fit, the feel, the fabric, and the function of the garment will stand the test of time and will still make me feel good in a couple of months or years — that I will get so much wear out of it.
The Mental Load that comes with anything you add and welcome to your life. I’d ask myself: “Do I want to take care of this?” (think, for a garment: laundry, dry cleaning, bobble remover, packing and traveling with it, going to the seamstress, ironing, steaming, finding a space for it, etc.). If I don’t see myself taking good care of it, I just don’t buy it, or if I have it in my wardrobe but don’t want to take care of it anymore, I “rotate” it (I donate it, and replace/upgrade it if I want to) (I absolutely love this preloved platform by the way, called Curate & Rotate, they’re based in the UK, they love independent brands and neutrals, have a look…).
“My favourite things”. My intention is that all I have in my wardrobe is my favourite thing. I decluttered a lot before our recent move, and now I am at a point where everything I have in my wardrobe fits me, I like everything I see, and all of it combine together really well (the benefits of a neutral colour palette). I’d say: “it brings me joy, it lights me up, it gives me energy”
The quickest way to find your next whites is to go to your preferred online store, filter by colour and choose “white, beige” only… You’ll save a lot of time in the research process. And if you want to know what I will be wearing for the season, keep reading.
The White Button-down Shirt
White shirts are a classic, and you can find them at all kinds of price tags, so many details can vary, it’s up to you to see what works for you. What I love about the White Shirt is its versatility. You can tuck them in, half-tuck them in, keep them over your trousers, knot them, roll the sleeves up or keep them down, keep the shirt open and wear the shirt as a jacket, or close it, etc. One piece, so many options. It can literally dress up your outfit or dress it down making it more casual depending on the styling.
To me, the White Shirt is a remembrance of my French boarding school days (I wish I could insert a picture here) when I had to wear a white shirt, a navy skirt, a navy blazer, and loafers 6 days a week for 3 years (between age 17 and 20…). I was definitely fitting in amongst 500 other girls, didn’t feel like myself for years, you know…
The Tank Top
I’m guilty of owning more tank tops than I should, and I do wear them all year round, as a first layer… They made my life as a breastfeeding mother easier than anything else, iykyk.
There is more to read, click on View Full Post !!
The Denim Jeans
It might be for you, or not… I find denim jeans really comfortable and own more white denim jeans than it’s even reasonable to admit… Because when I find one pair I like, I usually buy two of them. Why? Because they are white, and I am a human, things can go wrong… And because it’s not easy for me to find the perfect ones (I’m petite — 1,60m / 5’2”… so I usually buy the ‘ankle length’ or ‘cropped’ ones so that it feels like a full length on me).
“It feels like wearing clouds” kinda feeling
I started to add more and more luxury knits to my wardrobe 2 years ago— and by that I mean beautiful cashmere knits and wool coats (take good care of your knitwear)— and those have been my most worn pieces ever since. So versatile and so comfortable, they also add a layer of “being put together” in my opinion. And if you feel good, you look good (radiance secret, remember?).
For the Spring, I’ll definitely wear a cashmere t-shirt over a tank top, a short wool jacket or a cardigan over anything else (think: silk dresses, but also denim shorts, denim jeans, a basic t-shirt, or the classic combo Shirt + Tank Top + Denim Jeans à la Ardas Chandra).
Bonus — Laundry tips!
“But what about stains, Ardas Chandra? And how do you keep your whites… white?”
Wearing white is an invitation to Pay Attention and be more mindful of what we do (and don’t do… when wearing white).
Here are my laundry tips:
I always have this stain remover pen with me (the same way I carry a lip balm everywhere…)
This is my laundry's best friend for stains.
And yes, I’d wear white most days even with a toddler around.
The best detergent for your white laundry is to be found here and this one is for your wool and cashmere (they will last you 22/25 rounds of washing, that’s less than 1€/wash for a really good laundry product, made in Denmark).
I have their steamer — in color ‘sand’ obviously — steaming is also a good way to freshen up your clothes and make them look beautiful, it is said to kill 99,99% of bacteria.
When washing our white, I would also throw 2 of those laundry white cloths in the machine so that the white keeps its shine.
Turmeric stains from your delicious Golden Mylk? Try to put your white clothes in the sun!! As long as it is linen or cotton, the Sun will take care of it.
Have you ever tried this trick to reset your mood — taking a shower, wearing all white, and drinking a glass of water?
What else are you looking forward to adding to your wardrobe this season?
How do you feel when wearing all white from head to toe?
Infinite blessings, and see you again soon,
Ardas Chandra
For more Style Edits, visit this link (including Spring shoes and bags!):
Thank you for reading, my dear.
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