White Nights

Wearing white at night is seductive and confident, whether in a gown or sexy silk pajamas. White counters the shadow of dark times, notable in the slinky white evening dresses of 1930s movies. Coco Chanel seems to have set the trend, wearing white beach pajamas on the Venice Lido, white for tennis, white for yachting, white satin and pearls at parties. To quote the glib designer, “Women think of every color, except the absence of color.” White has “an absolute beauty. It is perfect harmony. Dress women in white or black at a ball: they are the only ones you see.” (Read more in Justine Picardie’s Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life).

Lingerie designer Olivia von Halle’s fabulous white pajamas take inspiration from Chanel and are, in fact, titled Coco. Their slinky yet “borrowed from the boys” insouciance, in either silk or cotton, improve the evening outlook. Be Carole Lombard in My Man Godfrey or Myrna Loy in The Thin Man.

And, speaking of Hollywood glamour, a glance at Loveday London’s Lysander Silk and Leather Chemise verifies the impact of white. So stunning, worn at home or abroad, under or over. Try it with jeans and heels or just with a cocktail. You’ll shine, they’ll swoon.

The allure of white, with its classic cool, pulls you into the darker seasons, lighting up the night.