STYLE: FASHION : BEYOND THE PALE

The white clothes of summer look especially interesting this season as designers combine matte and shiny finishes, sheer and opaque fabrics, openwork and tightly woven textures. An outfit that blends cool, chalky whites with warm, creamy vanillas looks freshest. Surface details such as pleats, tucks and fagoting lend linen additional interest. And hemlines, whether to bare knees or cover ankles, don’t matter as long as the clothes possess a clean, breezy chic.