Ask the Critic: Booth Moore

Question: Are there generally accepted fashion rules -- such as no white shoes before Memorial Day -- that don’t apply in L.A.?

Moore: These days, most style watchers would tell you there are no fashion rules -- anywhere. Denim is inappropriate for the office? Nonsense. Today, jeans can cost as much as a car payment, and look crisp and professional too. No open-toed shoes in the winter? Tell that to the chauffeured set. Dress your age? Well, that would make the whole city of Beverly Hills a fashion offender.

The white fashion dictum, and others like it, dates from Victorian times. Having no natural aristocracy of their own, Americans latched onto etiquette as a class differentiation and a tool to become upwardly mobile, according to Kevin Jones, museum collections manager at L.A.’s Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.

Nowadays it’s acceptable, even encouraged, to wear white in the winter -- regardless of what time zone you live in. But unless you’re investing in regular Mystic Tans, stick to off-white or cream. Expect to pay more for white clothing, because expensive fabrics (e.g. cashmere) look better in white. White button-down shirts and white jeans are staples, and a white purse makes a smart counterpoint to an all-black outfit. But white sandals or pumps rarely look good unless you’re walking down the aisle, which is just about the only place where manners are still sacred.

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