You Should Really Try Lady White Co.'s Clothing in Person
Making normal clothing is a thankless job. Whereas our social media-driven culture is quick to celebrate, deride, or at least emote over a flashy clothing collection or ultra-stylized lookbook, simple stuff doesn't translate quite as well to the infinite scroll.
But you can tell the difference between a Lady White Co. garment and any ol' "elevated basics."
Plenty of low-key labels are like this, where their quality clothes aren't exactly the sort of thing that pops off your phone screen but are very much eyebrow-raising IRL.
I've said this before about Lady White (several times, actually) but there's really no one else doing what it does.
Especially in America, it's so rare for a domestic clothing brand to make its stuff not just within the country, but locally at that: nearly everything Lady White produces, save for its Japanese-made socks, is made of cotton grown in North Carolina and finished in Los Angeles near Lady White's headquarters and stylishly simple store.
This is the kind of hands-on craft that's belied, on a surface level, by the understated stuff that Lady White specializes in.
Indeed, at first blush, it's easy to underrate these heavy hoodies, long-sleeved polo shirts, and ribbed knitwear as the same sort of shrug-on-and-go staples.
But imagine stumbling across any of it at a vintage store: you won't find Lady White there but will uncover some examples of the retro sportswear that directly inspired so much of the brand's wares.
That's certainly better context for positioning the perfectly old school cuts and unassuming appearance of Lady White's clothing, though it would certainly prove jarring to compare Lady White's exquisite finishing and premium textiles to the ragged stuff that used to pass for everyday essentials.
The Fall/Winter 2022 collection is as no-nonsense as anything else that Lady White's ever done, with washed zip hoodies that're heavy enough to feel like insulating armor and elasticated slacks with elastane stretch for daily ease.
All of these velvet shackets, thick jersey quarter-zips, and pajama-y overshirts offer carefree comfort that disguises the careful construction and fabrication, which often demands multiple rounds of experimental sampling and washing to meet Lady White's exacting specifications.
But the results are worth it. And, really, they make more sense in-person.
