Style Hunt: Off-White Jeans

A casual wardrobe ensemble with off-white jeans. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Jeans are the answer! What was the question again? 😆 Seriously though, jeans are one of the cornerstones of my wardrobe. I find them easy to style, and appropriate for casual to smart-casual occasions.

Left: Earrings | Top | Bracelet | Sandals
Middle: Scarf | Jeans
Right: Earrings | Top | Bracelet | Sneakers

The Case For White & Off-White Jeans

White jeans look fresh and often more polished than blue, and can be a great way to add some lightness and variety to your denim wardrobe. And yes, you can wear them year round! But pure white can feel a little harsh for those of us with warmer or softer coloring. Ever since my color analysis with Red Leopard, I’ve been on the lookout for off-white jeans.

While not as prevalent as white, I’ve begun seeing more ecru, bone, cream, and off-white jeans in current collections. For this roundup, I’ve included styles without obvious distressing, and with a bit more ease than skinnies.

The Contenders…

J.Crew garment dyed vintage straight leg jeans ecru (off-white). Details at une femme d'un certain age.

A nice, straightforward jean that’s not too cropped, and reasonably priced. (I have these on order, will report back.) Sizes 23-32.

Chico's So Slimming Girlfriend jeans in Coconut. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Many of you have recommended these Chico’s So Slimming Girlfriend Jeans. This color (Coconut) is a slightly softer, muted white. Offered in Regular, Petite and Tall lengths, sizes 00 (0-2) to 4 (20).

Gap high rise curvy cheeky jeans ecru. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Here’s a budget-friendly pair, offered in Regular, Petite and Tall lengths, sizes 24-35.

Everlane summer jean in Bone. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Though these look white in the online image, the color (“Bone”) is actually slightly off-white. I haven’t yet tried these, but they are well reviewed for comfort and style. Sizes 23-33, and reviews say the fit is “relaxed.”

Everlane Cheeky Straight jean in Bone. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Also well-reviewed is this “Cheeky Straight” style (also in Bone). This one’s offered in three lengths (Ankle, Regular, Tall) in sizes 23-35.

Levi's 501 Crop Jeans in Neutral Ground. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Had to include at least one pair of Levi’s. (The inseam on these is 26.5″, so they may not be as cropped on many of us as on the model.)

Athleta straight leg jeans in Bone. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Though shown cuffed here, these are actually an ankle-length jean. Offered in Regular, Petite, and Tall lengths, sizes 0-16. And they’re 25% off through 4/20.

Citizens of Humanity Elsa jeans in Sea Salt. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Finally, this pair is a bit more spendy, but the fabric has just enough stretch to be comfortable while still being substantial. The “Sea Salt” color is a soft, slightly creamy white.

Do you have white or off-white jeans in your wardrobe? Do you wear them year-round?

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25 Comments

  1. Hi Susan,
    I have the first pair of off white jeans. I bought them to replace some jeans from many years ago. First, I ordered two sizes. They do run a little big. Off white and white jeans are a staple in my wardrobe so I may keep both pairs. One for a more fitted look the other for a more loose fit.

    Also I’ve enjoyed your work from home outfits. I’m a part time resource teacher and loved coming home and transitioning from teacher me, to home me by changing into lounge wear. Now that I’m only home me I’m wearing jean outfits more often. Some how lounge wear doesn’t have the appeal it once did.

  2. I don’t like pure white, it’s too harsh for me. I need a slightly softened white like bone, sea salt or coconut. I haven’t found the right pair yet since I rarely wear jeans in the summer (too hot and humid), and I want a pair of pants that could work for 3 seasons (spring, summer and fall). My hunt begins again.

  3. I love white pants. I don’t wear white jeans here in Florida! just too hot for this climate! I do wear white capris in the summer with a linen top.

  4. I am one of your biggest fans! Wanted to reciprocate all of your great advice through the year with one small tip: try the Johnston and Murphy sneakers. I have the Ecco sneakers and they are great but the Johnston Murphy ones are more comfortable and cool/fun. I have foot and knee problems and they have a soft footbed and are very light. I’m finding they are better than slippers for comfort during the quarantine.

    Love the off white jean options!

    Thank you

  5. I just received my ecru button front (in copper color) jeans from Target and love them. Too cold to wear them in Fargo yet but soon. They are high waisted skinny with a cut bottom hem. Too long for me at 5’2” so I cuffed but may cut them. Bottoms are just so hard to fit and my Talbots are being donated now.

  6. In addition to the sort of jeans you show above, I still have a yen for what we used to call khakis, in the color “stone.” This would be slightly darker than bone, off-white, ecru, etc. What used to be widely available would now seem elephant-legged, but I do wish I could locate a pair with a high waist, real pockets, and slim legs. LL Bean, Talbots, and Garnet Hill sell versions with a lower waist, which otherwise might have been candidates.

    1. DGW, if you find that unicorn ie, the khaki pant, please share. I, too, have looked on all of those sites but have been disappointed with the offerings.

  7. You read my mind! I was just thinking that I don’t wear white jeans because they are too harsh for my muted coloring. I love faded blues! The trick with white jeans will be to find a pair that looks intentionally off white and not like old, dingy, yellowed jeans.

  8. I’m definitely ready for white jeans. Now need to see if they will fit me this spring/summer (unintended weight gain). I’ve found that Talbots Flawless High-Waisted Straight-Leg Jeans fit me perfectly, once I’ve washed them and dried on medium to shrink just a bit. Great fit and just-right length. Wear them all summer as shorts hit me in all the wrong places. Thanks, Susan, for another timely topic. Future topic: how to determine if you are a winter or a summer. Thought I was a winter but now I’m confused (some of the summer colors work for me also). Thanks again for all your great insight!

    1. Speaking as a summer who used to be able to wear some winter shades quite well, you will find that some of the summer/winter shades overlap. “True” Winters and summers divide down the line of white or cream as a base color, white for true winters, cream for true summers. The ‘test’ you can do quite easily is to assess the effect of wearing pure white (in daylight, not indoors under artificial light) versus wearing cream against your face. Which drains you? The small amount of yellow in cream will make summers luminous, while it will ‘sicken’ the skin of true winters, adding yellow to a skin type that needs the blue undertone of pure white. Whereas pure white will make true summers look a tiny bit better, but not as beautiful as we do in cream. The key is that winter and summer share some of the same properties, in that summers look good in many blues, whereas winter’s blues are much brighter, and sharper to the eye (cobalt for winters in comparison with periwinkle or a more muted shade for true summers). Eventually you start to see that cobalt, let’s say, is just too harsh; any color that requires a lot more makeup to balance its harshness to your face is taking you in the wrong direction. However, winters and summers share a lot of the same tones/hues, and so winter shades will ‘work’ for you until they don’t, until the time comes where your skin’s undertones have changed and now you’re noticing that the darker winter shades just look too harsh. Much depends on eye color too (because you can alter your hair color to suit your skin at any time of life).

      1. Thank you, Alison. Appreciate your guidance. Love Periwinkle (looks great with the grey/white hair); however, Colbalt really makes the hair (and my light blue eyes) standout. Very helpful.

  9. I’ve been looking for mid-rise off-white jeans for a long time! Years ago in my college days, there were “wheat” jeans that were a very, very light khaki. They were perfect, looked great with any color, and I’ve been searching for similar ever since.

    1. Rita, I also wore and loved wheat jeans. I started looking for a pair a year or two ago with no luck. I hope I’m still around when they do finally come back!

  10. I like the first pair, the JCrew, alot but am so hesitant to order right now unless I am certain of the fit. I just don’t want to fool with returns. I also think the striped Madewell top is really cute. I agree with you about off white jeans. If you don’t look good in pure white then white jeans are too harsh. I also think that white or bone jeans look better worn just a little looser then the traditional blues.

  11. I have a pair of the bone colored Everlane jeans, and they are really a very nice off-white. I bought them last summer, and got a lot of wear out of them up where I was staying in Corvallis for the whole season. I also wore them here in Tucson some during the winter, though I found that part of me still thinks white is for summer so I didn’t do it as often as I had hoped. This reminds me that I need to wear them again soon here, because our usual summer-in-Oregon plan is currently on hold, and by the end of next week our desert weather moves out of the 80’s into the mid-90’s. Too hot for jeans of any color then. . .unless they are shorts!

  12. I’ve tried both the Everlane jeans. I love the cheeky straight, I have them in 3 colors including the bone and have worn them all winter with ankle boots. The other one, called “the Summer Jean” is nice but has no stretch in them at all. They are 100% cotton. They fit well, but I like a little bit of stretch and give in my jeans.

    1. My impression is that it’s a curvier fit…fuller in the hips and narrower in the waist. As opposed to a straight or boyfriend fit.

  13. Universal Standard’s Seine jeans now come in “white” which is really a cream/ecru color. As a curvy lady, I love them! Be sure to pay attention to their sizing because they typically recommend ordering at least 1 size smaller than your usual “mall” size.