Memorial Day is coming up next weekend and the weather continues to get warmer – that means it’s time to bring out the whites!  White denim doesn’t seem to hit every single summer, but thanks to a strong runway and a difficult winter, people are ready to wear white to celebrate 2011’s warmest months.

How to wear it:

Perhaps the most basic way to wear white denim is… with more white! You can stay cool and look cool by pairing white denim with a clean white shirt - just make sure to break it up with a tonal textured belt. Mixing white with off-white is another flattering combination for many people, such as this white pant and cream sweater look from Isabel Marant’s Spring 2011 collection. If you are going to wear color, commit to it and choose a simple shape in a bold color like orange, which is proving to be one of the must have hues for summer. Of course you can never go wrong pairing white with black; try a patterned knit tank that borrows some of the white from the pants and eases the contrast of the two pieces. Finally, while we adore the ankle strap kitten heels Marant showed on the spring runway, a simple platform sandal in a neutral color will work with nearly any white denim look.

Runway Look: Isabel Marant Spring Summer 2011 Ready to Wear
Tops: (Left to Right) James Perse Roll Sleeve Shirt, Jil Sander cashmere and silk blend sweater, Missoni Moss crochet-knit tank.
Belt: TopShop white textured snake effect skinny leather belt
Jeans: (L to R) HABITUAL Aaron rolled skinny in White out, HABITUAL Geena bootcut in White out, available at Nordstrom and Zappos.com.
Shoes: Cacherel high platform

When the fall 2011 line reaches retail, you will notice that the brilliant red orange color vermilion has made its way into the final collection.

Vermilion is a storied color that has been around since ancient times. In its naturally ocurring form, vermilion is actually mercuric sulfide, a toxic compound also known as “cinnabar”. Like most compounds containing mercury, the substance is toxic to humans, and significant exposure can lead to the psychic and emotional disturbances that result from mercury poisoning. Today, vermilion dyes and paints are synthetic and non-toxic, though natural cinnabar is still mined in China.

We had been watching the red trend over the past few seasons, moving from the bluer reds of last year to vermilion red with an orange tone in current lines. Isabel Marant is a frequent offender, having used vermilion in several past collections. Hermes, Tory Burch and Chanel have all offered vermilion leather designs, and BMW recently offered vermilion as a paint option on its X5 SUV. We have also seen a lot of red hair both on the runway and in fashion editorials, which became a design inspiration for the fall line.

The origin of the word vermilion is even more interesting. It comes from the French vermeillon, meaning “bright red”. This is derived from the Latin word vermiculum, which means “little worm”, and refers to a small orange red insect the Romans used to make red dye (the same word is also the origin of the pasta shape “vermicelli” – doesn’t that make you hungry?).

Not sure what it is about the ancients using insects for coloring, but carmine is another, deeper shade of red that was made from the crushed up shells of a certain kind of beetle. The Egyptian queen Cleopatra allegedly used these insect bits as a sort of primitive lipstick.

In ancient Rome, the pigment was used to color the face of the statue of Jupiter, and to honor victorious generals as they made their return to Rome. It also decorated the cheeks of gladiators who fought in the Colisseum. In China, vermilion was used by royalty to create imperial writings. Traditional Hindu women still dab vermilion in the part on the top of their hair during certain ceremonies to indicate that they are married, while men wear the color on their forehead. 

The master Italian painter Titian used vermilion powder to create the bright red tones of paint in his fresco Assunta in 1518, which still hangs in the Santa Maria gloriosa dei Frari chapel in Venice. Caravaggio also kept vermilion in his palette to brighten the clothing and blood of his often grotesque imagery. 

"Assunta" by Italian painter Titian

Caravaggio's "Judith Beheading Holofernes"

Vermilion also occurs in nature. Scientists gave the vermilion rockfish and vermilion flycatcher their names because of their bright red pigmentation. The Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in Arizona is a popular tourist attraction and photography subject. Several cacti also produce bright vermilion flowers.

It’s really no wonder how vermilion found its way into the line.

Clockwise from top: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, a bright cactus flower, Vermilion Rockfish, Vermilion Flycatcher