A white dress shows off every shoe: royal blue becomes the accent, tan keeps it light for graduation, gold takes it into the evening.
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Royal blue makes a white dress look whiter: a cool, saturated hue beside it sharpens the white by contrast and keeps the outfit fresh, never sweet. Royal blue mules or pumps with a pale blue bag suit a garden party, a boat day or an outdoor concert, any summer setting where one strong color does the talking.
Tan sandals warm a white dress just slightly without darkening the outfit, which makes them the go-to for a graduation. A low block heel or a flat sandal copes with lawns, bleachers and long photo lines, and a thin tan belt connects the shoes to the waist.
Full outfits on OutfitSuggestion: What to wear to a graduation →
Gold sandals add warmth and a little glow, so a white maxi or slip dress moves from the beach to a terrace dinner. A gold chain belt repeats the metal at the waist and catches the candlelight.
White leather sneakers with a cotton or eyelet dress make one unbroken column of white, the summer uniform for travel and weekend lunches; keep them as clean as the dress, since scuffs show at once.
Black flats or pumps give white its hardest contrast, which looks graphic and modern with a black bag to repeat it. Wear them with a white shirt dress in the city or at the office.
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Cream shoes beside a bright white dress make both look wrong: the white turns bluish and the shoes look stained or old, because the two whites disagree on warmth. Match bright white with bright white, or go clearly darker with tan.
Pale grey shoes under white look like white shoes that need cleaning. The step from white to light grey is too small to read as a choice and too big to pass for a match; mid grey or silver at least looks intentional.
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A white dress works like a blank page: anything you put next to it stands out, the shoes included. White has no hue and the highest lightness a fabric can have, so the shoe is always the strongest contrast in the outfit. That makes one saturated color, such as royal blue, the shoe most particular to white, since nothing shows a color off as clearly. Tan is the gentler answer: it warms the cool white and keeps the outfit in the light half of the scale.
Gold, white and black follow as frames for evening, weekend and city. Two things catch people out. Off-white shoes beside bright white make the shoes look dingy, and heavy shoes can make a light summer dress look borrowed, so match the weight to the fabric: sandals and flats for cotton and linen, heels for crepe and satin. Bright white suits high-contrast and cool coloring most; if it looks harsh on you, an ivory dress follows the same shoe rules.
Tan, beige, gold or white sandals are the easiest, since they keep the outfit light under a dark gown. Pick a heel you can cross a stage in and stand on grass with: a block heel, a wedge or a flat. Shoes in your school color are a fun way to show it in photos.
Silver keeps a white dress cool and crisp, especially a bright white, not an ivory. Silver sandals suit evening parties and look sharper than gold against a cool white, while gold sits better with ivory or cream. Wear the same metal in your jewelry so the outfit feels finished.
Ivory is warmer than pure white, so warm shoes suit it: tan, camel, cognac, gold and blush. Bright white shoes make ivory look yellowed, so skip them. For a soft look, beige or champagne heels blend with the dress; for more contrast, dark brown usually looks kinder than black.
Usually not. At most weddings in the US and Europe, white is reserved for the bride, and ivory or cream reads as white in photos too. Save the white dress for a graduation, a summer party or an all-white event, and wear a pale pastel to the wedding instead.