WHITE MISCHIEF!

It’s this summer’s heavenly hue, but a devil to wear – and what on earth do you put on underneath?

FIrst, the good news: black will be back this autumn. so those of us who consider it less a matter of choice and more one of practicality will, albeit briefly, be on trend.

the bad news is that, until then, it’s all about its nemesis: white.

White bags, white shoes, white trousers, white dresses . . . the Duchess of Cambridge wore white to Wimbledon this week and pop star rihanna wore it to the cricket.

this most impossible and impractical colour is (for now at least) inescapable.

For ordinary women, white does have its advantages. Unlike black, which can be very ageing, white has the opposite effect of lifting even the most weary complexions. It adds a freshness to any outfit and, unlike other lighter shades — such as pink, pale blue, pistachio or yellow — it looks elegant without being too girly or informal.

But it does present a few challenges. Most women with young children, such as Kate Middleton, would find a white dress prohibitively impractical, since it would last approximately two minutes before having something unspeakable spilled on it.

But Kate isn’t most women, and no doubt has sufficient help to be able to ensure grubby little hands are kept at arm’s length for the duration of its wear. For those of us who are perhaps not quite as slender as we ought to be, white is not always universally forgiving, either. I wore a frilly white shirt the other day, then caught sight of myself in a shop window. I looked like a galleon in full sail.

Perhaps the most exasperating aspect of white, though, is what to wear beneath it. If you’re gorgeous and 18 years old, you can get away with a pretty, brightly coloured bra or a cheeky neon thong.

For the rest of the population, there tends to be really only one option: joyless, flesh- coloured underwear. No frills or lace, since they will inevitably show through, and maximum coverage advised. roll on autumn, I say.

Until then, here are a few underwear solutions to help see you through the summer in style . . .