White is summery, but also tough to pull off

As temperatures have risen to near-boiling the last few weeks, we've seen some very effective uses of white in wardrobes on the Hill. Cathy McMorris Rodgers went for contrast, while Mary Landrieu took a tone on tone approach. But white can be tricky. Here are a few points to keep in mind:

Black and white is a fun motif, but it's not for everyone.

Hillary Clinton paired this white jacket with a black top, and her coloring just can't take the contrast. She's also suffering from the white itself - it's too bright for her, and it's reflecting the light back at us and up on her face at all sorts of weird angles, making her look tired.

Even if you can pull off the black and white look, you need the right accessories. No pastels.

Mary Bono Mack probably chose this scarf to put some color near her face, but unlike Secretary Clinton, she doesn't really  need it.  She could pull of the black and white look with a simple necklace.  This muted green actually washes her out. And do I even need to say it? She needs some lipstick.

Off-white is easier to wear. But don't overdo it.

Nancy Pelosi went for cream instead, but with long pants and a Nehru collar, that's a lot of one color, no matter what the color is.