Photo: Startraksphoto.com

White is summer’s most dominant trend. It’s also one of the most intimidating styles to pull off. Will it be too sheer? Will it get stained? How can you pull it off if you’re not a model? This season, one way to go is girly.

“The way that I want to wear white is the way Dolce & Gabanna has been doing it. I love the cute little lacey numbers. They’re so sweet and charming,” explained Vanessa Hudgens at last night’s launch party for MyHabitat.com, the new discount private sale site from Amazon and partner of the 2011 CFDA Fashion Incubators. Hudgens wore a chic beige maxi dress to the event, but she’s looking forward to turning up the heat in all white in warmer weather.

While she’ll be spending summer in the spotlight, ELLE asked a few other notables at the party about wearing white, the right way on a summer getaway. Designer Alice Ritter, a member of CFDA Incubator’s progam, is planning to take a short vacation to her new Connecticut summer house. Her views on white? “I like white with off-white together. White and cream, it’s very Japanese. Not totally predictable all white, but an unexpected color. In the same family, but not white.” Author Plum Sykes said, “I just bought a white floaty beach dress on sale. I also bought a white cashmere sweater. Remember that cashmere waffle Marc Jacobs did? They have that at Club Monaco now.” Talk about a hot tip. Sykes, who’ll be heading to Portugal soon for a quick jaunt, explained, “I’ll wear the white sweater with my jeans. I’ll wear my white dress with the white Havaianas flip flops I forgot to get and a leather belt.” Designer Prabal Gurung, also in the Incubator program, and someone you’ll be sure to spot in Fire Island this summer, had one last suggestion: “Wear white with lots of colors and a great, great smile.”