White tableware dresses up or down for any occasion

NATALIE CAUDILL/DMN

No plain-Jane settings here. White is classic and perfect for summer.

The secret to successful hosting is something other than the special ingredient in your grandmother's marinara sauce: It's the white plate. Classic, clean and simple, "white dinnerware offers a blank canvas for the artistry of food presentation," says Turtle Creek-based events planner Joanne M. Kersten