Not sure bout the first question, but I can answer the second one: To nerf a skill is to reduce the effectiveness of that skill (like the reducing of dmg of Flare from 16-46 to 10-40)
Depending on what type of profession and what type of armor, you can get a white look.
The collectors monk armor dyed silver looks rather white. And there is a pic of a male ranger with white cloth on somewhere... from memory it was yellow + silver + silver + silver.. doesn't work on the male mesmer armor though, where I tried it.