So Why Can’t We Wear White After Labor Day?

It’s hard to believe with the current heatwave, but summer is swiftly coming to an end. Soon we’ll packing away our sundresses and flip flops in exchange for chunky knit sweaters and boots. But in the shuffle, should we pack away our creams and white? Some will say yes. Some will say absolutely not. Today we’re talking about the infamous “no white after Labor Day” rule and answering the age-old question: “Can I wear white after Labor Day.”

The post-Labor Day reprieve against white clothing has been ranked as one of etiquette’s most sacred rules. Think about it–Patty Hearst’s character in Serial Mom* was murdered for breaking it. Some will say it’s a rule based on a symbolic nature; some might say it’s practicality. But ask an etiquette expert how exactly the rule came to be, and chances are they won’t know for sure. So why can’t we wear white after Labor Day?

A practical solution?

As I said, one explanation is practicality. Wearing white in the summer heat is extremely common and always has been. Now we have the luxury of AC and prancing around in crop tops and cutoffs to beat the heat. But it wasn’t always that way. People would still dress, what we’d refer to now, as fairly formal. White was worn in the warmer months as a means to keep cool.

In the 20th century, beating the heat became fashionable in a way. The trendsetters and magazines were centered in big cities–usually in northern climates that had multiple seasons (i.e.: NYC). In the summer, white fashions kept editors, models, and other trendsetters cool. When the weather became cooler and rain and snow became more frequent, they didn’t want to risk ruining their white pieces. So they swapped them out for darker, warmer pieces.

This sensible notion was reflected in the pages of major publications–Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue–and set the tone for the rest of the country.

OK it’s practical, but why is it a “rule?”

Wearing white to keep cool sounds logical, of course. But even so, deeming a rule against post-Labor Day white seems wrong. And it kind of is. Fashion rules rarely have a functional reason. Think about the dreaded brown/black mix. We’ve all heard that we should never mix brown and black, but why? There’s no real reason, per say, it’s just something you “shouldn’t do.” I mean, what’s the real downside of mixing your brown shoes and black belt?

Oh, it’s symbolic? Maybe.

In the late 19th century, the society ladies were constantly engaged in an invisible battle with the  nouveau riche. A battle that was generally won with subtle manipulations of fashions. The “you can’t wear white after Labor Day rule may have been created to separate the old money elitists from the new.

If you look at photos of American cities in the 1930s, you’ll see lots of people in lots of dark clothing, usually scurrying to their work. On the other hand, white linen and Panama hats were seen exclusively at snooty resorts as a look of leisure. People with money left the city during the warmer months, so white became vacation attire. The white rule was a way for insiders to keep others out.

By the ’50s, the American middle class began to expand, and the custom had become a steadfast fashion rule. The no-white decree provided old-money elitists with a fortress against those moving up in the class system. But with a point of resistance against upward mobility from the elite came others aspiring to become a part of the in-crowd. Those savvy enough to learn all of the rules increased their odds of joining ‘polite society.’ Insiders tried to keep others out, and outsiders tried to climb the ranks by proving they knew all of the rules.

But it might not be snobbery after all.

The true reason may be a whole lot simpler. After Labor, the first Monday of September, became a federal holiday in 1894, it began to mark the end of summer. Those who vacationed packed away their breezy clothing for the darker, heavier clothing more suited for fall and winter.

There used to be a tremendously clearer sense of re-entry. People didn’t wear the same clothing year round. You have summer clothing and fall clothing. After Labor Day, you’re back in the city, back in school, back to work, and so you have a new wardrobe.

Have no fear, for there’s always been resistance.

Coco Chanel in her white staple suit.

Whatever the real origin, the Labor Day rule has always been met with resistance from high-fashion leaders. As far back as the ’20s, Coco Chanel made white a clear year-round staple: it was a permanent part of her wardrobe, it seemed.

So what’s the modern consensus?

With an immense influx of fashion blogs, magazines, and influencers, the rule, among others, have continued to be broken. Even the 2004 manners bible, Emily’s Post Etiquette, gives the go ahead to wear white after Labor Day. This may explain why some who do abide by the rules are more willing compromise now.

Charlie Scheips, author of American Fashion*, is part of this group. He says he would “never be caught dead wearing a white suit after Labor Day,” but he doesn’t completely shrug off those who do, “I’m sure the Queen of England at Christmastime puts on white ermine once in a while. So if it’s good enough for her, it’s good enough for everybody else, right? You don’t have to be such a fascist about it.”

The bottom line:

You do you, girl. 

 

So why can’t we wear white after Labor Day? There’s no real reason. How do you feel about wearing white after Labor Day?

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