Wearing White After Labor Day

"In the early 1900s, the rule about only wearing white between Memorial Day and Labor Day was started according to the vacationing schedule of the elite, when there "was a dress code for practically every occasion." Those who could afford it would leave their homes behind and spend months at the sea or in the mountains, where they had a completely different type of wardrobe, including the light, bright white pieces often most associated with the summer months. When those fun-loving summer days were over, the white clothes were packed away and the people went back to their regular lives, having escaped the oppressive heat between the end of May and early September. Those white clothes that they loved during the summer months had no place in their "real life" wardrobes, so the cutoff for white clothing became Labor Day."

The elite created this rule to distinguish themselves from the "new rich" who were becoming more and more prosperous in large cities like New York. When they saw these women still dressed in white they knew that they were not part of the elite class and naturally made fun of them. This is why it became so VERY important to never be caught wearing white after Labor day. 

My fashion advice has always been as follows:
1. Dress for the weather
2. Dress for the occasion.
3. Dress for comfort.
4. Dress for style.

White clothing should be chosen by the type of fabric. Denim is heavy so white jeans can be worn all year unless the weather is bad. It's difficult to get stains out of the hems of white pants so save them for sunny days. White linen is a warm weather fabric because it "breathes."  It is usually thin so it doesn't work well in cold weather. White dinner jackets always look elegant and can be worn by men and women for semi-formal occasions. White shirts and blouses can be worn all year. White shoes don't work well in rain and or snow due to staining so save them for warm, dry months. I think white shoes make a woman's foot look larger. The exception is bridal shoes. I prefer "body match" shoes worn with all shades of white instead of trying to match white shoes to a garment. White hats are great for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby because they don't absorb heat like black and other dark colored hats. White handbags are fine but they show dirt and pen marks very easily. White evening bags in satin, silk, beading or crystals are very pretty and should be stored in a protective bag.

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