Labor Day is just around the corner, which means that summer is officially coming to an end, school is about to start, and fall is in the air (unless you live in Texas). It's also that time of year when we're told we have to pack up our white clothes, but I know I'll be wearing this dress on repeat for months to come.
They say that rules are made to be broken, and I am a firm believer that the age old rule of "no white after Labor Day" is one we should definitely throw out the window. When you live in a climate that's warm basically year round, it just seems like a natural go-to!
After a lifetime of being told that white's a fashion "no, no," I actually finally researched where the rule even came from. Here's what I found from an article in Reader's Digest:
"One popular theory dates back to the early 1900s. Many progressive changes were occurring for American women, like the election of the first woman to Congress and the passing of the 19th amendment. Despite these advances, social acceptance for wealthy women was based very much on what you wore—and when you wore it. If you were “on-trend,” you only wore white during the warmer months, since you could probably afford to wear leisurely lightweight clothing—and afford to buy new clothes if you sweat through them. By the 1950s, women’s magazines started making this “no white after Labor Day” ordinance a little more public, basically making the proclamation official. Wearing white only between Memorial Day and Labor Day now signified being part of some kind of wealthy club.
Another theory? White is harder to keep clean in the fall and winter. (Fortunately, nowadays we know a little more about how to keep our white clothing as white as possible.) This theory stems from the fact that most fashion designers resided in the north, specifically New York City, where all four seasons affect wardrobe choices. And since designers reigned in the fashion world, what they said went (even if you lived in a hot climate year-round, apparently)."
Now that we know, will you still be wearing white after Labor Day?
They say that rules are made to be broken, and I am a firm believer that the age old rule of "no white after Labor Day" is one we should definitely throw out the window. When you live in a climate that's warm basically year round, it just seems like a natural go-to!
After a lifetime of being told that white's a fashion "no, no," I actually finally researched where the rule even came from. Here's what I found from an article in Reader's Digest:
"One popular theory dates back to the early 1900s. Many progressive changes were occurring for American women, like the election of the first woman to Congress and the passing of the 19th amendment. Despite these advances, social acceptance for wealthy women was based very much on what you wore—and when you wore it. If you were “on-trend,” you only wore white during the warmer months, since you could probably afford to wear leisurely lightweight clothing—and afford to buy new clothes if you sweat through them. By the 1950s, women’s magazines started making this “no white after Labor Day” ordinance a little more public, basically making the proclamation official. Wearing white only between Memorial Day and Labor Day now signified being part of some kind of wealthy club.
Another theory? White is harder to keep clean in the fall and winter. (Fortunately, nowadays we know a little more about how to keep our white clothing as white as possible.) This theory stems from the fact that most fashion designers resided in the north, specifically New York City, where all four seasons affect wardrobe choices. And since designers reigned in the fashion world, what they said went (even if you lived in a hot climate year-round, apparently)."
Now that we know, will you still be wearing white after Labor Day?
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