Not wearing white after Labor Day is a fashion rule that many women have followed for decades. As it may not be a rule followed as much today, many people are still unsure about the reason behind it.
Pamela Ulrich, Ph.D., professor in apparel design and production sciences, said dating back to the 1800s, there were lots of rules about what was appropriate for men and women to wear for different kinds of occasions and different times of the year.
There are some fashion rules that are considered outdated, and there are other rules that people choose to follow on a daily basis. Some of these rules include not wearing tights with open toe shoes, not wearing brown and black together and having to match your handbags or jewelry with your shoes.
"These rules aren't necessarily written, but they are customs that people grew up knowing and being, for the most part, taught to follow," Ulrich said. "One of the kinds of customs that lasted the longest was this idea that women shouldn't wear white shoes before Memorial Day or after Labor Day because they were associated only with summer."
As white may be considered a summer color, women today don't feel as compelled to follow the no-white rule after Labor Day. Leah Hutchins, sophomore in fashion merchandising, said she thinks the rule is outdated, and it's becoming more and more acceptable not to follow it.
"I know I don't strictly follow it, although I do get a little self-conscious when I do wear white pants or shoes after Labor Day," Hutchins said. "I think it used to have a much bigger impact on fashion than it does today. It used to be the proper thing to do, and now fashion is much more anything goes."
In the Glamour magazine article "Your Style Problems, Solved: 'Do I Have to Stop Wearing White After Labor Day?'" Tracey Lester lists a few tips for those who want to incorporate white in their outfits after summer. These tips include minding your materials, not going head-to-toe in white and making sure the rest of your look is season-appropriate.
Lester states that the rule about no white after labor is about as antiquated as the idea of women in corsets. She said that by no means do you have to relegate your whites to the back of your closet until Memorial Day, but overall it's a personal choice.
"I think in the South we tend to bend the rule a little more because it's hot longer here so we wear summer clothes longer," said Ashley Young, freshman in fashion merchandising. "As for me, I tend to stay away from white once it starts getting cooler. Once I break out my fall clothes, I'm not going back to my summer clothes, including white. I don't think I'm the kind of person who puts all my white clothes away the day after Labor Day. It's definitely more because of the fact that white, or any light and bright color for that matter, isn't exactly an autumn tone."
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