Is it Okay to Wear White After Labor Day?

Fashionistas, yesterday at work a group of us started to discuss one of fashion’s oldest rules: one cannot wear white after Labor Day. We pondered this rule for a good 15-20 minutes or so, wondering where this seemingly arbitrary rule originated and why it was so commonly known. We wondered, “why is one’s fashion color palette limited based on a holiday?” and “what’s wrong with wearing white all year round?”
After a little bit of investigation, we found the history of this rule and quickly came to realize how meaningless it actually is.
Apparently, back in the 1880’s, the wealthy elite decided that in order to create more of a power dynamic and exert force over others, they would develop a series fashion rules including: do not wear white on Labor Day. When Labor Day came into being, and was eventually deemed the end of summer, white became a color that signified the season. Plus, white does not absorb heat well, so in colder temperatures, it might not make the most sense to keep this color in your fall/winter clothing collection.
While I do agree that white might not be the best in terms of practicality during the colder months, I don’t think that the elite from decades ago should influence my fashion choices any longer.
If I want to wear an all-white outfit during the thick of winter, I will! And I don’t mind that it will be a topic of conversation. It will be a way to educate friends about fashion history, and that you can make your own fashion rules.
A few fellow bloggers show us that white is fine to wear in the cooler temps, and I’m definitely taking cues from their ensembles.
As we see on Stylishly Me , white can be used as an outerwear staple, not just a color to wear as jeans or pants. I love how this fashion blogger seamlessly wove black and white together for a sleek and simple look that’s easy to piece together.

In this next look, Style Cusp is wearing your typical white skinnies with an oversized neutral sweater… which is such a simple but genius ensemble. Oversized sweaters of all colors retail at DC Goodwill stores for under $7, along with white pants being below $7 as well  – making this classic outfit extremely easy to acquire.

I personally would wear a black over-sized sweater with white skinnies – taking inspo from Stylishly Me’s color combo previously mentioned.
Before I forget, I want to end by obsessing over Style Cusp’s booties. The great thing about the color white is that ANY color can go along with it, making it the perfect canvas for all colors of shoes. Since Style Cusp’s sweater was a cream, I understand why she opted for camel colored shoes. The palette clearly embraces the warm notes of fall and winter.

So Fashionistas, what do you think about wearing white after Labor Day? Are you going to toss this rule?