What’s With the “No-White After Labor Day” BS?

Labor Day weekend has come and gone and I am sure most of us are back in the swing of things with life / work / school. And we all know that one rule: don’t wear white after Labor Day! Honestly, growing up, I didn’t understand why and always thought it was an American culture thing because I never heard of it elsewhere, especially not in Chinese cultures. So basically, I always thought that rule was BOGUS! I decided to look into and see why we weren’t suppose to wear white after Labor Day and you all…THERE IS NO REASON! Supposedly, there is no historical context on how this “rule” came into play. There are several theories out there though and I thought it would be fun to share them with you.

Overall, all the theories stated that this “rule” started with the upper class back when Labor Day was enacted. Back in the day, white was mostly worn in the summer to stay cool and since Labor Day marked the end of the summer, white was to be put away because it was more likely to get dirtier in the fall with rain and such. Wearing white in the summer just made sense…apparently not so much in the fall/winter. It was typically the elite class that would stop wearing white after Labor Day as a sign of end of winter and entering into the “darker months ahead”. As time went on, the middle class grew as well as “new money” families and the “old money” class wanted to be more distinct in their wardrobe so they continued to follow this rule. Essentially, this rule used to be made to establish elitism. It was mainly followed by women of that time and only a few hundred! Somehow, it has trickled down to everyone 100+ years later.

I think with recent times, it has been established that this rule does NOT have to be followed. Coco Chanel herself disregarded this rule and wore white ALL YEAR LONG! Because I have never understood this rule, I have never followed it. It’s 2018 guys, we have AC and heat systems — there is no need to wear “darker colors” in the fall/winter haha. And also, that whole elitism thing is complete BS — wear white whenever you want to and don’t let this stupid trend with no concrete history dictate your fashion! I know I am going to continue wearing white allll fall and winter long.

This dress from Lulu’s is my prime example of why you can’t let this rule stand in the way of your shopping and fashion! I love white in the fall//winter because it’s such a beautiful contrast against all the dark of the season like sweaters/weather. I even think that it looks so beautiful against the white snow in the winter! I’ve worn so outfits with white pants/sweaters and have loved all of them. I have always believed that people should wear whatever color/styles/clothes they want! So go and wear that white — stop listening to all that useless BS!

A million and one thanks for reading — until my next lil’ thought then!

xx Jen