Why Not to Wear White After Labor Day?

Labor day is observed as national holiday which indicates the end of the summer season. It is usually celebrated on the first Monday of the month of September every year. What is the big deal in wearing white clothes after the labor day? Maybe it's not really that big a deal. Let's find out!

History
"No White After Labor Day" tradition, is a rule followed in the United States. This rule was strictly followed in the early 1990s. However, this rule has been relaxed after the late 1950s and the early 1960s. The rule then was, "Only wear white shoes between Memorial Day and Labor Day". If you observe in the old movies you will see that people wore darker shades and white was not commonly worn. This rule or tradition was unenforced for a bride's gown, and for 'winter white' shades like off-white and cream.

This rule does not really exist anymore. Many fashion experts and fashion magazines have been observed quoting that, white is the color of winter. There is nothing wrong or derogatory in wearing white.

Climatic Factor
The first logical reason is that white is basically a color to be worn or advised to be worn in the summer season. This is because the color white reflects the sunlight back and if you wear black in summer you will actually feel the burning, as the color absorbs the sunrays completely. This same theory can be reversed and can be applied to wearing white color in winters. White color will absorb the cold and make you feel colder than what you'd feel in darker shades. So basically, darker shades provide more warmth in winters.

Visibility Factor
Also another reason which comes to my mind is, that it is advised to wear red clothes during the foggy period, this is so that you don't merge with the color of the fog and can be clearly visible to others around you. It's more like a safety code.

Cleanliness Factor
White is one color that gets dirty very easily. Winters are usually wet and cold, therefore anything white in color can get very dirty and will take a lot of time to clean it. This is definitely a logical reason but it doesn't seem logical enough for the government to actually make a rule for it.

Class Factor
Another school of thought believes that this rule was made to teach or sophisticate the dressing of crowd migrating from the South. They were not really aware of the American culture and were looked down on, when they wore white clothes for a casual attire. They wore white and didn't even realize that many localities were annoyed and even offended with it. This rule was probably made to teach the southern migrants who were/ are addressed as nouveau-riche (french) folks, (indicating the new rich crowd) how to dress for winters. Can this really be a reason?

This thought was strongly apposed by Judith Martin who is popular as 'Miss manners'. She said that, "There were many little rules that people did dream up in order to annoy those from whom they wished to disassociate themselves. But I do not believe this is one of them."

Symbolic Factor
Another reason anticipated behind the tradition of - "No white After Labor Day" is said to be symbolic. After the Labor Day the Navy swap from their uniforms to their Navy blue uniforms. The affluent class wore it when they would move out of their places to some warmer regions during winters. The color white was looked upon as the 'color of leisure'.

No one really knows why this tradition was put to practice. So, keeping the tradition aside for a minute; yes, white does not give you equal warmth as darker colors, also they are bound to get more dirty during the winters, and white is symbolic too. But it symbolizes many things. It symbolizes peace, purity, death and innocence which certainly does not vanish in the winter period.

Wearing white after labor day, therefore is no longer uncool or offensive. So wear white, mix and match it with different colors; it looks cool. Though don't wear any linen outfits during winters, instead wear warm and thick fabrics like cashmere. White is the coolest shade in winters; you know why? It's because when the entire lot is following the black-trend, you will be most noticed one in 'white'. Like Cosgrave puts it, "Fashion rules are meant to be broken by those who can pull it off, and white looks really fresh when people aren't expecting it."

'No White After Labor Day' is no longer a "No White After Labor Day Period"