If you grew up anything like me, each Easter you'd pull out a new pair of white Sunday shoes and wear them every week with your dresses, until Labor Day came. From then until the next Easter, it was dark shoes only. Decades later, though, you might be asking: What is that rule about no white after Labor Day, and when can you start wearing it again? Can you wear white after Labor Day in the South? Who started this "rule"? And is it still followed today? Here we answer all those questions and more in a primer on the white after Labor Day rule (and even how to break it), with quotes from fashion experts to back it all up.
Look around at movies and celebrities, and you'll see plenty of evidence of a rule broken (and also a rule followed). As you shop those Labor Day sales (there's so much discounted on Amazon for the holiday!) and partake in Labor Day activities like tailgating or taking a road trip, you can also start plotting out your wardrobe for those early fall, still-warm-but-you're-over-your-summer-clothes days with the white rule (or lack thereof) in mind.
What is the rule about no white after Labor Day?
An unwritten etiquette rule followed by many for years held that white garments and shoes were only worn in the summer, which officially came to its a close on Labor Day after the national holiday was established in 1894.
Who started the no white after Labor Day rule?
There is no one person or group who started the practice. Instead, there are a few historical explanations that started in the 1800s.
For one, wearing white was a way to stay cool in hot summer months. “Not only was there no air-conditioning, but people did not go around in T-shirts and halter tops. They wore what we would now consider fairly formal clothes,” Judith Martin, aka etiquette columnist Miss Manners, told TIME. “And white is of a lighter weight.”
White also became fashionable for well-to-do Americans on summer holiday, a contrast from darker hues worn by the working class in urban areas to befit their daily labor. "By the end of the 19th century, upper-class Americans escaped the summer heat of the city by retreating to the countryside or seaside, where white clothing remained free of the inevitable grime of the increasingly industrialized urban centers," Amanda Hallay, the fashion historian behind The Ultimate Fashion History, told Harper's Bazaar. "This was a sartorially social divide—only those who could afford to wear white could wear white. Not only did the wealthy summer in the far-cleaner countryside, but should their beautiful white dresses get dirty, they had servants to launder them."
Whatever the origins, by the mid-20th century no white after Labor Day had become a custom for polite society, and those aspiring upward mobility could, in part, earn their way in by following such rules.
Still, the rule found resistance in high fashion over the years it was followed. Starting in the 1920s, French fashion designer Coco Chanel wore white year-round as a permanent part of her wardrobe.
Coco Chanel in a white suite in the early 1950s
Do you still have to follow the no white after Labor Day rule?
The answer is NO. For most, the rule no longer applies, so you can style white in your outfits into fall and winter and then back into the spring. And the lack of rule applies everywhere, even the South. According to the Emily Post Institute, white can be worn 365 days a year now. What matters more today is fabric than color. Case in point: Marion Cotillard's mermaid-inspired cream dress she sported in 2008 for her Academy Award acceptance speech and the white silk chiffon Jason Wu gown Michelle Obama wore for her husband's first inaugural ball in 2009 in Washington, D.C.
How should you wear white after Labor Day then?
You can wear it however you like! “There are no rules," lifestyle expert and TV host Kathy Buccio told TODAY. "Yes, you can wear all the white in the world if you want.”
As temperatures cool, put away your white linen and spaghetti strap shirts but leave out other white staples to transition them into fall. Pair white sleeved shirts and blouses, white pants and denim, white dresses, white boots, and white sneakers with darker fall essentials and layers—think sweaters and pants and jackets and darker shoes, maybe even some animal print.
And then when it gets real cool outside, there’s winter white—think white knit and cable sweaters, cashmere sweaters, white sneakers, and white turtlenecks—that you can sport until temperatures warm up in the spring.
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Madoline Markham
Assistant Managing Editor
Madoline Markham is the assistant managing editor for Country Living, where she covers shopping, home decor, news, and culture.
FAQs
Some historians say brighter clothing was worn by affluent groups who could afford to leave town for a warmer coast when the leaves began to change. Subsequently, it became socially accepted that those who didn't have the money to take fall and winter vacations shouldn't don white after the last summer holiday.
Why not wear white after Labor Day Yahoo answers? ›
Wearing white represented that you could afford to get out of the city and vacation elsewhere when summer ended. Since Labor Day typically represents the end of summer, a 'rule' was established that you shouldn't wear white after Labor Day if you didn't have the money to take fall and winter vacations.
What did Emily Post say about wearing white after Labor Day? ›
Emily Post says okay to wearing white after Labor Day. Here's the history behind the antiquated rule you no longer have to obey.
When can you wear white pants in 2024? ›
The old rules about wearing white only between Easter or Memorial Day (depending on your tradition) and Labor Day are out the window. Really. You absolutely can wear white jeans and pants anytime you want and look very in the know. But I generally just enjoy the novelty of them more in the warmer months.
Who started the No White after Labor Day? ›
If you could wear white, it often was an indication that you had means and that you didn't do manual labor and you could afford a vacation.” But who exactly started this rule and established it? Sinclair said it was the wealthy women who came from old money who wanted to separate themselves from society.
What months can you wear white? ›
The rule states that after Labor Day, white should be retired from your wardrobe. Then once Memorial Day rolls around in May, the gates are re-opened.
What is the saying about wearing white? ›
For generations, we've subscribed to the adage that wearing white after Labor Day is a fashion faux pas—similar to wearing socks with sandals.
Can you wear white in winter? ›
Nothing is quite as chic as wearing head-to-toe white in the winter, and luckily, street style inspiration is abundant. Whether you're dressing up for the holiday season or looking for ways to brighten up a bleak, cold day, winter white outfits deliver not only in style, but in functionality, too.
Why shouldn't you wear white to a wedding? ›
In general, it's not appropriate for guests to wear white to a wedding. "When you're a guest at a wedding, the most important thing to keep in mind is not to upstage or upset the bride," says wedding dress designer Madeline Gardner. "It's safe to stay away from any outfits that are predominantly white, cream or ivory."
What does wearing white mean? ›
White represents purity or innocence. While a bride wearing white was often thought to convey the bride's virginity, blue was once a traditional color worn by brides to symbolize purity. White is bright and can create a sense of space or add highlights.
The old-fashioned decree bans us from wearing white during the winter and spring, from Labor Day in September till May Day (another day designated to celebrate workers' rights). One popular theory dates back to the early 1900s.
Why do people wear black after Labor Day? ›
Most people would wear white and light colors during the summer to stay cool. When the fall came, people would shift to black and darker colors to stay warm. Because Labor Day often marked the end of the hot summer months, people simply stopped wearing white too much after this day and so the “rule” emerged.
Why do they say not to wear white after Labor Day? ›
To wear white was a subtle way of showing you weren't doing the landscaping, cooking, or cleaning—or, well, manual labor at all. When fall came, the wealthy packed their whites away. They didn't need to wear them: the temperatures had cooled, the tennis tournaments had finished. But they also couldn't wear them.
What months can you not wear white jeans? ›
The “no white after Labor Day” rule is no more, and today we can feel free to rock the white well into the cooler months. Personally I love this trend. Wearing white jeans after Labor Day is a great way to look modern and hip without having to buy anything new.
What colors are in fashion 2024? ›
5 trendy colors for spring-summer 2024
In addition to Peach Fuzz, a blushy, soft peach hue recommended by Pantone, red, green, white, and blue, metallic palettes will be the stars of this season.
How long after Labor Day can you not wear white? ›
The old-fashioned decree bans us from wearing white during the winter and spring, from Labor Day in September till May Day (another day designated to celebrate workers' rights). One popular theory dates back to the early 1900s.
Can you wear white to a funeral? ›
If you're uncertain about the cultural norms or preferences of the funeral you're attending, sticking to universally accepted colors like black, gray, white or navy is a safe bet. These colors are subdued and respectful, making them suitable for most funeral settings across different cultures.
Can you wear white jeans in September? ›
There's no need to pack those white jeans away with your summer frocks. You can totally rock those white jeans into fall and even winter!
What are the rules about wearing white to a wedding? ›
The last thing you want is for someone to mistake you for the bride or be in photographs where guests think you're trying to steal the spotlight. All in all, it's respectful and customary not to wear white as a guest to the wedding unless the bride specifically asks you to wear white or she says it's okay to wear it.
