“Don’t wear white after labor day” has been the fashion rule for decades which has been passes down by both our mothers and grandmothers  and many people still shop and organize their wardrobes according to this “white rule” but is wearing white after labor day a fashion faux paux or is it officially time to forget the rule once and for all?

History of No white after labor Day

White clothing is one of the official signs of summer and prior to the days of air conditioned homes and buildings; it was the main way people kept cool in the summer by wearing white clothing; it deflects light whereas dark clothing will absorb heat and light. White clothing also represented the final vacation of summer for many families before they had to put away their summer wardrobes and prepared for the cold and wet seasons of autumn and winter.

Many of the fashion magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Cosmopolitan  who also happen to be based in New York, dictated the fashion trends according to the climate of the “Big Apple”. Summers are hot and the autums and winters quickly become cold and wet and wearing white it that type of environment wasn’t considered a la mode or practical.

To wear or not wear white after Labor Day

As the saying goes “rules are meant to be broken.” and I don’t stop wearing my white denim just because the calendar says it’s time for fall to arrive. With advances in technology and fashion trends, the rule of no white after Labor Day is no longer faux paux.

As I transition my wardrobe from summer to fall, the one item that I won’t put away is my white denim. They are a staple of my yearly wardrobe and I pair white denim with heavier fabrics like merino wool, cable knit sweaters, boots and of course my favourite  tweed blazers.

So after decades of debate, white after labor day is a “do,” just trade in your white linen and eyelet pieces for  traditionally fall fabrics in white of course.