When can you start wearing white again

Q: Can you wear white anytime of the year?

I dont know who needs to hear this, but, yes, you can wear white after Labor Day. Trends come and go. Style norms change decade after decade. But fashions oldest (and most outdated) myth has managed to prevail through centuries and cultural shifts—still remaining one of the most Googled style questions to this day.

This Monday is Labor Day in the United States – a holiday linked to workers’ rights and wearing white.

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Words in This Story
As the rule goes, whites are acceptable again on Memorial Day.
But breaking the fashion rule is a power move.
Just keep fabrics and accessories in mind, experts say.
When can you start wearing white after winter?
Can you wear white after Labor Day?
What is the rule for wearing white?
Can you wear white anytime of the year?

That may sound strange, but it is true. Many Americans put away their white clothes on Labor Day and do not wear them again until the following May, after Memorial Day.

One reason for the clothing custom relates to the season. In the United States, the months between June and September are summer. The weather is usually hot, including in Northeast cities like Boston, Massachusetts and New York, New York. Many people there historically wore light-colored clothing in the summertime to keep cool.

Judith Martin is an expert on manners – in other words, on how to behave politely. She spoke to Time Magazine about the history of wearing white in the summer. She said Americans in the 1800s and early 1900s wore formal clothes all year long. Wearing white clothes in the summertime may have felt more comfortable because “white is of a lighter weight,” Martin said.

Then, in about the 1930s, wearing white clothes in the summertime became fashionable, too. That is because some wealthy Americans in Northeast cities went on vacation for weeks or months in the summer. They stayed in costly hotels or summerhouses. The white clothes they wore there became linked to ease, beauty and money. But at the end of summer, around Labor Day, they put those white clothes away and returned to their lives in the city – as well as to their darker, heavier clothes.

In time, not wearing white after Labor Day became a bit of a fashion rule. Following it showed that you were wealthy -- or at least that you knew how to act like you were.

Today’s fashion magazines, however, advise readers to ignore the rule. They point to Coco Chanel, Kim Kardashian and Michelle Obama, who have appeared in white in all seasons.

But you may want to be careful about wearing white to an American-style Labor Day barbecue. The trouble is not fashion – it is ketchup. If it spills, the popular red tomato sauce can ruin a nice set of clothes.

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English with reports from Reuters and Time. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

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Words in This Story

comfortable - adj. not having any physically unpleasant feelings : experiencing physical comfort

fashion - n. a popular way of dressing during a particular time or among a particular group of people

Whether it’s a myth, an outdated mandate once created to represent social class, or just a means of temperature control, it’s long been thought that it’s not considered fashionable to wear white after Labor Day. In either case, it is outdated thinking that fashion experts are urging the public to ignore. But that doesn’t mean it won’t pop up from time to time, so let’s take a look at this idea.

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According to the now-passé fashion rule, we should be packing away our whites — including dresses, pants, shorts, and just about anything else you can think of — right after Labor Day for the fall and winter seasons. But until when, exactly? We're here with the answer.

Source: iStock

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As the rule goes, whites are acceptable again on Memorial Day.

That’s right! We’re meant to wait eight (long, dark) months to break out our whites once again. When Labor Day was named a federal holiday in 1894, society eventually dubbed it “the natural endpoint for summer fashion.”

And since summer fashion included whites on whites on whites, the signature summer style was to be neatly packed away until the next summer reared its head.

But breaking the fashion rule is a power move.

While style icons like Coco Chanel never abided by the “no white after Labor Day” rule, it was commonly followed elsewhere — and for decades.

As Time Magazine reports, “As far back as the 1920s, Coco Chanel made white a year-round staple.”

And you know what? She stood out for that choice, which was a bold one at the time, and is still remembered for it today. And so do others who follow suit.

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Today, as the style rule goes out of style, people are wearing white whenever they darn well feel like it, as Business Insider shares.

Some of the most well-loved winter whites in recent years include Michelle Obama’s snow-white floor-length Inaugural Ball gown, a very pregnant Kim Kardashian West’s white caped dress, Victoria Beckham’s all-white power suit, and Meghan Markle’s stunning white turtleneck and coat date night combo.

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Source: Getty Images

Just keep fabrics and accessories in mind, experts say.

When it comes to wearing white after Labor Day, fashion experts say it’s “game on.” But there are some things that are good to keep in mind when rocking those fall, winter, or spring whites.

Take it from Karla Welch, a Hollywood stylist who has styled the likes of Julianne Moore, Tracee Ellis Ross, Mandy Moore, and Karlie Kloss on the red carpet.

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Asked whether there were any new rules around the outdated fashion mantra, she shares with CNN, “The rule is there are no rules. Make sure the fabric is suitable. Linen pants, not so much. Linen jackets definitely still work. I love a winter white look!”

“Nothing beats a white jean with a white sweater. But the key is grounding it with a winter shoe or boot.”

Source: Getty Images

As for wardrobe staples, consider jumpsuits, skinny jeans, chunky sweaters, wool coats, and blazers. Pair them with darks, or combine them for some all-white elegance.

Wondering if you can pull it off? By pairing your whites with the right accessories, you’re sure to be comfortable and season-appropriate while remaining on-trend.

Now go on ... show us your winter whites!

When can you start wearing white after winter?

The idea that white should be worn exclusively between Memorial Day in late May and Labor Day in early September is said to have originated from the late 19th-century, when the upper classes took off to summer homes for the warmer months, leaving behind the grime of city life.

Can you wear white after Labor Day?

Of course you can wear white after Labor Day, and it makes perfect sense to do so in climates where September's temperatures are hardly fall-like. It's more about fabric choice today than color.

What is the rule for wearing white?

You can wear white any time of year so long as you match the fabric to the season. Wear white cotton and linen in summer, white wool, crepe, and cashmere in winter. So those are the “rules” for wearing white.

Can you wear white anytime of the year?

I don't know who needs to hear this, but, yes, you can wear white after Labor Day. Trends come and go. Style norms change decade after decade. But fashion's oldest (and most outdated) myth has managed to prevail through centuries and cultural shifts—still remaining one of the most Googled style questions to this day.

start wearing white