LONDON, ONT. -- With Labour Day on Monday, you may be thinking to yourself, 'Can I still wear white?’
Perhaps not as big a topic as it once was, there was a time were it was apparently passé to wear white clothing after Labour Day, but why?
This rule of sorts can be traced to the late 1800s and early 1900s after the Civil War.
Upper-class families, who were from 'old money' were creating rules for fashion at the time, one of which was to ditch the white after Labour Day.
It is suggested that looking at photographs from that era, the working class wore darker clothing, while the wealthy could be seen wearing white linen suits and hats while attending fancy resorts to show their leisurely look.
With white clothing reserved for those visiting resorts, it would make sense that people who were changing up their wardrobe while packing away their summer clothing may not have a lot of white clothing left to wear.
Another take is that before air conditioning, wearing white was cooler and therefore worn in the warmer months. By the time the cooler weather came, people may have wanted a change of colour to wear back to work and school.
Ok, so clearly I am not giving an answer as to where this fashion faux pas came from, so can you wear white after Labour Day? Yes, of course you can.
French fashion designer, Coco Chanel, ignored the rule and made wearing white year round fashionable as far back as the 1920s.
As consumers we purchase what is out there, and if designers are not including white as a colour during the winter months, it will make it harder to find.
That being said, it was never an official rule. It's not like you could be arrested for your choice of fashion!
There you have it. No real answer. Just a little bit of history on the topic.
The way I look at it is, wear what you like, when you like.
What's your opinion?
