Labor Day signals the unofficial end of summer… and the day we are supposed to stop wearing white.
Chances are you might not know the reason why Americans do this. Vogue‘s senior lifestyle writer, Elise Taylor, has an idea and she told ABC Audio when this fashion edict began.
“I can trace it back to essentially the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era. So that’s the late 1890 to 1900s. And, like so many trends, they began in the elite circles in New York City,” she said, adding those elite city-dwellers had the money to vacation at the beaches — like in Newport, Rhode Island — all summer long.
But they didn’t have shorts or tank tops to beat the heat, so they would wear white clothes to stay cool. Once vacation was over, they returned to wearing darker attire in the city because the dirt and grime would stain their white clothes.
Taylor says wearing white was also a status symbol and because the wealthy put away these clothes, those not of their class took notice and began doing the same
“It snowballed into this edict of style when it was always one about practicality,” said Taylor. “If you look back at publications at the time, there was no official edict. There was no official statement saying, ‘Do not wear white after Labor Day.'”
Still, this idea persisted and fashion influencers say this tradition has long overstayed its welcome. Lifestyle and etiquette expert Elaine Swann says — on the basis of etiquette rules — this notion to stop wearing white after Labor Day”does not have a place in the 21st century.”
What does she recommend? “Wear white,” Wood declared. “Have fun with it. Select the color that works best for your skin tone and even for your environment.” (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)