The story behind why you're not supposed to wear white after Labor Day

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After Labor Day, are you eyeing your closet, trying to figure out how to phase the white out of your wardrobe? Not wearing white after Labor Day seems to be a rule most people know about, but few actually know the origins behind it. However, the story behind this arbitrary dress code is kind of lackluster.



In the late 19th century, rich, high society women who came from wealth found themselves rubbing elbows with the so-called "new rich." In order to distinguish old-money families from the newfound millionaires, they used fashion rules that only those who were "in" would know about.



These rules included things like wearing the correct sleeve length for certain events and, of course, only wearing white in the summertime. Eventually, when Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894, the holiday became a natural end point for summer and wearing white.

Of course, summer heat can stretch well into September, but if you were "in," you'd know that Labor Day meant putting away cool, white clothing, regardless of how miserable it would be to wear fall-appropriate clothes in late summer.

These days, fashion rules are much more lax, and plenty of people wear white before, during and after summer with no issue. But at least now you why, come Labor Day, you always feel the impulse to toss your favorite white shoes in the back of the closet!