Where Did That Silly Rule About Not Wearing White After Labor Day Come From?

While some people may resist the urge to wear white after Labor Day, Cheryl Burks-McCarthy of Owensboro isn't one of them. In advance of the Labor Day holiday weekend, Cheryl shared this on her Facebook page.

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While I personally have never thought twice about wearing the color white after Labor Day, I have always wondered where that silly 'rule' came from.  Apparently, that mantra dates back to the 19th century- the early 1800s, as a matter of fact- and, according to a recent story in Newsweek, it was created in a way that makes it just as snotty and elitist as it sounds.

The 'no white after Labor Day' tradition was 'reportedly invented by an elite group to use fashion to separate those with and without money." Excuse me. What? Why?

It's true that Labor Day typically heralds the end of summer and, traditionally, people wear lighter-shaded clothes in the summer in an attempt to stay cool. Former Tristate meteorologist Chad Sewich shared this on social media Saturday. He wrote, "Happy last day of meteorological summer! It sure has been a fantastic season."

While the last official calendar day of summer is September 21st this year, Labor Day marks the official turn toward autumn. People generally start thinking less about BBQs and swimming pools and more about bonfires, flannel blankets, pumpkins and Halloween. Here in western Kentucky, where we had highs in the triple digits last week, I know I am ready for hoodie and shorts weather. Heck, I am ready for sweater weather. And, yes! I, like Cheryl, will wear white and won't think twice about it.

So back to that stupid rule. Who came up with that? According to Newsweek, "it was established that you shouldn't wear white after the holiday if you don't have money to take fall and winter vacations." See, historically, wealthy citizens in thriving American cities would take post-Labor Day trips to warmer vacation spots "bringing white clothing that required special care with them." The poorer works stayed at home and they apparently weren't wearing white.

Makes sense, right?  Think about it! If you have to go do some kind of manual labor, are you going to wear white when you do it? Not hardly. When I sit down in the dirt to pull weeds from my landscaping, I am not doing it in a white Izod knit. White shows more dirt and grime that any other color. Back in the early 1800s, if you were wearing white, you likely didn't have to work. Wearing white let everyone know it.  A recent Parade story dissects the way the color white was even used to draw class lines between "old money" and "new money." Well, that's obnoxious because they were already using white to distinguish between "money" and 'no money."

I think that's really gross and I am glad this 'rule' has pretty much died a slow death over time. Who cares what color you're wearing and when you're wearing it?  We're all pretty much laborers at this point. Cheryl and I certainly am and trust me on this! I have way more respect for people with a strong work ethic than I do for someone with a 'pristine' sense of fashion who refuses to get their hands (or their white pants or dress) dirty.