Styles, trends, and fads come and go each season and take turns rotating back onto the runways decade after decade. But one of the oldest myths in fashion has managed to stay put for centuries through all of the rotating trends – “you can’t wear white after Labour Day”. In terms of style questions, this has still got to be one of the most Googled to date. But whyyyy?

This fashion “rule” came about back in the 19th century (clearly outdated). According to Amanda Halley from The Ultimate Fashion History, the upper-class Americans from the city would escape the summer heat by cottaging or vacationing in the countryside, very similar to how it is for us now. The upper-class would wear light-weight fabrics like linens & cottons in light colours like white, vacation attire if you will. Once the upper-class left the countryside after Labour Day weekend, so did a lot of the white fabrics that were seen around town all summer. The colour white not only worked as a social divide amongst the two classes, but also was symbolic to the fact that summer was over. 

But it’s 2021, people! This style myth is old and outdated. I’m here to tell you that white can, should, and will live on after Labour Day. There are no rules when it comes to fashion anymore. Here are ways that you can rock white moving into the fall season: 

Although this is an outdated fashion myth, there’s no denying the fact that white clothing does make us think of warmer weather. However, the key is to pair your whites with seasonal fabrics and accessories. For example, if you are going to wear an oversized white cotton button-up shirt as a dress, try pairing it with a cable-knit sweater vest and chunky boots. The knit textures and seasonal footwear warm up the look and make it more “fall”. If you want to wear white jeans, try pairing them with a knit sweater or light jacket with sneakers or booties. I also like to stick with more seasonal fall colours when pairing with white. 

This old myth is kind of like that telephone game we played as kids. It originally started as all white clothing, then turned into white bottoms, and then turned into just white shoes. But we all know how good white sneaks and white boots look in the fall. I mean… white cowboy boots… c’mon! These are way too good not to be worn past Labour Day. A pair of white cowboy boots with baggy jeans tucked in and a cute sweater?? Doesn’t get much better than that. 

If you’ve been thinking about extending your whites into the fall, I hope this has helped to give you some ideas of outfit pairings. If you’re a true believer in no white after Labour Day, I’m sorry. You’re missing out on an abundance of cute fits for the fall and that’s always a shame!

Let’s normalize white after Labour Day! 

Until next hump day…

Peace & love!

TL