# No white after labor day? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 25, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509 "2003-08-25T13:49:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![crow\_t\_robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@crow\_t\_robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crow_t_robot)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509/1 "2003-08-25T13:49:34Z")
Is there a reason behind this? if so why? ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509/2 "2003-08-25T14:15:59Z")
I dont think it matters anymore. Styles are out the window, you see lots of black shoes and purses in the heat of July now, as well as white in winter. The Paris fashion show, skirt lengths, etc. mean nothing anymore. Except for “Serial Mom”, [http://www.imdb.com/Title?Serial+Mom+(1994)](http://www.imdb.com/Title?Serial+Mom+(1994)), I wouldnt worry about it. I used to be that summer meant wearing pastels and soft sheer fabrics, and white certainly goes better with pastels, bonnets, and lighter materials. Todays women mostly wear sweats and blue jeans year round now, and white pumps and white gloves just dont look that good with blue jeans. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509/3 "2003-08-25T17:10:32Z")
The rule against whites after Labor Day is a regionalism, mostly in the WASPish enclaves of New England. But it became popularized as a matter of common etiquette. This ‘rule’ doesn’t make sense in warmer climes where hot weather extends into the Fall, and you’d be an idiot not to wear white out in the sun in 90 degree heat. Basically, you retire you ‘Summer whites’ when it’s no longer summery weather. If you get a heat wave in New Enland the first week of October, go ahead and put on the whites. Only pinheads will cluck at you. If it’s cool and damp and overcast and the leaves are a golden brown, and you’re wearing a bright white t-shirt, well then yes, you look dumb for not dressing seasonally. Of course, there’s always the winter whites which you can break out in the Fall weather. These are off-white (like ivory) sweaters and jackets reminiscent of a snowy day. And WRT black clothes in the Summer: OK for indoor business and evening wearing. Never for outdoors simply becuase it’s dumb to wear black in the sun in the heat (dark clothes heat up in the sun). ## Peace. Hmmm… there’s been several fashion questions in GQ. Are they _factual_? Do we need a forum for MPQIMA? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509/4 "2003-08-25T17:16:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by moriah \* > \*\*The rule against whites after Labor Day is a regionalism, mostly in the WASPish enclaves of New England. But it became popularized as a matter of common etiquette. > > This ‘rule’ doesn’t make sense in warmer climes where hot weather extends into the Fall, and you’d be an idiot not to wear white out in the sun in 90 degree heat. > > Basically, you retire you ‘Summer whites’ when it’s no longer summery weather. If you get a heat wave in New Enland the first week of October, go ahead and put on the whites. Only pinheads will cluck at you. > > If it’s cool and damp and overcast and the leaves are a golden brown, and you’re wearing a bright white t-shirt, well then yes, you look dumb for not dressing seasonally. > > \*\* I’ve lived in New England all my life, and this is the first time I’ve ever heard of the “no white after labor day” rule extending beyond shoes… ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509/5 "2003-08-25T17:44:30Z")
When I lived in New York you wern’t allowed to wear white after Labor day but when I moved to the south, no one had ever heard that rule. White is a year-round color. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509/6 "2003-08-25T17:56:07Z")
My general rule is that I wear clothes that are clean, if I wear any at all… ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509/7 "2003-08-25T23:37:19Z")
Unless one is a nurse, white shoes are pretty risky anytime. ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509/8 "2003-08-26T02:44:24Z")
I’m from a WASPish enclave in New England. It’s only white SHOES. There were strict limits on 'em that roughly coincided with the arrival and disappear of the “summer people.” If you take a look at the thread on sock matching, you’ll see there aren’t a whole lot of rules about fashion these days. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509/9 "2003-08-26T03:02:58Z")
Rule #1: Wear what you want, when you want. Rule #2: There is no Rule #2. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509/10 "2003-08-26T05:06:38Z")
It’s white shoes, not white in general - from “Miss Manners’ Guide for the Turn of the Millenium” page 149: > [@](#): > > From Memorial Day to Labor Day, you may wear white shoes. Not before and not after. As a command, the White Shoe Edict should be clear and simple enough. Do not violate it. In a society in which everything else has become relative, a matter of how it makes you feel, a question between you and your conscience, and an opportunity for you to be really you, this is an absolute. Miss Manners not only doesn’t want any argument about it, she doesn’t even want any discussion. For goodness’ sake, if you want to smash the conventions of your own heritage, find a rule that is more fun to break. Then she discusses the finer points of the rule, and no, she specifically does not make an exception for different regions of the country. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509/11 "2003-08-26T11:46:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by VernWinterbottom \* > \*\*I’m from a WASPish enclave in New England. > > It’s only white SHOES. There were strict limits on 'em that roughly coincided with the arrival and disappear of the “summer people.” \*\* 😃 And here I was wondering if I’d missed something… ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509/12 "2003-08-26T13:00:17Z")
Outside of sneakers, Does the average male really have white shoes? I sure don’t, and I’m rather sure I never did. I really don’t remember seeing too many men with white shoes even when walking in the West Village (probably the area in Manhattan most likely for you to find wingtips or loafers or other retro-styles). ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509/13 "2003-08-26T13:12:15Z")
Hmph, bunch of cobblerian deontologists. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509/14 "2003-08-26T13:12:21Z")
Lots of old men in Florida wear leather white shoes, white belts too, with their polyester suits and bright red shirts(even after Labor Day!). ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509/15 "2003-08-26T13:16:04Z")
**SirRay** , the average male might not have white shoes, but up here in Massachusetts a lot of older fellas have 'em. Generally a casual style shoe, rather loaferish. Often seen with bright green pants. . . Now when I was in marching band in high school we wore “white bucks,” which were suede with a rounded toe. We broke the rule 'cause we wore 'em on Thanksgiving Day. Most males under thye age of two wear white shoes. Year round. Then they’re bronzed. (The shoes, not the males.) ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-white-after-labor-day/197509/16 "2003-08-26T14:05:37Z")
Well white T-shirts and dress shirts you can wear all year round. Unless you live on a plantation and people call you Colona’, you shouldn’t even own a white suit.