What do you mean "Will you wear white after Labor Day?" Convention dictates one should only wear white between Easter and Labor Day. Okay, convention. Why? I never knew why just like I was also told as a child never reveal your bare shoulders in church, black is only to be worn to funerals, and cleavage belongs with evening attire. For me this is easy. I rarely enter a church, black for funerals seems appropriate and mine are still "growing in". There are several theories on the subject of summer whites but none arrive to a concrete conclusion. The handful of stories on this subject involve themes of seasonal climate, class separation, vacationing and the military. Labor Day falls on the first Monday in September marking both the opening of a new school year and the unofficial end of summer. What follows are some of those reasons in brief, you decide:
- White reflects light and therefore the summer heat.
- Cities are dirty and grimy. The affluent escape to the country during the summer heat and dawn their light color clothing as a nice change of pace. Also underscoring a separation of class.
- High fashion was set in the northern cities where their seasons are more defined and the extremes of fall and winter weather are not suitable for light colored clothes and shoes.
- It is the time of year the Navy switches their uniform from summer whites to winter navy blues.
What I do not comprehend is the existence of the color "winter white"? When do I wear this, is it just enough confusion to mess with my head? Why wear winter in summer if I cannot wear white in winter...WHA- I am making a guess on a grand scale the likes of Moby Dick that this was an invention from a prestigious fashion house tantamount to "getting away with it"; and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis was happily along for the ride. (March 1962 below) Got that date?
I plan to continue to wear white after Labor Day, my three-inch spectators on dry days and sneer at convention and double dare you to do the same. I follow my own wisdom when creating a look only to be mindful of fabric weight and texture. Texture not only means touch but also pattern. I find this to be a more practical and successful guide than color. Skinny, strappy, backless sandals striped tank top and tweed trousers all wrapped in a wide suede belt, That's summer and winter wrapped in one package. NOPE!
