Yes, You Can Wear White!

We imagine that someday, in the far-flung future, we will finally achieve world peace and once and for all settle the battle of when summer unofficially ends. Is it the start of the school year? Labor Day weekend? The final mattress sale? Officially, the autumnal equinox lands on September 22nd this year. Meteorological summer doesn’t even start until September 1 and ends November 30, which doesn’t make any sense - unless you’re in California? 

Of course, as you’re probably able to surmise from the headline up there, we’re talking about Labor Day this week. This year it falls almost perfectly on September 1st. That hasn’t happened for more than 10 years and won’t again for another 6. Officially, it’s the first Monday in September, so the actual date moves around a bit. 

Again, referring back to our headline, you may be wondering -- can I really wear white after Labor Day? Isn’t there some sort of rule? Well, yes, there is, but it’s a bit outdated. It’s a leftover from the days when people could only take photographs in black and white. Everyone had to dress either in black or white and the only way you could tell what season you were in is what color you wore for the family reunion photos. 

Okay, in case you didn’t figure it out, most of that last paragraph was a joke. Just seeing how far along we could go before someone stood up and said Balderdash! Since very few people use that word anymore, well, we had to fess up. But honestly, the “real” reasons for that Labor Day colored attire ruling may seem just as strange or silly.

A Rule’s a Rule, That’s the Rule

Labor Day itself became a national holiday in 1864 thanks to President Grover Cleveland. It was suggested by at least two union labor leaders, but President Cleveland made it law, hoping to diversify his voters with some blue-collar professionals. 

Like many rules of society, the rule of not wearing white after Labor Day is much more important to people with lots of money than those with less. For one, you have to actually own white clothing. For many lower-class folks, even when they got white clothing, it would soon turn dingy and grey thanks to working in dusty conditions, sweating a lot and working with machine parts. That’s literally where the terms blue collar and white collar come from - workers wore uniforms with blue collars and the more well-to-do people wore white starched shirts with white collars. 

Fashion mavens tell us the rule originated in New York City, like most fashion, and was partly due to the lack of paved roads. Asphalt paving was a fun experiment in the late 1800s, and we didn’t start having fully paved roads until 1913. So, walking to work in New York blew up a lot of dust. Riding in a covered wagon or carriage – and later an automobile, was reserved for the elite classes who didn’t have to work. And the society ladies made sure everyone knew it. Hence, a relaxing summer in the Hamptons was spent in white, but it was considered gauche to wear white once summer unofficially ended and you’d returned to the city for “bizness.”

The Heck With Your Rules

Now here’s where it gets interesting. The rule that we all “remember” was actually mocked and violated decades ago by such top-level designers as Coco Chanel. Shortly after The War to End All Wars ended, Chanel introduced her now iconic white suit - and wore it whenever she darn well pleased. 

After World War II, magazines like Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue tried to reinstate and enforce the rule (Vogue has since rescinded it). After all, women could work in the factories too, maybe even the boardrooms, and someone needed to establish a proper dress code. The advent of in-home washing machines combined with the availability of chlorine bleach made keeping white clothes easier. 

The no white rule persisted in memory, if not practice, through the 60s and 70s and, as evidenced by this very article, is still a topic of discussion today. But is it a rule or just a guideline or a rule-of-thumb? You do you. Unless your personal social circle wants to execute that particular rule, you go ahead and wear white whenever you want. Except to a wedding. Trust us, you do not want to take attention away from the bride.

The Practical Side

There are actual, scientific reasons to wear white in the summertime. It’s not just to look like Miss Fancy Pants in the country club or on the golf course. Speaking of the golf course, a 2019 study found that white was the best color to wear while playing 18 holes, mostly because it absorbs the least amount of sun – and heat. Yellow is the second coolest color, and dark green is the hottest, just a little warmer than pure black. 

Did you know insects have favorite colors? Not all of them, but apparently bumble bees are very fond of purples, lavenders and blues. Bed bugs seek out blacks and reds. We’ve mentioned several times on this very blog that mosquitoes prefer to land on and munch next to dark colors. So there are more than a couple of reasons to wear white during summer. Add on our daily forecast of sunny with a chance of scattered thunderstorms, and there’s no reason to stop wearing white on the Gulf Coast of Florida. 

Mosquitoes are going to continue to be a problem this rainy season, but they don’t have to be in your backyard. Whether you're doing an (unofficial) end of the summer BBQ or inviting your kids' new classmates over for a playdate, our No Bite Zones Mosquito Protection Program is perfect. It keeps mosquitoes from biting by turning them into vegans. It’s safe and affordable, and we can even drop it off during our next periodic visit to your home. For more details, please give us a call! Just not on Monday, as our office will be closed for the holiday.