Seriously though, looking at this photo (another that Andrew bought me, love those bananas) I got to wondering exactly where that fashion "rule" came from. Most online sources I found said it was a way for old money rich to distance themselves from others, especially the nouveau riche. White clothing was seen as vacation wear, and the fact they had the funds for a vacation, let alone a wardrobe for vacationing, helped to illustrate their status. But they were sure adopt a heavier, darker wardrobe after Labor Day, and looked down on those tacky enough to still be wearing white. I also read that white clothing identified people who didn't have to get dirty in the course of their day. Poor people and laborers wore darker colors to disguise the wear and tear.
As for summer being over... you know how I feel about that...
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Interesting. I always wondered about that. Of course, I won't ever have to worry about committing such a fashion faux pas as being a country gardener means I never where white as it gets dirty the minute I walk out the door. I agree more summer yet to come.
ReplyDeleteI would be hard pressed to find anything white in my wardrobe, unless khaki counts!
DeleteAndrew has a knack at finding the perfect postcards to give you! All the "rules" of fashion seem out of fashion to me ;) You may appreciate the alternative term for "Indian Summer" I learned today, courtesy of Cathy of the Words and Herbs blog: ‘Altweibersommer’. She reports that it's a German term that describes the period of summer when spiders spin their webs, although (less charmingly) it also describes the warmer late summer temperatures appreciated by "older women."
ReplyDeleteHa! Is that a reference to hot flashes?
DeleteMe, I think white clothing is sooo impractical because they show every speck of dirt. But I suppose multiple changes of clothes a day were the norm...
ReplyDeleteOh good point! If you only wore each outfit for a couple of hours that would make a huge difference.
DeleteDown in Texas it was more about the black stetson being changed to white after Easter. Did they then change back to black on Labor Day? I have no idea.
ReplyDeleteOh... that's fabulous, I had no idea!
DeleteInteresting explanations for this 'no with after labor day' rule. Considering the hight fashion of ripped jeans, the only rule I go by is Anything Goes.
ReplyDeleteChavli
Good point. When pj's are streetwear and you can spend hundreds of dollars on ripped jeans, rules seem rather outdated.
DeleteNow I'm off to watch the clip from Serial Mom "No white shoes after labor day, OR ELSE!" hahahaha
ReplyDeleteOh yes, white shoes are definitely a faux pas!
DeleteThis is hot, hot Phoenix and we wear white clothes all year. It tricks us into thinking we are cooler.
ReplyDeleteAnything that helps!
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