Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Same Dress, After Labor Day

Dress (Ivanka Trump, Macys); Jacket (Material Girl, Macys); Bag (Anushka, eBags.com); Boots (Sonora)
If you're a regular reader of Red's Shoe Diaries, you may recognize this white eyelet dress from my last post. Yes, it's a sundress. Yes, it's white. Yes, it's after Labor Day. I don't know why so many Midwesterners still cling to this so-called "fashion rule," a remnant of the 1950s. How is it the same people who think nothing of letting their bra straps peek out beneath a tank top or wearing ripped up jeans to church on Sunday wouldn't be caught dead wearing white past the end of August? I don't get it. The Autumnal Equinox (aka the first day of Fall) isn't until September 22nd. It's still summer and it's still hot outside.  So why not white?! 

Apparently, there is ambiguity around the advent of the custom, though most sources agree (well, at least those sources I looked at during my Google search) that originally the rule was only intended to apply to white dress shoes and pumps, but morphed over time to apply to pants and purses, as well as dresses (the wedding variety excluded). Some stories indicate the guideline was merely a reminder to the masses that they shouldn't wear summer weight clothing during the Winter. It seems to me that, hmmm, let's see, cold weather would be sufficient to remind women not to wear chiffon sundresses in the Winter regardless of what color they are.... Other stories report that the rule may have been promulgated by established "Society" families to school the "Noveau Riche" who were perceived as lacking in social graces and conservative fashion sense. 

I see no reason to cling to a hard and fast Labor Day deadline for retiring my summer white wardrobe for the season.  Of course, I'm not going to wear this cotton eyelet sundress when the air gets crisper - not because it's white but because the fabric is lightweight and summery. For now, though, while the weather's still warm and the dog days aren't yet over, I'm not about to relegate it to the back of my closet based on its color. Frankly, for me, the only rule related to the color white should be "Don't wear white and eat spaghetti sauce!"
 
Same dress, before and after Labor Day

Fashion is what you buy; Style is what you do with it!
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2 comments:

  1. OMG: "How is it the same people who think nothing of letting their bra straps peek out beneath a tank top or wearing ripped up jeans to church on Sunday wouldn't be caught dead wearing white past the end of August?" So funny and so true.

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  2. I know you can appreciate that! Thanks :)

    ReplyDelete