The taboo against wearing white when summer ends is rooted in social class snobbery at the turn of the twentieth century. As more people entered the ranks of the wealthy, those who inherited money wanted to distinguish themselves from those who acquired it. One way was to establish strict dress codes on the assumption that the nouveau riche would commit fashion faux pas. Hence arose the rule to pack away white dresses and suits after lawn parties and beach vacations were over. When Labor Day was declared a national holiday in 1894, it became a convenient date for the seasonal shift. Although the rule was observed primarily among the elite (poorer people, whose wardrobes were limited, shunned white year-round simply because it got dirty), by the 1950s women’s magazines also made it clear to the middle class that whites were out between Labor Day and Memorial Day. Fashions have changed — “winter white” is in style — but many people still think twice before donning white clothes from early September to late May. Read more about fashion rules and trends over the past century in A Brain. A Heart. The Nerve. (see NOVELS).
