A fashion rule dating back to the Gilded Age is still being questioned today: no white before Memorial Day or after Labor Day.University of New Hampshire sociology of fashion professor Catherine Moran said the rule no longer applies.“Oftentimes, we do hold on to some of these rules because they have been passed down to us. They give us a sense of stability. They give us comfort. They give us an anchor so that we have something to fall back on,” Moran said.The tradition dates to the late 1800s, when wealthy Americans spent summers in places like the Hamptons or Newport. Wearing white was practical because it was easier to keep clean than clothing worn in the city.“So being able to have the status of going away, of being wealthy, but being able to show that is done really through the symbolism of light white clothes,” Moran said.Lightweight fabrics such as cotton, linen and muslin also became associated with summer dressing.At the time, there were social implications around when white could be worn, though there was no formal punishment beyond potential gossip.Moran said those expectations have faded as fashion norms have become more casual.“We’ve gotten more casual over the course of the last 30 years,” she said. “We’ve become much more casual. So we have a lot fewer hard and fast boundaries or rules between the social settings where we might wear one thing versus another.”At boutique Alapage, in Bedford, New Hampshire, manager of clothing Jennifer Chiesa said customers now shop for white clothing year-round.Lisa Anderson said she once followed the rule closely, packing away white clothing after Labor Day. Now, she said she believes it can be worn any time of year, noting broader shifts in fashion expectations, including funeral attire.“I think the same thing goes with even people coming in to look for something to wear to a funeral service, and people still think that they have to wear black. And those things have changed, too. I think that now I think that people are feeling more freedom with the way that they style their outfit, which is nice,” Anderson said.However, Moran said some people still prefer seasonal traditions, viewing them as a way to mark the change of seasons.”For some people, like I said, it feels good to be able to pull out your window, pull out your summer clothes, and switch over your wardrobe,” she said. “So I don’t want to discount the fact that there’s that important psychological feeling of, oh, the winter is over now I can wear my fun summer things.”
A fashion rule dating back to the Gilded Age is still being questioned today: no white before Memorial Day or after Labor Day.
University of New Hampshire sociology of fashion professor Catherine Moran said the rule no longer applies.
“Oftentimes, we do hold on to some of these rules because they have been passed down to us. They give us a sense of stability. They give us comfort. They give us an anchor so that we have something to fall back on,” Moran said.
The tradition dates to the late 1800s, when wealthy Americans spent summers in places like the Hamptons or Newport. Wearing white was practical because it was easier to keep clean than clothing worn in the city.
“So being able to have the status of going away, of being wealthy, but being able to show that is done really through the symbolism of light white clothes,” Moran said.
Lightweight fabrics such as cotton, linen and muslin also became associated with summer dressing.
At the time, there were social implications around when white could be worn, though there was no formal punishment beyond potential gossip.
Moran said those expectations have faded as fashion norms have become more casual.
“We’ve gotten more casual over the course of the last 30 years,” she said. “We’ve become much more casual. So we have a lot fewer hard and fast boundaries or rules between the social settings where we might wear one thing versus another.”
At boutique Alapage, in Bedford, New Hampshire, manager of clothing Jennifer Chiesa said customers now shop for white clothing year-round.
Lisa Anderson said she once followed the rule closely, packing away white clothing after Labor Day. Now, she said she believes it can be worn any time of year, noting broader shifts in fashion expectations, including funeral attire.
“I think the same thing goes with even people coming in to look for something to wear to a funeral service, and people still think that they have to wear black. And those things have changed, too. I think that now I think that people are feeling more freedom with the way that they style their outfit, which is nice,” Anderson said.
However, Moran said some people still prefer seasonal traditions, viewing them as a way to mark the change of seasons.
“For some people, like I said, it feels good to be able to pull out your window, pull out your summer clothes, and switch over your wardrobe,” she said. “So I don’t want to discount the fact that there’s that important psychological feeling of, oh, the winter is over now I can wear my fun summer things.”
