How to Wear White Jeans or Slacks after Labor Day - Fashion Cleaners (2024)

FAQs

Is it appropriate to wear white jeans after Labor Day? ›

Do you still have to follow the no white after Labor Day rule? The answer is NO. For most, the rule no longer applies, so you can style white in your outfits into fall and winter and then back into the spring. And the lack of rule applies everywhere, even the South.

Where did the rule of not wearing white after Labor Day come from? This fashion rule can be traced all the way back to the turn of the century, Marie Claire reports. The unspoken rule, now very much spoken, was created by the old money elite, hoping to elevate themselves above the nouveau riche, or newly wealthy.

It's actually more interesting than you'd think. According to the Farmer's Almanac, the concept of not wearing white after Labor Day started in the 19th century as a way for the upper class to separate themselves from the working class.

How to Wear Your White Jeans in Fall. To transition your whites from summer to fall, try adding warm textures to your look. Think fuzzy sweaters, luxe leathers & wild knits. In terms of color palette, start to pepper in darker tops like navy, burgundy & olive to contrast with the white in the cooler seasons.

Subsequently, it became socially accepted that those who didn't have the money to take fall and winter vacations shouldn't don white after the last summer holiday. Another reason? Laborers typically wore dark clothing to hide the dirty evidence of a hard day's work.

Are White Pants Business Casual? White pants can absolutely be the basis for a great business casual look — provided that they're not sheer, and your office allows whatever fabric you choose. For example, white denim is a great casual look — but not every office allows denim at the office.

When in doubt, nude or flesh-toned underwear is your safest bet. This color closely matches most skin tones, making it virtually invisible under white pants. The key is to find a shade that closely matches your skin to create a seamless look. Whether you have fair or dark skin, a nude shade will work for you.

Go simple with solid-colored T-shirt and a pair of relaxed white pants. If you have white jeans, cargo pants, capris, or any other casual white pants, try wearing them with a plain T-shirt in any solid color, although you can wear printed or stripes tees as well.

The rule to stop wearing white clothing after Labor Day has persisted through generations of tradition, but even so, there are plenty of people who have reinterpreted this old-fashioned standard to wear white all year long.

The fact is: you can wear white all year long! So grab your weather-appropriate white pieces and head Back-to-School or to that backyard BBQ and only worry about spilling barbeque sauce on your clothes. Some say this whole idea of white at certain times of year stems from divisive desires to mark wealth and status.

What is the saying about wearing white after Labor Day? ›

Wearing white after Labor Day meant you were someone who had the means to have end-of-summer vacations. Wearing your whites beyond Labor Day was just, well… showing off. Wearing white was a sign of wealth.

Shoe Choice

You can wear dark shoes with white jeans, but if you want to elongate your frame and look slimmer, a neutral or skin-tone shoe is going to be more flattering in general.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that you can't wear white after Labor Day. But why? It's a fashion rule that has been parroted by grandmothers, general interest magazines, and teenage mean girls for generations, as if it's a statute that society has always abided by.

You might wear all white from head to toe in July and August, but it looks too summery in the Fall. Instead, pair your white jeans with cream, taupe, or a gray sweater. You'll get more of a tone-on-tone look, which is richer and warmer.

Yes, it is TOTALLY OKAY to wear white jeans/pants/shoes after Labor Day. However, there is knack to doing it right. The key is to be sure it looks intentional — not like you forgot to put your summer clothes away.

3. White jeans. Once confined to the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, white jeans—along with their bone, ecru, and ivory cousins—have become year-round staples. We're expecting to see more of them than ever in 2024, considering how much they're popping up in street style.

While there are many who still choose to live by the tradition-based guideline that you must wait until Memorial Day to wear white, there are others who favor a different date: Easter. In fact, Easter is sometimes seen as the true mark of being able to break out your best whites, and it does make sense in some ways.

Classic and chic? Definitely. Not only do white jeans look good with pretty much everything, but they work with just about every shade. TBH, the options are endless when it comes to styling outfits around a pair of white jeans.