Where did the rule of not wearing white after Labor Day come from?

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — It's something that people have said for generations: "You can't wear white after Labor Day." But where did this fashion "rule" originate?

Fashion experts believe the tradition likely dates back to the Gilded Age in the late 1800s, around the same time Labor Day was established.

Wealthy New Yorkers would spend their summers in places like Newport, Rhode Island, donning cool, white outfits. At the end of the season, these garments were packed away as the well-to-do returned to the dirt-covered streets of urban life in the city.

In a 2021 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, fashion historian Amanda Hallay discussed how a white wardrobe contributed to a strong "social divide" during this era.

"Only those who could afford to wear white could wear white," Hallay told the magazine. "Not only did the wealthy summer in the far-cleaner countryside, but should their beautiful white dresses get dirty, they had servants to launder them."

Vogue senior writer Elise Taylor also explained in an 2023 article that wearing white was a subtle way for the upper class to signal that they had no intention of doing any manual labor or house chores, like cooking and cleaning.

According to the Farmer's Almanac, the tradition of not wearing white after the end of summer carried over into the 1950s, when the wealthy would do so to show "refinement." And those who followed the rule, were generally seen in a more positive light.

But fashion rules are meant to be broken -- aren't they?

Christy Crutsinger, a professor in merchandising and digital retailing at University of North Texas, told the Associated Press that she heard the "no white after Labor Day" adage from generations of women in her family.

"The fashion world’s not working that way anymore,” Crutsinger said. "People think it, say it, but don’t abide by it."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.