--- title: Why Can't You Wear White After Labor Day? description: Here's why Americans stopped wearing white after Labor Day canonical: https://time.com/3223070/why-its-okay-to-wear-white-after-labor-day/ author: Diane Tsai article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-08-29T20:11:36.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T08:58:12.158Z og:title: Why Can't You Wear White After Labor Day? og:description: Here's why Americans stopped wearing white after Labor Day og:url: https://time.com/3223070/why-its-okay-to-wear-white-after-labor-day/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt119a4a2d62c9fe6c/6986a180d0b6f21b01305e51/labor_day_white_1280.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1280 og:image:height: 720 og:image:alt: Group Of Children In Sea og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why Can't You Wear White After Labor Day? twitter:description: Here's why Americans stopped wearing white after Labor Day twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt119a4a2d62c9fe6c/6986a180d0b6f21b01305e51/labor_day_white_1280.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why It's O.K. to Wear White After Labor Day > Sponsored content. 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Worth Your Time is TIME's culture recommendation newsletter, edited by culture editor Eliza Berman. Each week it surfaces the books, shows, films and ideas TIME's editors think are worth your attention, and explains why. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Does TIME have a culture newsletter? Yes. Worth Your Time is TIME's culture newsletter, published weekly. #### Who writes TIME's culture recommendations? Culture editor Eliza Berman writes Worth Your Time, drawing on TIME's critics and culture desk. #### Is Worth Your Time free? Yes. It is a free newsletter available at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-worth-2026q3/newsletters?i=41205757-dcee-4812-9e89-9a26850c23d2&cr=time-nl-worth-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Why Can't You Wear White After Labor Day? [Watch (HLS stream): Why Can't You Wear White After Labor Day?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Uy2TM1Mi.m3u8) (1:11)  _Published 2014-08-29. Actually, now you can... TIME's Lily Rothman explains why._  by [Diane Tsai](https://time.com/author/diane-tsai/)  ## Diane Tsai Aug 29, 2014 8:11 PM UTC  by [Diane Tsai](https://time.com/author/diane-tsai/)  ## Diane Tsai Aug 29, 2014 8:11 PM UTC Tradition holds that this is the time of year when wearing white becomes a _major_ fashion faux pas. But it turns out that the history of the “no white after Labor Day” rule isn’t so black and white. In the video above, TIME’s Archives Editor Lily Rothman explains why Americans stopped wearing white after Labor Day (and also why you should feel free to rock your white jeans well after summer is over). ## Transcript Tradition holds that this is the time of year when wearing white becomes a major fashion faux pas. But it turns out that the history of the no white after Labor Day rule isn't so black and white. One theory is that fashion magazines, which were mostly based in Northeastern cities, reflected what fashion editors were wearing at the time. In the early 1900s. Before you could just turn on the AC, cooler white clothes were convenient for the hot summer months. Especially in places like New York. Wearing white became impractical during the rainy fall season. Or maybe white garments are symbolic. Lighter color resort apparel [ UNKNOWN ] of leisure. When people return to the city after their vacation [ INAUDIBLE ] It was time to put away their summer whites and don more formal, darker colored city- wear. Eventually, whether for practical reasons or not, the tradition became a rule. Of course, especially in the world of fashion, rules were made to be broken. These days etiquette experts have given the nod to the once taboo look. And fashion magazines are quick to offer up advice on how to rock your favorite white jeans long after the summer is over. 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