White after labor day?
 

What are your feelings on wearing white after labor day? Being in the South, I know it's taboo but I REALLY want to wear white after labor day because it's so darn hot.

If you do wear WALD, how do you wear it? Blazers? Pants? Dresses? Shoes (I don't think I could bring myself to do shoes)? Do you wear white-ish colors instead (creme that's almost white but not quite)?

I found these which I thought were interesting...

Does Labor Day Signal the End of Wearing White? from the Emily Post blog

Why Can't you Wear White After Labor Day?

Tacky?
http://cos.h-cdn.co/cm/14/28/480x716...e-jeans-de.jpg

Cute?
http://she12.com/uploads/2012/06/Bright-and-White.jpg
http://static.squarespace.com/static...ng?format=500w
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YhvnV2vslg...OOTD+combo.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CPYRvfl9m7...0/IMG_5411.jpg

I don't wear white white much ever, even though I'm in the south because if I do, there is a 100% chance that I will spill, be spilled on, or otherwise ruin said article of clothing. I will wear off white or ivory from time to time because the amiblue law of physics only applies to stark white clothing. So, I'm good year round.

It does seem out of season to me pre-Easter or post-Labor Day, but I could not care less if someone wears it.

Picture #1: Tacky? Yes, at any time of year. Is that one of those Kardashian people?
Picture #2: Cute? I think so, but still summer only.
Picture #3: I don't think the rule applies to a white blouse/top worn with a suit, sweater, etc. That ensemble is pretty summery, but not soley due to the white blouse.
Pictures #4 and #5: summer only

I wear what I want when I want. I don't go by seasons or "rules." I wear white after Labor Day and sundresses year round (with shirts, leggings, boots, cardigans, blazers, etc).

My clothes. :)

May I suggest we poll the membership? We could ask them:
Northern - YES -Wear white after Labor Day as a principle piece.
Northern - NO -Do not wear white after Labor Day as a principle piece.
Southern - YES -Wear white after Labor Day as a principle piece.
Southern - NO -Do not wear white after Labor Day as a principle piece.
Western - YES -Wear white after Labor Day as a principle piece.
Western - NO -Do not wear white after Labor Day as a principle piece.
Other - YES -Wear white after Labor Day as a principle piece.
Other - NO -Do not wear white after Labor Day as a principle piece.

Hear, hear!

White is okay until the Fall calendar season, which normally occurs near the end of September. Usually the weather is still warm and sunny, so white doesn't seem unusual or out-of-place.

Word. In general, California doesn't have any clothing rules to begin with so we wear white whenever the mood strikes. I continue following this non-rule no matter where in the country I live. However, I tend to avoid white because I'm almost guaranteed to spill on myself if I'm wearing it but sometimes, I take a walk on the wild side. :cool:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wMIWZLCks6...2tyyq9ydxf.png

:)

I agree entirely. And to suggest that some of these aren't appropriate after Labor Day because they're "summery" outfits doesn't really apply when living in Houston. Summer lasts through November.

Picture #1 above is a terrible outfit, and #4 is meh, but pictures #2, 3, and 5 would definitely be ok to wear past the beginning of September. Although, I don't think I could ever pull off white pants...

Aaaaaand nobody even seems to know the origin of this "rule"...

http://content.time.com/time/nation/...920684,00.html

My vote. No white after Labor Day. Being from the south we were taught that it was okay to wear white on Easter, but then had to put it away again until after Memorial Day. White blouses are okay year round. I'm even going to go so far as to say that white denim might, maybe, be okay paired with boots like one of the above pictures. I believe Michael Kors said that was okay last winter and denim is a thicker, year round fabric. Seersucker and Linen are two fabrics left to summer along with short shorts. Longer shorts are acceptable as long as the weather permits.

I work in human resources interviewing college grads for jobs with a big oil corporation. Yes, I do look at the clothes these recent graduates are wearing. White, Linen, seersucker, etc are not appropriate outside of the summer months when it is just too hot to wear anything else.

I understand that many young women want to be their own person and allow their own fashion flair to show through. But us old ladies are still doing the hiring after college.

And while I'm preaching, visible tattoos are still taboo! Many qualified college grads are being passed up for corporate positions because they like to buck the system.

Sorority girls spend a great deal of time and effort into perfecting their resumes and taking on leadership positions. Why shouldn't they perfect their fashion sense at the same time.

Please excuse the typos. Auto correct is killing me tonight.

So you'd disqualify a candidate for wearing white after Labor Day, even if she had an impeccable resume and looked perfectly presentable?

Aren't we now taking this a bit too far?

If I had two equal candidates for a job, I would choose the one who better dressed the part. If there was only one suitable applicant, then she would get the job. Yes, there are sloppy people who get jobs every day, but they are paid less and have less opportunity for growth. Unless of course they are geniuses and the job is locked away at corporate with little public exposure.

Plenty of college applicants are passed up for being too sexy or dressing like they are going to a night club instead of a job interview! Same goes for girls wearing summer fashion in the winter and fall.

Sorority recruitment has always been compared to a job interview. Girls need to put their best foot forward. You would have serious questions if a girls came into your house on first round looking like she is dressed for the bars. Wouldn't you?

First impressions are critical!

Not only does a lot of your logic not make sense, you just compared wearing white to being "dressed for the bars." The two are not nearly on the same level of impropriety so I'm having a tough time following you.

Exactly. I'm not seeing the logic/analogy here.

If wearing white disqualifies me for a job, then I really don't want that job. This is some made up rule that an unknown person or group of people created over 100 years ago, and you're going to hold that against a 22-year-old, well-qualified candidate, because they didn't learn while earning their bachelor's degree that wearing white past early-September is "inappropriate"?

O... k.....

my vote:
Western - YES -Wear white after Labor Day as a principle piece.

It could just be me, but I grew up thinking that the no white after Labor Day rule was something from the 50's. I didn't know anyone who actually cared about it. The concept of summer and winter wardrobes didn't exist for me until I moved to DC. In Los Angeles, it's just one big wardrobe that you wear year-round.

Question: what about Presents? I know UCLA and USC have their Presents in November, and an all-white ensemble is requisite for new members.

Here's the idea
Dressing too sexy for job

Other than a white blouse, I can't imagine wearing white to a job interview. A white suit just doesn't seem like a wise choice for a job interview.

Special events like pledging and other events that traditionally have white clothing seem to be an exception like weddings, as it seems to me.

That is another example of old fashioned and outdated rules being applied. Some of us in the South and across the East Coast believe our clothes are one big wardrobe to be worn year round.

I'm not in the age, cultural, and career demographics HearttoHeart is typing about so I will stick with my original post. :) My clothes, my rules.

Sorry if I jumped around. The point I was trying to make was that going through recruitment was much like going to a job interview where first impressions were important. In corporate America what you wear on the job matters, just like in recruitment. Maybe there are other careers where fashion doesn't matter, I wouldn't know.

I live in the Deep South. Temperatures reach 100 degrees regularly during the summer. White, linen, sear sucker are all legitimate fabrics to wear. (Jackets required indoors). But when the weather cools, summer attire needs to be put away. I didn't make up the rules. These are common rules in corporate America. Wearing the wrong clothes to a job interview may affect whether or not that girl gets the job. Likewise, what a girls wears to recruitment may affect which sorority she gets into.

Networking is a learned skill. Sororities help girls fine tune those skills. Fashion can also be learned, and sororities can help fine tune those skills as well.

Now, many of you might not have seen my original post on the subject on the ole miss thread. Ole Miss has a fall recruitment. Although the temperatures are still warm, fashion rules should and do apply. I have another daughter who just transferred to Baylor. Baylor has a winter recruitment. Wearing white would be taboo.

Basically, white is reserved for summer when the temperatures dictate fashion. In fall and winter we put the summer fabrics away.

:) This website captures my view of fashion. A "stylish" and "creative" person is not limited by outdated standards.

http://www.puttingmetogether.com/201...asons.html?m=1

ETA: This is a good discussion: http://fakinggoodbreeding.blogspot.c...r-day.html?m=1

Just of interest -- you seem to be imposing your own cultural biases on what is considered appropriate non-verbal communication during a job interview.

Not all cultures would consider a "firm and confident handshake" or direct eye contact with the interviewer either appropriate or polite.

Corporate America does and Heartofheart is typing about corporate America.

I know all about cultural variation. I also spend time with people from cultures that either do not subscribe to or do not teach about giving handshakes and eye contact. People across cultures who enter the job market can learn what particular cultures expect in terms of overall attire and proper verbal and nonverbal communication. People across cultures can learn whether a particular cultural environment expects them to wear button up shirts and give a non-sweaty, solid handshake. However, learning attire and communication often does not include learning varying perspectives on which colors and fabrics to wear in certain seasons. Give people a break.

All of this x 10.

All of our posts are about cultural and learned behaviors. The issue some of us have with Heartofheart's posts is adding additional cultural biases to an already cultured and biased process. A well-educated and highly accomplished person who is an otherwise strong applicant should not be denied solely based on wearing a clothing item "out-of-season". Interviewers go based on level of comfort with applicants but Heartofheart is extending seasonal fashion to mean a person is not properly-cultured, not well-informed, ill-equipped, and possibly does not take her/his career seriously. Seasonal fashion is the least of these indicators.

Oh okay.

I don't see how this is so very different from your examples, as with the button-up shirts.

IMO, it is probably a good idea to observe what is customary in the culture or region -- or in the case of recruitment, campus. Preferably on the front end, unless one is more concerned with making a statement about their own wardrobe rules than improving their prospects for the job or party invitation.

It is different.

Don't shoot the messenger. The point I was trying to make was that in job interviews AND sorority recruitment what you wear makes a difference. When looking at two equal applicants, the one I perceive to be better put together will get the job. Don't kid yourself into believing that sorority girls aren't judging PNM's when they walk into a room. I'm not judging the girls, or the boys for that matter, on how expensive or non-expensive their clothes are, I'm looking for professionalism! White shoes after Labor Day is a dead giveaway that an applicant doesn't understand the importance of fashion in the work place.

Don't get me wrong, a computer programmer who will sit in front of a computer all day will be given slack. A sales manager who will be a public spokesman for the company is held to a different standard. You have to dress the part!

I think the white capris/green blazer would be a darling outfit for an Arizona/LA spring, which is to say February or March.

There's no such thing as a culturally unbiased job interview. All workplaces have a culture employees are expected to follow, and these are usually regional. All bosses with hiring power use personal judgment to evaluate someone's fit for the culture. This seems to me to be on the side of legitimately exercising the power rather than abusing it, though I personally would not ding a job applicant in a hot climate for this reason.

And that, friends, should end this thread. No more needs saying.

:) Not so soon. The people on the "other side" of this thread see the (un)acceptability of certain colors and fabrics as the same kind of culture and learned behavior as anything else. I completely disagree but see where they are coming from.

As far as I'm concerned, it is one thing to frown at someone's fashion choice for wearing a color or fabric "out-of-season". It is another thing to make assumptions regarding that person's accomplishments, overall preparedness, and not hire the person. It is a big deal for some people to learn what certain cultures consider "business attire" or "business etiquette." I don't think people should also have to care that some job interviewers may be playing Fashion Police (:p) and view certain colors and fabrics as "out of season." Especially since not everyone in that region or in that job sector believes certain colors and fabrics are "out of season".

Tossing in the WHITE towel, I've been schooled. I'm going out to save the whales, and reverse global warming, after I find a cure for the Ebola virus, wearing WHITE by the way.

None of this can be accomplished if you don't abide by seasonal rules.

This thread reminded me...I hung out with a really good friend about 10 years ago during a REALLY HOT summer. When we eventually got seated at the restaurant, the bright lights shined on his pants. What I thought were orange-brown khakis were actually orange-brown corduroys. I smiled and said "are you wearing corduroys in the summer?" We laughed and he said "yeah, they are really thin pants and I'm comfortable." I said "cool" and we moved on. If his body can handle it and he doesn't feel "out of season" then good for him. Some people wear corduroy year round (jackets, pants, shorts).

White in winter in the North just plain doesn't make sense, due to rain, snow, slush and the other gross things that H2O morphs into. I'm fairly sure that's how the rule started. Also, it's just basic that lighter colors reflect heat and darker colors absorb it (i.e. don't wear your black t-shirts to the amusement park, not because of fashion, but because you don't want to bake). I honestly think that's it, not a "snobbery" thing. As for that silly reference to the Queen wearing white ermine, obviously fur doesn't count. People who say things like that aren't using common sense.

P.S. White jeans are another of those things that after a certain age/poundage just don't look very good. As is evidenced by the tons of them on sale every freaking August.

Love that post! Great ideas

I've been reading this thread and I find it to be interesting.

I'm from the Midwest (some of you would call it North, but that's not how we label ourselves) and I am also very much into fashion. Generally, being fashion forward means evolving and sometimes breaking traditional "rules." Historically, the purpose of wearing white in the summer was based on the temperature, and it was not until around the 1950's that certain people forced it to become "law." (For more info, check this out: http://content.time.com/time/nation/...920684,00.html )

The fashion world does not condemn individuals who wear white after Labor Day. Generally, it is about the shade of white, texture and sometimes the sillouette of the garment. Around here, Lighter fabrics and purer whites tend to be the norm in the summer, whereas heavier fabrics and "winter whites" tend to be the norm in the winter. Around here, it is tough to even FIND pure white items in the winter months (and I had to do so a few years back ;)). But winter white is easy to find, and appropriate for our region. I own a fab, winter white turtleneck sweater, and it has remained a part of my wardrobe for years as it is a timeless piece. I've been obsesssed about this white wool trenchcoat I saw last year. Here are some more tips: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-be...ter-labor-day/

I would hate to think that such a rule would keep a qualified PNM/interest/potentional employee from receiving an opportunity, because they are being fashion forward or from another region where such rules are considered outdated. If that's how some employers or organizations want to judge me, in comparison to my merit/resume/interview, I would choose to pass. Those aren't my type of people. History also states that wealthier people were more likely to wear white as well, so that could also play into the culture. http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runnin...easons_beh.php

...and besides, myself, and my fabulous Sorors wear our cream/white all year round, and I dare someone to judge us for it. :D

Given the prevalence of tattoos -- especially among 20 to 40 year-olds -- I have wondered how these play in a professional interview process.

While I can grow accustomed to fashion trends I don't necessarily love, I doubt I will ever grow accustomed to this one. I have never seen a tattoo that I consider tasteful or attractive.

No offense intended to those who have tattoos -- just my personal preference.

I think it depends on the mission of the company, the region of the country and what the tattoos are. A bracelet tattoo isn't any more distracting than a big honking Rolex, IMO.

I know one thing I hate seeing is - if you're going to get tattoos with color - be aware you'll have to get them touched up after a few years. Even if you do think tattoos can look classy, faded ones never do.

I'm a vice president at a major media company in DC and I have semi-visible tattoos (usually visible in business casual attire, covered when wearing a suit). I've never had anyone in the office bat an eyelash at mine, nor have I ever cared about them on a job candidate. Probably depends on the industry -- I think it's actually benefitted me career-wise to look a little "edgy" in a creative field. I covered them up when I was starting my career and just needed a job, but I'm not sure I would now that I'm more established…any place that's uptight about visible tattoos is unlikely to be a good cultural fit for me.