Fall is here!! Well, not so much according to the weather report, but the calendar says it’s here. Knowing what to wear is always the question in September, right? The temperature is 95 degrees, but the stores and Starbucks are screaming sweaters and pumpkin spice. What’s a girl to do? 

 I recently wore white shoes (actually they are off white) in an Instagram pic and got a rude comment concerning wearing white after Labor Day. It got me to thinking. Why? Who dreamed up this craziness? While it’s true that in the south we are raised on all things good manners, we can’t be so crazy to think white is inappropriate after a certain date just because. Right? So I looked it up.  I googled “who started the don’t-wear-white-after-Labor-Day-silliness?” 

It seems it all started in the late 1800s when modesty ruled (imagine that!) and women discovered white was simply the best way to stay cool because they always covered their arms.  And the women who could afford a summer break went off to the country side where a white frock could stay white. Staying in town, where work took place, would guarantee a white outfit would turn black from all the soot and smoke. (Today we complain about poor air quality, but it is nothing like our ancestors live through. YUCK!) So, after a summer of socializing and resting, around Labor Day, everyone headed back to the soot-covered town and put their summer white clothes away. 

Okay, now we get it. It’s another one of those necessity-is-the-mother-of-invention things, but the necessity is gone and therefore the invention is obsolete. Still, we have a tough time letting go of traditions don’t we? Well, as we learned from a Disney movie, it’s time to “let it go.”

Here’s the outfit in question. I love these shoes and have barely taken them off since I got them. The brand is Chinese Laundry. They are not bright white, so perfect for this time of year and go with everything. The jacket I am wearing has honestly been in my closet for nearly five years, but it’s still cool. It’s Ann Taylor, which means it’s a bit classy. I put it with a little Zara jumpsuit and there you have it. Perfect for church on Sunday or date night or anything. And, yes, it’s a lot of white, but it’s okay. Even my mom approves. So go for it!