No White After Labor Day! And Four Other Fashion Rules to Break This Fall
by Susan Wagner

Summer is officially ending in the US this weekend, but that doesn't mean we'll wake up on Tuesday to cooler fall temperatures. The fact that it stays hot through September makes some of the classic rules about what to wear -- and not to wear -- after Labor Day almost laughable. So what's the strategy for rolling gracefully into fall without overheating? Easy: Just break these five classic fall fashion rules.

1. No white after Labor Day. (Variations: No white shoes, no white dresses, no white trousers.) White pieces are a wardrobe staple these days, and should not be reserved for the summer months. White jeans are appropriate year-round (and in hotter places, are really more appropriate for winter than for summer). Make a white dress or skirt fall-appropriate by pairing it with a light-weight sweater or denim jacket and closed-toed shoes. But skip white shoes all together, no matter what the season.

2. No linen after Labor Day. Linen is appropriate as long as the weather stays warm; if you live in a very temperate climate, you can wear your linen pieces through the fall. As with the white dress, think about adding a cardigan or light sweater to give your linen skirt or trousers a little more substance for fall, and trade out sandals for closed-toed shoes.

3. No open-toed shoes after Labor Day. Fall and winter clothes tend to be more substantial than summer clothes (think corduroy vs. linen, for example) and thus they call for a shoe that is more substantial than your summery t-strap sandal. But don't put all your open-toed shoes away; peep toes can work year-round. Pair them with trousers during warmer days, and when the weather turns, wear them with tights and a skirt or dress.

4. No sandals after Labor Day. The end of summer used to mean the end of sandals, but these days, that's not true. If you're still loving your sandals, pair them with jeans or chinos for fall. Be cautious about proportion, though -- wool pants and barely-there sandals don't go together. Keep your trousers light-weight to balance your mostly-naked foot.

5. No bright colors after Labor Day. Fall's palate is always more muted -- the colors are darker and richer. That doesn't mean that come Tuesday you can't wear that beautiful pink sweater or bright blue tee you've been tossing on all summer; work those bright colors into your fall wardrobe. If they are flattering to you in the summer, they will flatter in the winter as well.

Colleen at College Fashion has tips for what to wear to class -- the classic post-Labor Day fashion dilemma.

Julie Weiss at Fashion Rules has suggestions for what to wear this holiday weekend: short shorts and high heels. Is that a look you can rock?

The Daily Beast's Alisa Gould-Simon checks out fall's hottest hair trend: neons. (Really? Hmm.)

Susan Wagner writes about style at The Working Closet and about chic suburban living at Friday Playdate. She's wearing shorts and daydreaming about sweater weather.

Comments

 

Always go back and forth on

Always go back and forth on the white jeans after Labor Day look.   As it goes for anything in fashion, you must understand why these rules are created.  The no white rule exists to give framework to people who don't know how to transition white from a summer ensemble to a fall ensemble.  You can wear white if you know that when fall arrives it should be paired with a tailored blazer or a driving moc, not a t-shirt and sandals.


Of course, these fahion rules are also a product of marketing, to give women incentive to buy new clothes for fear of being a fashion disaster. 


http://www.thecluelesscrafter.com/

 

White Jeans

I like white jeans on other women, not so much on myself. I do agree that white jeans can look great in fall - even in winter. Also, couldn't agree more that white shoes are never a good idea, regardless of the season. (Even if you're a bride! I wore silver evening sandals with my wedding gown.)

Kelly

 

 

I'm so happy

to learn how trendy and hip I am by habitually breaking all these fashion rules. Finally!

Virginia DeBolt

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Rules are meant to be broken!

Great post! Plus, in some parts of the country it is still very hot even though it's September and moving towards fall. There shouldn't be limits on actual dates, but more to go with the season. Wearing white pants and shoes in the winter would be horribly messy in snowy climates, but over in Hawaii who wouldn't do it?