Goodbye White Shoes
Posted by Heather MacAllister in Heather MacAllister, tags: fashion, shoes
It’s Labor Day! Last day to wear those white shoes! I’m referring to the rule that in the US, white shoes should only be worn from Memorial Day to Labor Day. And we’re talking the actual Memorial Day, May 30th and not the fake Memorial Day Observed. The only exceptions are brides, athletes, and those whose uniform requires white shoes. Don’t worry. This still leaves winter white, off-white, ivory, cream, eggshell, candlelight, bone, and any other not-quite-whites.
Who made up this rule? After exhaustive Googling, I have no idea. All I can tell you is that It’s Just Not Done. Other fashion rules have been retired, but not this one. The white-shoe edict is more than a mere rule. It’s part of our social DNA. Ignore it at your peril. Think I’m kidding? In November, 1989, Sarah, Duchess of York, arrived in Houston wearing a yellow and white dress and white shoes. The faux pas made the evening news along with an explanation that she had dressed for a tropical climate, since it was still eighty-five degrees during the day time. To this day, people still discuss the incident.
But what about the temperature? It’s still summer outside! As Judith Martin, writing as Miss Manners says, “Weather is never an excuse.” And “Sensible people therefore adhere to the concept of seasons without regard to whatever chaotic conditions may be prevailing outdoors.”
Many arbiters of style have declared the rule obsolete. They’re wrong, or I’d be wearing white sandals tomorrow. But I just can’t make myself. At least not until Memorial Day 2010.
Thanks to Alison Kent, we have a poll!
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Yes, I do. And I do so gleefully knowing I’m breaking a rule.
Sure I would — if I had white shoes, and they went with an outfit, why not? But ah, of course, I have no white shoes, so in the end, it doesn’t matter. LOL
Lois
Hi Heather, I don’t really wear white shoes, so it is a moot point for me. Sometimes I wonder where these rules, social edicts come from too. It probably has something to do with royal codes passed down through genetic markers in early colonists and later got stuck somewhere. If I had white shoes, though, I would probably buck the system and wear them, not because I am being “bad,” but rather, because that is just the way I am.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
You all are so brave! It’s funny to me that the rule is so ingrained I can’t make myself break it. I feel too uncomfortable. Then again, like Lois and Paula, I didn’t wear white shoes until I found a pair a couple of years ago.
I’ve always wondered who started that tradition. The only white shoes I own are athletic shoes and I wear them whenever I want. When I was younger and wore heels all the time I never bought white ones. On my limited clothing budget ( divorced with two kids in school) I bought shoes that I could wear the year around. My kids would tell you that they usually saw me in black. I always thought black was more slimming so it became my color of choice for clothing and shoes.
I can remember years ago when I was a kid that the rules were followed by pretty much everybody and my mother made sure we all followed them……but now I have forgotten all the so called rules and wear whatever I want, whenever I want and I am usually in tennis shoes which are white.
Tennis shoes are exempt!
The poll is up! No stuffing the ballot box!
I get Labor Day and Memorial Day confused so I don’t wear white shoes at all. That way, I’m not in danger of committing this offense.
Very practical.
I think it’s a generational thing, because I can think of very few people of my generation (I’m 30) or younger who have even heard of this rule, let alone actually follow it. I sure don’t follow it. Or maybe it’s a geographical thing, I don’t know, but I think the rule is pretty obsolete now. Was it still in effect in the 1980s? Evidently, given the Fergie fiasco, but 20+ years have passed and I think most people just don’t care anymore. At least, where I live in California nobody cares.
I first learned of the rule when I saw the movie Serial Mom with Kathleen Turner. She kills a woman for wearing white shoes after Labor Day, and I remember thinking “What the hell kind of rule is that?”
I had to look that up! Ha!
Katie Mack, I loved that movie. I thought it was hilarious. I heard rumblings that it was based off of a true story, color me flabbergasted when I heard that.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
I voted for if I wanted to. I don’t really wear shoes, I mostly wear sneakers and flip flops. I only wear shoes on special occasions and most of the time they’re black, but if I wanted to I would go with white after labor day.
Actually, I do, too. But sometimes I get to dress up.
Heather, I’m right there with you. I went to my nephew’s house for brunch today (and to cuddle my new grandniece), and changed my choice of clothes because I wouldn’t wear white shoes. But it’s Houston, and it’s beautiful today, so I wore beige sandals instead. I’m afraid I’m showing my age, but this is one fashion rule that stays with me year after year.
Well, I have to wear special shoes now which look like athletic shoes (which happen to be white), but even if I could wear whatever I wanted, I’d still be a rebel here in the South and wear white shoes if I wanted to. I’ve always thought it was a stupid rule. And if Miss Manners thinks I should wear a winter coat even if it’s 90 degrees in December, she can take a long hike off a short pier for all I care. *g*
But . . . but you’re wearing white shoes anyway! And they’re okay! Coat? What is this thing you call a “coat”?
I dont own a pair of white shoes but I voted “If I want to” simply because I refuse to let anyone tell me what I can or can’t do. (which has gotten me in a lot of trouble over the years) I, too, thought the rule was obsolete now, at least that’s according to Stacy London and Clint Kelly. And I figure what’s good enough for them is good enough for the rest of the US.
I don’t like white shoes and I don’t like rules. This is just a happy coincidence.
P.S. I like this bat emoticon.
I am not surprised by any of this. And what’s this icon?
Film? A bow?
IMO, silly rules are meant to be ignored.
Silly?!?
Heather ~ Maybe this will give you courage: 1) Fashion legend Coco Chanel publicly flaunted the rule and made white a year-round part of her wardrobe as far back as the 1920s, and 2) “Even the 2004 manners bible, Emily Post’s Etiquette, 17th Edition, gives the go-ahead for wearing white after Labor Day.” (excerpted from Time article below)
Here’s today’s Time article addressing the origins of the rule: http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090908/us_time/08599192068400
Ignore this one, it has a typo. I tried to delete it before it posted, but no go.
Heather ~ Maybe this will give you courage: 1) Fashion legend Coco Chanel disregarded the rule and made white a year-round part of her wardrobe as far back as the 1920s, and 2) “Even the 2004 manners bible, Emily Post’s Etiquette, 17th Edition, gives the go-ahead for wearing white after Labor Day.” (excerpted from Time article below)
Here’s today’s Time article addressing the origins of the rule: http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090908/us_time/08599192068400
Interesting article. Originally, the ban was just white shoes. White clothing was okay. And I’m not surprised Chanel broke whatever rules she could find! Don’t we have her to thank for women’s pants and getting us out of the corset?
I like the white shoe rule. It keeps my white shoes clean and unscuffed to have them out of the closet for just a few months a year. Do you think it applies to white belts for men??? I keep trying to hide my son’s white belt, which he takes out of the closet at all times of the year. Granted, it’s canvas. So it’s not as scary as white leather in winter, but still…
At least he’s wearing a belt!
Now I really want to know where the rule comes from! Usually I find I have most of those rules in my DNA too, but this one doesn’t seem to affect me as much. I tend to wear my white sandals right up until my toes start to freeze. Maybe if I had some white pumps it’d be a different story though…
It’s scary that we have a rule and no one knows who made it or how it got started. And people follow it religiously. Well, some. I saw a lady in church who had on white heels. I thought “That’s a no-no” and then mentally smacked myself. Who cares? We need to get rid of the rule. But how do we get rid of the years it’s been branded into our minds? Maybe I’ll wear my white shoes. Oh, yeah!
I think it’s funny, too, but so ingrained. I see the poll is down, but about 2/3 of the voters said they’d wear white shoes if they want to!