It was one of fashion’s hard and fast rules: Don’t Wear White After Labor Day.
Before air conditioning “no autumn white” was practical and functional, marking the time when September temperatures shifted away from the need for cooler clothes. And dating from the Gilded Age, it signaled the upper class transition from vacation’s leisure outfits to “proper” in-town wear.
But does it still hold true?
To investigate we stopped by the Fashion Institute of Technology’s annual Couture Council fall luncheon to see the attire stylish guests had chosen.
A few attendees did defy the “rule” wearing outright white or a version.
Some guests went the opposite direction, opting for basic black.
Many guests played it both ways—autumn’s bronzey oranges were outdone by predominant combinations of white and black. There was a tee-shirt tribute to luncheon honoree Balmain’s creative director Olivier Rousteing and Martha Stewart highlighted her black ensemble in a pink jacket which was a vintage Balmain design.
