Never Wear White Before Easter

Or is Memorial Day? And is it white in general or just white shoes?

Of course I’ve known the ‘white rule’ my whole life. As a child the new Easter dress, pretty hat and white gloves were part of the excitement of Easter, along with chocolate bunnies and egg dying.

Where did it the ‘white rule originate? And why?

I checked the ultimate source, etiquette expert, Miss Manners,

“White shoes may be worn only after Memorial Day and before Labor Day. “

“Otherwise, you will develop warts on your toes. “ (Honest, she really wrote that.)

But this doesn’t explain why, except to avoid warts. Good thing Miss Manners was not an MD.

From my online investigations there seems to be some controversy as to which is correct white before Easter or Memorial Day, but the white wearing cut off is always Labor Day.  Also some claim it only applies to white shoes, not white clothing. Confusion!

Also this ‘rule’ seems more deeply rigid in the South than other parts of the country.  Online I read very passionate explanations for the ‘white rule’ from Southerners:

“Only hicks wear white shoes before Easter”

“Why is there a white shoe rule?  Because my Mother, both Grandmothers, Great Grandmothers, Aunts, Great Aunts, 17 Cousins and 47 neighbors told me so. It just is!”

Or my favorite:

“Here’s the deal, if you aren’t a baby, bride, or retro nurse with a big blue cape, put the white shoes away during fall and winter seasons. The world needs rules. We need order. We need to know what to do. It’s peaceful that way. No rational explanation, it’s just the way it is. Period.”

So there you go. Clear now?

Ah no.

I hate to play devil’s advocate, but wonder if you are in a place the does not celebrate Easter? Most of the world is not Christian, (no hate) just stating facts. And apparently Miami, Florida is not part of the Deep South? I have been there in the winter and have observed plenty of white attire and shoes. Are they all hicks? Heathens might be closer. Miami is its own world.

So now that I have you curious about why the ‘white rule’ even if you never cared before, the best I can deduce is there are several reasons for the ‘rule’.

First, class distinction. Rich people wore white. White clothing meant you were wealthy enough to be on vacation after summer. Not a lot of lower income workers playing tennis or golf, activities known to sport a lot of white in their preferred attire.

Second, wearing light/white summer clothes in the fall when the weather is cooler is just not sensible. This seems logical but did we really need a ‘rule’ for us to understand that a white cotton dress is not a good selection on a cold rainy day? Ok maybe some of us need to be told. Can you hear you mom telling you to bring a jacket?

Third, and this really makes the most sense to me — Because fashion editors said so, the people who control fashion trends resided in New York. The forces behind Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, etc. The Big Apple’s climate is more or less the same every year; a hot summer, rainy fall, freezing winter and a refreshing spring to start the cycle back over again. Since all the fashion editors lived in New York, they produced magazine layouts to reflect what they dressed in without the rest of the country’s climates in mind. This meant light whites in the summer vanished from the glossy pages once the rain of autumn settled in. And this usually happens around Labor Day. It was a way to get shoppers to buy and consume—yes it’s all about money.

So are we clear now?!?

Happy Easter

Laura