Labor Day Weekend – White’s Final Hooray For The Season

By Brian Maynor
August 30, 2013

It’s Labor Day weekend and you know what that means!  That’s right, time to wonder why you can’t wear white after this weekend.  I am asked that question a lot and search engine queries soar an astonishing 2000%.  Personally I am not a teetotaler and think you can wear white any time of year as long as it makes sense.

Whether you cling to the rule with both hands like my grandmother and only wear white between Easter and Labor Day or refuse to follow it at all keeping white a dominant color all year like Coco Chanel, here are two outfits that are perfect for closing out the season and my logical reasoning behind it:

1.    Form.  It doesn’t matter if the patio is in your backyard or another time zone an all-white outfit screams ‘chic jetsetter’.  

White is the color of summer and has long represented vacations and fun in the sun and sea breezes.  Of course there are other uses for white, like polo games and mourning if you’re royal, but those are not the first connotations.

2.    Function.  I don’t like to sweat.  It’s not attractive and instantly puts me in a bad mood, unless I’m dressed for it.  Aside from keeping you cool, white doesn’t show sweat stains as noticeably as colors

Practically speaking white is a cooler in the sun than any other color because it reflects heat while colors absorb it.  Travel to any dessert location and you will see people wearing long-sleeve white tops.  They are of course thin and breathable, but it the more white you wear the more heat you reflect.

3.    Style.  Who has the most to gain continuing to perpetuate this ‘rule’ other than the fashion industry?  Editors and designers alike can promote entire collections and brands around the concept of white.

White pants are the perfect example.  They are marketed as seasonal staple every season.  During spring and summer they work with bright colors and keep an outfit light and during the fall and winter they work great with earth tones, black and grey for a sophisticated and elegant palette.

This is also where you want to make sure wearing white makes sense.  If it is fall or winter wearing white shoes or carrying a white bag probably isn’t going to be your best choice because it doesn’t make sense.  To me it would be like wearing velvet in July or linen in December.

Whether you choose to wear it or not, white works for all seasons.  My only hard and fast rule is: keep it crisp and clean.  No matter which season you wear it nothing starts looking tired, worn-out or dingy quicker than white.  

I am always curious to hear about your weekend wardrobe dilemmas and help make your work wardrobe pull double duty.  Email your questions, quandaries and conundrums to [email protected].  Also find each of these storyboards at http://brianmaynor.polyvore.com with links to purchase each item.

About Brian Maynor

Brian Maynor has built a reputation as one of the leading style coaches in the Southeast and is quickly expanding his eponymous company, BRIAN MAYNOR and his FIND, FLATTER & FLAUNT line of image consulting services. A professional with a fresh, upbeat and down-to-earth personality and boundless creative energy, he works frequently with with local celebrities; Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations; modeling agencies; fashion designers; production companies; record labels; media and individuals. A regular contributor to various fashion blogs and online communities, Brian Maynor is one of the most trusted and recognized style experts in the region, utilizing his education and training as a broadcast journalist to serve as a style lecturer, emcee, and commentator for over a decade. He has appeared at fashion shows, expos, and charity fundraisers, as well as events with big brands like Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Chico’s and Macy’s. His approach is innovative, creative and fashion-forward, balancing fresh, modern styles with classic pieces to keep one’s look grounded. To learn more, visit http://www.brianmaynor.com. 
 

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