In this day and age you can pretty much wear whatever you want, whenever you want—and that includes white after Labor Day. Wearing a slim-cut suit to a bar, or a pair of tennis sneakers to the office, is basically playing it safe at this point. That said, there are still one or two rules we think you should observe when wearing the iconic color of summer during the colder months. Most are common sense. Maybe don’t wear it head-to-toe, for example, and don’t force a too summery staple to exist in 50-degree weather. Here’s a quick rundown of those Dos and Don’ts. And if you choose to ignore us, you know, whatever. Do you.
In our eyes white jeans are appropriate 365 days a year. On cold days, maybe don’t reach for the pair with a million rips, and layer them up with dark, season-appropriate colors.
The same cannot be said for the white shorts you love wearing in the summer. Not only is it too damn cold for them, but they’re a little too tennis-appropriate for football season.
A white knit or sweatshirt is the only layer you need in the summer but, worn with a pair of serious trousers and chunky shoes in the fall, the staple still looks damn cool.
Practically all white shirts are a-OK in the fall, except maybe the linen vacation shirt. It’s the kind of thing that’s best worn solo, not layered under a stiff jacket and scratchy scarf.
If you don't yet own a white jacket, now is the perfect time to scoop one up on sale. The staple may feel like it belongs in a beach house or grassy field somewhere but, pared with somber fall colors, you can wear it straight through the cold, wet season.
At a London nightclub at 3am, Mark Ronson can pull off a white suit in the fall. Are you as ballsy a dresser as Ronson? If not, this might be an example of when wearing white after Labor Day just doesn't work.
White sneakers can be worn year-round, especially if they’re leather, and the dirtier they get, the better. They have a nice way of lightening up serious fall staples and generally out-there clothes.
Any white shoe you can slip on and off is a no-go when the leaves start turning colors, whether it’s an espadrille, sandal, or boat shoe. A Vans slip-on might work for a few months, but even that will get a bit soggy at a certain point.
