Will you wear white jeans after Labor Day?

As soon as temperatures cool and leaves start to change, the question arises: should the white wardrobe be packed up with our bathing suits and flip flops? My answer is no, white jeans are not faux pas after Labor Day. Designers have been showing white jeans and pants in fall trends for years now and it’s still a trend moving into fall 2011.

Last week I was at lunch with four girlfriends and three of the four got the white jean “momiform” memo. Two of them said to me, “Oh, I’m sooo glad you are still wearing your white jeans! I wasn’t sure if we were allowed since it’s after Labor Day!” My FL roots kicked into high gear as I think the Memorial Day/Labor Day rule is BOGUS and I decided that we need to start our own trends here in Smarty Charlotte.

I started asking other friends what their position was. One born and raised in South Carolina says “H-E-double L No! That’s just how I was raised!” One native Charlottean took it a step further and said she won’t even wear open-toed shoes after Labor Day. Wow, I feel sorry for her:-) While others refuse to embrace this rule and wear white jeans in early fall, and usually switch over to darker denim in November. I’m with them.

I will say this. Today is probably not the best day to rally a movement to induct white jeans into the year-round hall of fame since it’s gloomy, cool and rainy. But fall is not here yet, the 80’s will be back before you know it and will last well into October. Are we really supposed to stay in our dark winter wools when it’s a balmy 83 degrees and muggy outside even if it’s September 30th? I think not.

In my book, it’s not what you wear, it’s how you wear it. Times have changed, fashionistas have sprung and old school rules need not apply moving forward. Even the 2004 book “Emily Post’s Etiquette, 17th Edition” says it’s fine to wear white after Labor Day. There, it’s in writing, Smarties, Emily has SET US FREE! InStyle Mag says we can too in the September issue, so double there!

I’m not saying that we should wear our white Jack Rogers (this is crossing WAY over the line!) and sleeveless Lilly tops in the cold of winter. But I certainly don’t think it’s a fashion crime to wear the most popular mom trend going strong right now – white jeans, perhaps paired with a charcoal gray tunic sweater and some Tory Burch’s. I’m still wearing them. Period. Arrest me.

Sometimes I’m feeling white jeans. What about you?