Labour Day has its roots in organised workers' union movements.
We have these movements to thank for various employment rights, such as regulated working hours, improved workplace conditions and minimum wage policies.
Of course, the fact that May 1 is celebrated as a public holiday in Malaysia is a source of cheer for most workers too!
However, a little-known fact is that there used to be a dress code of sorts immediately following Labour Day celebrations.
Is it true that it used to be a fashion faux pas to wear white right after Labour Day?
VERDICT:
TRUE
The unspoken rule against wearing white after Labour Day is said to date back to American tradition in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Labour Day, celebrated on the first Monday of September in America – and not May 1, unlike most of the rest of the world – also symbolised the end of summer.
As the upper class returned to work from fancy summer retreats, their wardrobes transitioned from light, summer-appropriate attire to darker, more practical clothing for the autumn and winter months.
As such, wearing white tended to be associated with summer leisure and vacation and was seen as inappropriate for work environments immediately following Labour Day.
Some also argue that the rule was a way for the elite to maintain social boundaries because only wealthier folk could afford bright-coloured clothes.
Working-class labourers in that age often favoured darker coloured clothing, which did not show grime and stains as easily.
As is commonly the case, the gilded upper classes often sought to distinguish themselves from the working class through strict social codes, and this included dress etiquette.
Some sources say those who adhered to the rule of not wearing white following Labour Day had an easier time climbing the social ladder.
Over the decades, etiquette guides and fashion magazines ingrained in American cultural consciousness further perpetuated this fashion rule.
However, the rigidity of this unspoken rule has diminished significantly in recent years.
Nowadays, wearing (or not wearing) white after Labour Day is a matter of personal choice rather than a strict rule.
And here in Malaysia, many would never even have heard of this archaic norm.
One thing is for certain – you definitely would not be socially ostracised for putting on your white button-ups when you return to work after May 1!
Sources:
https://www.farmersalmanac.com/wear-white-after-labor-day
https://www.vogue.com/article/wearing-white-after-labor-day
