Wearing White After Labor Day As An Act of Civil Disobedience

I love wearing white. A lot. So it always upsets me when people criticize me for wearing white after Labor day. I admit that wearing white pants in a December snow storm might garner you the nickname Frosty. But there's no need to banish all things white from your closet in such haste! The sun won't automatically shut off this Monday and I'll be damned if society makes me shut off my self-expression. The way I see it, white reflects sunshine, warmth, light, happiness. When I get dressed I also want to reflect those things.

In trying to defend my position on white clothing after Labor day, I joked to myself that it could be seen as an act of civil disobedience. Copious amounts of google-ing ensued. What I found actually justified my joke. Wearing white during summer in the early 20th century showed you were wealthy enough to vacation in a warmer location (Diddy's white party, anyone?). Labor Day marked the end of the vacation period, where the well-t0-do community would make the transition back to work, school, etc in the city with darker colored clothing. When the middle class expanded in the 1950s, the tradition became more rigid as newly "comfortable" families sought to display their wealth.
In essence, this rule comes from the tradition of the status quo. I find this ironic, as Labor Day is a day meant to celebrate laborers, not the capitalist hierarchy that oppresses them through an endless desire for more stuff. So this Tuesday I say fuck the man, wear white. You'll be reflecting light, sun, happiness and maybe, just maybe, a new found political empowerment.