Winter White

The last time I wore white shoes was as an Emerald Entertainer (kinda sounds like something hard-core, but it was just the dance line at my high school). And they weren't just shoes - they were knee high boots. With a heel.

I may also have worn mandatory white shoes for sorority pledging, but that is definitely it. My wedding shoes were even "candlelight". It was November.

White shoes are right up there with wallpaper. Both should be illegal.

I read that even the 17th edition of Emily Post's Etiquette permits the wearing of white after Labor Day. Emily Post died in 1960 and I am certain she would not approve of this new permit.

Like this fashion faux pas, for example. Wrong on so many different levels.

The reasoning behind wearing white clothes between Memorial Day (or Easter) and Labor Day is really all about temperature and climate. If you live in a warm climate it makes sense to wear white which reflects the heat as opposed to black which absorbs it. I suppose it might make some sense if your temperatures never get below 24C (that's 75F for the Americans) or you are Coco Chanel incarnate.

Uh . . . on second thought . . . no, not even then.

I have no idea what climate has to do with wearing white shoes, but since it rains year-round here, white shoes fall into the "impractical despite permitted" category in any season.

So, all white-shoe-donning frumps, you know the rule:

No white shoes permitted after Labor Day.

And that goes for pants, dresses and linen too.

Whether I'm in sultry Guam . . .

FYI - Guam is here

or the benumbing Faroe Islands,

FYI - Faroe Islands are here

my rule is:

No white shoes permitted between All Saint's Day and Halloween.

But winter white. Now that's a horse of a different color. I once had stirrup pants in winter white which I wore with winter white ankle boots and a fuzzy winter white cowl neck sweater. And I thought I looked good.

I should probably dust off my Emily Post bible.